Once the furthest frontier of the Roman Empire, Hadrian’s Wall marks the ancient and contested border between England and Scotland. The National Trail runs from Bowness-on-Solway to Wallsend covering epic scenery and cutting through modern counties. This ancient path was our first dedicated walking holiday, not only did we revel in following footsteps now lost in time but also discovered our own passion for the act of simply putting one boot in front of the other.
At the pinnacle of its strength Hadrian’s Wall stood 15ft high, made from local stone it would have been an imposing feature in the landscape given the ubiquity of mud and straw dwellings. Now the bricks of this mighty wall no longer dominate the skyline, having been plundered for other structures over the centuries. The scattering of fragmented ruins helps conjure the past and are a reminder that even the most mighty of empires can fall. The scarcity of the wall is not a reason to be put off this route. Long before the Romans came locals tramped a similar path and history is always beneath your feet. Crossing the country through the dramatic evolving scenery is a journey only enhanced by the tangible heritage along the way.
Day One
Bowness-On-Solway to Carlisle – 14.5 miles
In the Solway-Firth estuary on the west coast, the tiny village of Bowness-on-Solway was once the furthest outpost of the Roman Empire and still feels remote today. Dangerous mud flats and an unpredictable tide inhibited raiders for centuries, the volatile geography and moody skies still make this an atmospheric and impressive place to visit.
A narrow alley signposts the start of the walk, and our first footsteps took us alongside the beautifully bleak tidal flats with Scotland visible over the steely waters. Locals had warned us that the road to Carlisle was just that, a road, and we would be ‘tramping the tarmac’ for much of the first leg. Although hard on our feet, the road meanders through small communities allowing an appreciation of the quiet, everyday activity of life here.
In the common marshland leading to Burgh-by-Sands there are more cows than cars and walkers should beware of flooding which can make the road impassable. Luckily we only had the rain to contend with as it tried to soak our grated cheese and onion sandwiches. It was on this stretch that we first appreciated walking the path back to front as the hikers about to finish the trail had the full force of the wet weather in their face.
Whether a result of Covid or not many of the pubs along the route had closed down. The first open one we came across in our already wet and weary state was the Greyhound in Burgh-by-Sands, where a monument to king Edward I stands outside. A legend of border warfare he rather un-heroically died of dysentery close by. Platters of cheesy snacks, a couple of pints and a radiator put us back on track to tackle the next leg.
This stage leaves the road behind and tracks through farmland, down tree-lined paths and shrouded country lanes. With little let up in the weather our thermos came into its own, just after Sour Milk bridge, where a gathering of trees provided perfect shelter for a much needed break.
As we neared Carlisle the path took us along a beautiful nature trail on the banks of the river Eden before hitting the industrious sewage works of the city which put to bed our question of the possibility of swimming in the water. In the capital of Cumbria the trail joins the cities expansive park ending this leg on the left hand side of Eden Bridge.
There is nothing better than tired legs to make you feel like you have achieved something. The adventure of tramping through unknown countryside, along an historic route had awakened our inner ramblers, and even with blistered feet we looked forward to the next day and the promise of seeing the wall for the first time.
Day Two
Carlisle to Birdoswald – 18 Miles
We commenced the day by binding toes with tape and layering blister plasters. As advice from a French Foreign Legion is to tape as soon as there is a sore, we were late to the tape-game however better late than never (especially as one little toe-nail was in a particularly bad way).
The city seamlessly blended into countryside, with cows grazing under Eden bridge in the centre of Carlisle, and the expansive park which eventually merged with the trail’s path. This leg of the walk took us further away from main roads with more of our time spent traversing farmland, peaceful grassy tracks and woodland.
With rolling hills and almost neon green grass this part of the route is more akin to the picture postcard scenes that come to mind when thinking of Cumbria. With the weather on our side and the fuel of a sausage and bacon sandwich we covered a lot of ground in good spirits, before reaching what we thought would be our first proper stop in Newtown. Unfortunately for us the much praised tea shop was actually in the next village, a few more miles along! Again the thermos came into its own and provided a much needed cup of tea whilst we re-taped our sore feet.
Hobbling on-wards we were lucky to witness the remarkable daily task of sheep herding. Farmers on quad bikes with young children in their laps, learning the ropes, whistled and call to their trusted sheepdogs relying on their experience and skill to get the herd home. Hundreds of sheep grazing on vast hilly hectares of farmland were rounded up in a matter of minutes. What a logistical marvel!
Alhamndulilah! The tea shop in Walton was all we had hoped for! Charming waitresses bustled between tables serving pots of tea and an array of delicious cakes and savoury dishes. Under the beams of the village hall both walkers and locals made the most of this perfect community space.
The proprietress had recently been awarded a certificate from the mayor for service to the community during lock-down. With sensible planning this would have been a good place to stop for the night and draw a line under day two (especially as the vicarage now also has a bar!) however we still had 8 miles to go!
The national trail took us up increasingly hilly paths, although tough on our weary limbs we were rewarded with incredible vistas. After the enclosed woodland the stretch of these views was magnificent in scale.
Finally, sore and delirious, we came across the first section of visible wall! Near Hare Hill this tall triangular fragment was both unremarkable and incredible. To the untrained eye these stacked stones could have been the remaining wall of an abandoned cottage rather than the ancient remains of a mighty empire. Conjuring the lives of the people who have passed by this section for centuries, whilst three cows stared at us from the other side of the fence is what walking this trail is all about.
From here on there are frequent remains of turrets and milestone castles. Many situated on top of natural view points that provide a stunning place to stop to admire the scenery. Others sit on the side of the road, an everyday part of the landscape. Over zealous in our ambition we arrived at Birdoswald when it had closed however this did not take away from the joy of completing our mission. Looking forward to exploring the site the next day we ordered a taxi to take us the final miles to spend the night in Haltwhistle.
Over a pie and bottle of red by a roaring fire in the Black Bull inn we cheersed the success of the day. We had covered more miles than intended and our feet were painful and relieved to be out of our boots. Our sense of elation however at having seen tangible sections of the wall and revelling in picturesque countryside meant smiles stayed plastered to our face as we ordered the next bottle.
Day Three
Birdoswald to The Roman Army Museum – 4 miles (+3 miles back to Haltwhistle)
Our late booking meant we stayed off the trail which gave us the unexpected opportunity to be charmed by Haltwhistle. Locals are proud of the towns claim to be the ‘centre of Britain’ and with seven pubs and a delicious Indian restaurant we felt like it was a good find.
With two nights booked at the Grey Bull we were able to drop our packs and enjoy a leisurely pace on our last day. The owner of the B’n’B kindly gave us a lift back to Birdoswald where we picked up where we left off yesterday, this time in the sunshine rather than the pouring rain!
The skeletal ruins of Birdoswald Fort require imagination to conjure the scale of this ancient army station. Once realised however, the foundations and scattered blocks of stone become an impressive salute to the Roman Empire’s frontier. A place for the army to train and grain to be stored, this fort would once have been central to the wall’s success. Strategically located atop a gorge the vantage point makes it an obvious choice for an army and a perfect spot for sight-seeing today.
With the fall of the wall the structures eroded along with their purpose and much of the stone was reclaimed by locals, including for building a dwelling on the fort’s site. Rebuilt through the ages the standing farmhouse has been occupied until the 1980s and some original and engraved stones can still be seen. Today it houses the museum which tells the story of this sites long history.
Leaving Birdoswald behind we were in high spirits as we followed the longest continuous stretch of wall into the sunshine. There are many visitors to this section however once the wall peters out so do most of the people. Open farmland surrounds this undulating path and if you look carefully you can spot inscribed ancient stones incorporated into the walls of houses.
One of the most interesting aspects of the history of the wall is the Vellum. This giant ditch, designed as a defence, pre-dates any stone structure and unlike the wall is visible for most of its length. A permanent ripple, this is the Roman’s long lasting mark on the landscape. Looking more like a natural phenomena the vellum is a reminder of how much the land and environment has been shaped by human endeavour.
Saturated in history it was high-time to discuss all we had seen and discovered over a pint or two. In the picturesque village of Gilsland we found a perfectly positioned pub to do exactly this. One of the best parts of travelling is discovering local culture and the Bridge Inn was full of it in the form of the annual leek growing competition. Obviously taken very seriously, we had never seen leeks of such enormous proportions!
The rest of our days walking introduced us to what Part Two of our journey along this historical trail would look like. With calves starting to burn, grassy inclines criss-crossed with streams and peppered with ancient turrets and mile-castles led us to the the Roman Army Museum.
A sign post at the museum let us know we were 1130 miles from Rome, with one little toenail hanging on for dear life we were pleased to only be walking the three miles back to Haltwhistle.
This is where Part One of our Hadrian’s wall adventure came to an end, already looking forward to picking up the trail here next time and venturing west to Newcastle and Wallsend!
