As British Tourism Week begins on Monday, we dedicate this week's travel section to the Best of British - starting with DAVID ATKINSON in Cumbria, Lake District

WHAT  did the Romans ever do for Carlisle? Well, quite a lot actually. The border city in northern Cumbria in the Lake District is renowned for its rich Roman legacy.

Some 650,000 Roman troops were stationed along nearby Hadrian's Wall until 410AD and today it remains an important hub for walkers, school groups and history buffs keen to explore the 84-mile stretch.

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However as a major public art event today highlights, the Roman city is also keen to develop more contemporary ways to celebrate its historic past. Illuminating the Wall, which marks the start of British Tourism Week, will light up the barrier's entire length for the first time in its history. It starts at dusk at Wallsend in North Tyneside and ripples along with beacons lit at 250m intervals all the way to Bowness-on-Solway on the west coast.

Carlisle is hosting a free event tonight, Welcoming The Light, which will see street performers, music and a torchlit procession.

I've come to Carlisle for an exclusive preview of events but before heading out into the countryside, I have a date at Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery. Tim Padley, the Keeper of Archaeology, gives me a crash course in Roman history.

In 122AD the Emperor Hadrian ordered the construction of the wall, which came to symbolise the dominance of the empire for some 300 years. Unesco listed it as a World Heritage Site in 1987.

Hadrian's Wall is often misrepresented as the de facto border between the English and Scottish tribes but as Tim explains, it represented far more to the Romans. "The Wall was partly a frontier to control people, much like the Berlin Wall or the US-Mexico border, but it was also about collecting customs dues and making a statement, " says Tim, as he points out stonework, armour and other Roman artefacts.

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As the early spring sunshine casts its shadows across the rugged landscape, I drive 45 minutes out of Carlisle following the contours of the Hadrian's Wall Path, a National Trail. My destination is Housesteads Roman Fort, the most complete example of a Roman fort in Britain today.

Administered by English Heritage, you can walk down the main thoroughfare passing ancient grain stores and dining halls. From here I yomp across fields towards the ragged stone curve of the Wall.

This central section is the most visually arresting. It commands views of a rugged moorland landscape that became the lawless domain of cattle rustlers and vagabonds after the Romans left Britain 1,600 years ago.

As people in fluorescent jackets busy themselves with flares and gas burners for the dress rehearsal of lighting up the wall, I seek out Linda Tuttiett, chief executive of Hadrian's Wall Heritage, who is supervising the test run.

"Hadrian's Wall is Britain's biggest World Heritage Site and the Roman era was one of the most important periods in our history, " explains Linda, shivering in the wind-chilled dusk. "We hope this event will bring the Wall back into focus."

The next morning, after a comfortable night in my maroon-and-chocolate suite at the Hallmark Hotel, located next to Carlisle's imposing Citadel Railway Station, I set out to explore the city which requires some sleuthing. While the main shopping street is all identikit high-street chains, venturing down the side streets reveals a blossoming array of cafés, galleries and boutiques.

My morning takes in a traditional wet shave at The Gentry, a gents' grooming salon; a stop for coffee at John Watts & Son, a Victorian coffee shop; and the cobbled courtyards around the 12th-century Carlisle Cathedral, Britain's second smallest cathedral, with its manicured lawn and ancient cloisters.

Opposite I stop to admire the illuminations-inspired window display at Hoopers, the city's much-loved independent department store.

Assistant Manager Denise Webber is busy adding the finishing touches to an 8ft replica Wall made from polystyrene blocks and adorned by mannequins in the latest fashion labels. "Carlisle has a burgeoning arts scene. It has really taken off in the last few years, " says Denise, who is helping Hoopers to design in-store events for the illuminations; from a children's torch parade to a themed menu in the restaurant.

Welcoming The Light is the first of several public art events to be staged in Carlisle this year under the auspices of the Lakes Alive programme. In June, We Built This City invites the public to rebuild the cityscape using thousands of cardboard boxes, while Germany's Theater Titanick recreates the 1912 sinking of the Titanic at Carlisle Castle in July. Both are ticketed events.

Carlisle still lacks an iconic arts space like The Sage Gateshead at the eastern end of the wall. Locals, however, believe these public art events will showcase its burgeoning cultural side and attract a new generation of visitors.

"You have to hunt out the city's creative side still, " smiles Denise. "But I feel like it's finally coming alive."

THE KNOWLEDGE

The Hallmark Hotel Carlisle (01228 531951/www.hallmarkhotels.co.uk) offers doubles from £76 per night (two sharing), B&B. Virgin Trains (0845 722 2333 /www.virgintrains.co.uk) offers return fares from London to Carlisle from £28. British Tourism  Week (March 15-21) 020 7 578 1098) / www.britishtourismweek.com