HADRIAN'S WALL
Distance - 84 miles
Location - Bowness on Solway to Wallsend , England
September 2018
Itinerary
Day 1 - Bowness-on-Solway to Bleatarn Farm, Irthington, 20 miles
Day 2 - Bleatarn Farm, Irthington to Greenhead, 15 miles
Day 3 - Greenhead to Green Carts, Humshaugh, 15 miles
Day 4 - Green Carts, Humshaugh to Heddon-on-the-Wall, 20 miles
Day 5 - Heddon-on-the-Wall - Wallsend, 15 miles
Hadrian's Wall path is a historical walk, following the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hadrian's wall, which once marked the furthest reach of the Roman empire.
The path starts on the west coast at Bowness-on-Solway, taking you across the rugged landscape of northern England to the east at Wallsend.
The night before starting our walk we camped at The Old Rectory in Bowness-on-Solway. A lovely camping spot with good facilities and very close to the official starting point.
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Location - 5/5
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Cost - 3/5 - £10 per person
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Facilities - 4/5
Day 1 - Bowness-on-Solway to Bleatarn Farm, Irthington, 20 miles
Hadrian's wall is our first long distance hike being semi self sufficient, so we were super excited to start walking. Starting at the path pavilion on the banks, we set off on our 84 mile adventure. Leaving the pavilion we rejoined the village streets and headed towards Bowness marsh for approx. 1 mile to Port Carlisle. We set off on a Sunday so it was very quiet, just us and lots of cows.
The first day mainly consisted of roads and pavements, and fairly flat so we made some great progress.
We stopped in Burgh by Sands in the grounds of St Michael's church for a snack and a water resupply (they have a tap around the back for walkers).
We edged closer to Carlisle, walking next to the River Eden. For lunch we stopped in Bitts park with a view of the castle. We also checked our feet and made sure that we took our shoes and socks off.
As we walked across River Eden we emerged into the Rickerby Park, a lovely space for a picnic or walk. Once you pass Carlisle there is little opportunity to re-supply, so if you need anything get it in Carlisle.
We stopped at The Stag Inn at Crosby-on-Eden for a pint and diet Coke. It was a lovely day with glorious sunshine, so it was a welcome refreshment break.
Just before you reach Bleatarn farm we passed our first honesty box stocked with drinks and snacks, keep your eyes peeled.
Bleatarn farm was on the route, however the campsite was just at the back of the farm. A smallish site with a couple of toilets and showers, but everything you would need. We would recommend you book in advance during busy periods.
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Accomodation - Bleatarn Farm
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Location - 5/5
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Cost - 4/5 - £7.50 per person
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Facilities - 4/5
Day 2 - Bleatarn Farm, Irthington to Greenhead, 15 miles
We left Bleatarn farm just after 8am, excited to see the first section of what remains of the wall. We followed footpaths and fields, whilst enjoying the rain, which continued for several hours. We were however rewarded with our first sighting of the wall...albeit it has hammering down with rain at this point!!
There are lots of long straight sections, with turret remains at regular intervals, running parallel to the road.
The terrain was quite exposed with no sheltered areas to set up lunch, made worse with the rain.
We chose to take a break in one of the fields, coming down from the ridge line, using Kevin's poncho as a small shelter. It wasn't pleasant but needs must.
We didn't rest for long as the rain was relentless. We must have walked 10 maybe 15 mins before we stumbled upon Birdoswald roman fort and visitors centre. There was a lovely little cafe, facilities and shelter...doh! If only we would have continued a little further!!
We chose not to pay the entrance fee into the roman fort as we were walking the wall, getting first hand experience.
There was a short steep descent at Underheugh before crossing the Millenium Bridge.
Mid afternoon we approached Greenhead. We had every intention of camping, however it had been raining for most of the day, blisters had started to form on my (Katie) feet, so we decided to check into the hotel (tutting I hear...yes we know!!). Glad we did though as sometimes you just need some home comforts!
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Accomodation - Greenhead hotel
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Location - 4/5, short distance from the trail, approx. 10 mins, very easy to find
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Cost - roughly £60-£70
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Facilities - lovely spacious room, pub food
Day 3 - Greenhead to Green Carts, Humshaugh, 15 miles
After a great nights sleep we rejoined the trail and we immediately came across Thirlwall Castle, beautiful ruin remains from this once grand castle dating back to the 12th century.
From here there is a steady climb before descending down to Walltown quarry (good toilet stop). The path takes you around the quarry before ascending to the ridge of Walltown crags. The path is fairly steady, passing another quarry, Cawfields quarry (water tap and toilets).
From here we start to see the landscape ahead - Winshield, Peel, Highshield and Hotbank crags. The path is very popular from Steel Rigg to Housesteads, so expect it to get quite busy with day hikers. The scenery is absolutely spectacular, we were making little progress due to the terrain and also stopping to take photos every 5 minutes!
There are many steep rises and falls in the ridge, passing mile castles as we go. We came across Sycamore Gap, otherwise known as Robin Hood's tree where the film Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves was filmed, feeling quite underwhelmed mainly due to how busy it was.
We broke for lunch at Housesteads, by this point it was mid-afternoon and we were pretty exhausted, with another 5-6 miles remaining. At Housesteads is the Vercovicivm Roman Fort. There is a small selection of food and drinks, but no cafe. There are toilets however.
From Housesteads the terrain becomes a little kinder, with long straight grassy sections, broken up with stiles.....too many we lost count! We did not anticipate this day to be so tough, reaching the turn off for our campsite close to 6 pm. We chose to stay at Green Carts campsite which was approx. 1 mile from the trail. After a tough day, this final mile was testing!
That evening I received a phone call from the B&B we had booked for the following night, only to find out I (Katie) had booked the wrong day...doh! So panic set in and we were frantically trying to find somewhere to stay close to the trail. There are limited camping options as you approach Newcastle and all B&B's were fully booked, so we went to bed that evening with nowhere to stay the following night! Mistakes happen!
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Accommodation - Green Carts
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Location - approx. a mile off route
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Cost - £8 per person
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Facilities - toilet and shower facilities, kitchen facilities but only when the bunkhouse section is open
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Note - the campsite is set down from the main facilities and the ground is uneven and sloped in places.
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Tip - If camp food just doesn't cut it there are takeaways which deliver to the campsite!!!
Day 4 - Green Carts, Humshaugh to Heddon-on-the-Wall, 20 miles
Following a restless nights sleep we packed up and prepared breakfast, with still no accommodation. My feet at this point were sore with blisters on my little toes. I also suffer from sore hips which makes lying on my side difficult for prolonged periods of time.
During the morning we crossed fields before we joining the road, walking on pavement for an extended period of time.
We stopped for a snack break after passing Chollerford, and set about looking for somewhere to stay. Unfortunately, campsites are a little hard to come by the closer to Newcastle you are, and all B&B's were fully booked, therefore we decided to book ourselves into a hotel which was bang on route. It was our holiday after all! Although it cost way more than a campsite or B&B, this lifted us, knowing that we had a lovely hotel room to look forward to, and with a bit of luck they might serve food too!
The path was fairly straight from here with few gradients, passing fields, and woodland paths.
We passed a pub called the Robin Hood Inn which was perfectly located for walkers to grab a bite to eat. Having already had our lunch we stopped for an afternoon snack, dessert for Katie and a pint for Kevin.
We passed a reservoir, which looked like a very peaceful location to sit and have lunch or just contemplate. The path however was like walking on nails for my feet, harsh stone rocks.
We soon approached a sign welcoming us to Heddon-on-the-Wall and knew the end of the penultimate day was in sight. The route runs through the village and makes a descent towards the River Tyne.
The hotel we were staying at was at the golf course which is on route, however trying to find the entrance for guests was the most difficult part! We must have looked desperate as a member of staff stopped to help us. He kindly took us in his golf buggy to the entrance. The room was amazing, a little bit of luxury before our final day.
We treated ourselves to drinks and food in the bar and made the most of our luxurious hotel room.
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Accommodation - Close House
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Location - 5/5, on route, however good luck finding the entrance!!
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Cost - way more than we should have!!
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Facilities - 5/5, lovely food served in the club bar
Day 5 - Heddon-on-the-Wall - Wallsend, 15 miles
Our final day was here, after a great nights sleep, we were well rested, and the sun was shining! Leaving the golf course the path runs alongside the River Tyne. From here the terrain is pretty much pavement.
The path swerves into an industrial estate before rejoining the river, taking you all the way to the Quayside. There are a number of sculptures and historical text to read and enjoy as you get closer to Newcastle. The sight of the many bridges loomed closer.
Of course we stopped in Newcastle for some well-deserved lunch. Taking our time to leave behind the hustle and bustle of Newcastle to take on our final 5 miles. The route becomes very industrial, with not much to see, a little disappointing really.
We knuckled down with some music, putting one step in front of the other. Before we know it we had arrived at Segedunum, our end point. It all seemed a little underwhelming at first, with the only marker to celebrate our success was a picture by the signpost.
We went into the visitor's centre and made it official by writing in the walker's book and having a drink in the cafe upstairs overlooking the fort remains. But we had done it, all 84 miles!!!
That evening we were staying close to the airport so we could jump in the car and head home the following day. With the metro just around the corner, it was super easy to navigate our way back to the airport.
We had booked the Britannia near the airport because it was relatively cheap, and close to our car, so more for convenience sake. The hotel was like stepping back in time, and one we would not recommend. It was a restless night in the queen size bed!
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Accommodation - Britannia Hotel (airport)
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Location - Located at the airport which we used for the parking
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Cost - £45
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Facilities - average at best!
Review
This is a fantastic walk with lots of lovely sights to see and history to follow. The walk was challenging in parts however could easily be broken down into smaller sections.
We met some lovely people on the walk and there was a great sense of camaraderie amongst the walkers.
Getting to and from the trail -
We chose to drive up to Newcastle and leave our car at the airport. We then took the metro to the train station where we got a train across to Carlisle. We then took a taxi to Bowness on Solway. The train journey from Newcastle to Carlisle took about 2 hours.
Note - there is a bus to Bowness on Solway but it is not frequent.
Lessons learnt -
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Check dates when you book accommodation!!! Although it is worth noting that places get booked up quite quickly so plan ahead!
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Shoes - really important to wear the correct footwear, otherwise, you will end up like me with blisters! When you stop for a break take off your shoes and socks, give your feet an airing!
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Poncho - don't bother, a good quality waterproof will be far better!
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Water - plan in advance, few obvious drinking water taps.