An ancient adventure for a new year
Hadrian’s wall
We’re only three days into the year but there’s a chance that your new year’s resolutions are a memory now.
Don’t worry about breaking a few half-hearted promises to yourself because people have been doing just that since the Romans first introduced the Gregorian calendar and new years day. There’s a lot of 2019 left which gives us plenty of time to achieve something special this year.
Take the Romans for example, they left us with quite a legacy and Hadrian’s Wall is one of their greatest. Running from coast to coast it passes through the middle of Carlisle. It’s easy to overlook what’s close to home but if you feel the need for a new resolution then it’s worth picking up a map, making a plan and taking a bit of time to walk the wall.
The beauty of having such a walk right here is you don’t have to complete it all in one bite. You can – if you wish – and I applaud you but I would recommend it over 8 days if you’re a novice, rather than squeezing it into 6. If you’re the type of person that thinks 8 days and 84 miles on the trot is excessive (and that’s most of us), then break it down into nice manageable chunks and stretch it out over the year.
Ordered by Emperor Hadrian in 122 AD to keep the marauding Scots at bay, it took six years to complete and stretches from Wallsend in Tyne and Wear to Bowness-on-Solway in Cumbria. As far as walks go it’s relatively easy as the highest point on the path is only 345 m (1130 ft) high and for most of its length it’s basically flat.
All walks start somewhere and we are going to tackle the most urban area first on the East Coast, the section from Segedunum Fort. Starting here means your walking against the prevailing wind but you have the added advantage of being practically home once it’s all over.
The first day is spent alongside the River Tyne and you’ll pass right along the Newcastle Quayside heading westwards, finally leaving the city behind as you head up to the village of Heddon-on-the Wall. From here we follow the course of Hadrian’s Wall through the rolling countryside of Northumberland. For much of the walk there is no sign of the wall but the Roman ditch – or Vallum – is present in a lot of places.
However, as you approach Chollerford sections of the wall start to appear and the walking becomes exhilarating. The scenery gets grander as you gain height and it’s through the middle section that we find many of the walks famous names such as Whin Sill, which is the rocky ridge with a sharp north face that the wall was built along the top of. There’s also Housesteads Fort and Sycamore Gap which is home of one of the most photographed trees in the country. The walk ambles it’s way along rugged crags with a climb to Winshields which is the highest point of the trail. You are rewarded with wonderful views throughout, particularly when we cross into Cumbria at the pretty village of Gilsland.
The section of the path to the fort of Birdoswald is fantastic. We skirt high above Irthington Gorge, before beginning a gradual descent. Rich agricultural landscape and parkland replaces the moorland and the route drops steadily until we reach the banks of the River Eden and Carlisle.
The final stretch is a complete contrast to all that has gone before as we keep to the banks of the Eden and cross flat salt marshes before finishing at the quaint village of Bowness-on-Solway. The Solway estuary is internationally renowned as an area of outstanding natural beauty and time spent in this charming part of the world is like stepping into rural England of some bygone era.
So that’s it, we have 84 miles and 3 counties under our belt, Hadrian’s Wall walk is well signposted and considered one of the worlds great long walks. It’s right here on our doorstep so maybe we can make a resolution to try walking a small section one day. And who knows, by the time the year is finished you may have covered the entire distance.
Photos taken by Stuart Hodgson, for more of his snaps visit www.hikingphotographer.uk
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