Hadrians Wall

Let the train take the strain. So we did boarding at 6.00am in London and getting to Carlisle just after 9.00. Quick use of public transport to get us out of the city centre and we kicked off leg one at 9.30. The original wall was built by Emperor Hadrian in the second century AD. It was 84 miles (135 Km) long from Bowness - on Solway on the West Coast, to Wallsend on the East. The Romans left in AD 410 and the wall was no longer the frontier at the North of the Roman Empire. As a testament to Roman engineering however, the Roman wall and the military way to the south of it was used by the English to build a coast to coast road during the Jacobite rebellion of 1745!

So, with Jacobites building roads on the wall, and local farmers using the stones from the walls for building materials (in fact Hexham Abbey dating from AD 674 and built by Queen Etheldreda has Roman stones within the crypt), the Wall proper does not start until Banks, about an hour into the walk.

I was with a Friend of mine who is training to lose weight for a parachute jump. He also needs to lose some height as well but I could help with that. We had decided to walk the as much of the route where remains were visible over the 2.5 days that we had. That was Banks through to Chollerford which is about 40 miles.

The weather was fantastic with sun all the time. Off at a startling pace we soon came across our first fellow hikers. We then saw the next lot, and the next and realised that this was a busy part of the trail and also, there were unproportionate amount of beards sported by the men. So we started to count them. I believe we gave up at 30 men, 18 beards and about 45 women! We told them all we were walking end to end in 3 days and they were suitably impressed!

8 hours walking up and down some craggy terrain and we got to our destination for night one. Twice Brewed inn which is based near Once brewed on the Wall. Fantastic place, and let me tell you about the food. We were starving, had sore feet (we had walked 23 miles and been up since 5.00am) and needed some refuelling. My walking buddy ordered black pudding and Haggis to start with a Pork Belly main, I sensibly went for chicken kebab starter and what I read from the specials board as Lamb Shank. Done.

The Black pudding was the size of a hub cap and whilst this was being demolished, the waitress pointed out that the Lamb Shank was in fact Ham Shank! I have never heard of a Ham shank (knuckle or hock yes, not shank) but wanted anything. When it arrived it was a thing of monstrous proportions. Think a Ham all the way to the trotter, whole, on your plate. It was immense. Other diners were staring and we realised that between the two of us we had eaten almost a whole pig (blood in the pudding, the belly and the whole of one leg). We completed the task in the morning with sausages and bacon!

After all the food and exercise it was not long until we were asleep, and ready somewhat limping, the next day.

Day two was a 16 mile hike over the highest part of the wall, Steel Rigg, past Sycamore Gap (on photo and featured in Robin Hood) and we finished in Chollerford!

In Chollerford we had a well deserved beer or two at a pub with Gardens overlooking the river Tyne. We met another hiker; a Dutch guy who said "You were the one with plate of meat the size of a small child" so news does travel fast. After a night in Hexham and a great lunch with my mother who lives there (we went to the Rat which is a pub I highly recommend), we decided to walk the final few miles to Corstopitum Roman Fort at Corbridge where we stocked up on souvenirs for our children.

Highly recommend a visit to the Hadrians Wall if you can. The scenery is beautiful and although we counted beards for a few hours, it is really tranquil yet wild. The sense of history is obvious where ever you look and it makes a very memorable trip.

10k next weekend! Until then.