#even though I live 1000 miles away I’m visiting on the day of camp

[darthbenn]

“ahhhh shit here we go again”

[travelphilosopher]

The first time I’d read about Hadrian’s Wall back as a teenager, I thought, well, 84 miles was a long walk even if you did it over a week. Back then there were only the odd guidebooks on the walk, but since then the path has been looked after and adjusted, as well as being promoted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With it there are more online first hand accounts of the walk, as well as pages of advice on where to go and how to plan for both the novice and experienced walker. I decided to do the walk (to get fit as a motivation) and tie it in with a visit to an old pal who lives in Newcastle who I hadn’t seen for nearly two decades.

I spent a lot of time planning this trip, however, plans don’t always work out as you will discover as you read on and there have been many adjustments made along the way. Along the walk, the remnants of the actual wall can only be seen in certain sectors, so you can choose the parts you wish to see, or do the whole walk from East to West or West to East. Originally I wondered why anyone would want to just do parts of the walk, but the reality is that the trail has been created to prevent erosion, and are along paths that are safer for the walker; in short it’s not the actual route the Roman soldiers would have marched along or where the wall stood. In parts it’s manufactured for convenience and safety.

I decided to start my journey in Newcastle and my aim was to do the sector closest to the city, and then hop over to Carlisle as a base to do that sector. That would prevent back tracking hopefully and meant I could leave my luggage in the hotel! There are other options; carry everything and walk slower, or use a baggage handling service which can be expensive, and less flexible. The first option is tiring, and the latter makes me uncomfortable as there are tales of bags turning up late, and maybe you just can’t get to the designated hotel or inn.

The middle sector contains more remnants of the wall and my aim was to leave that to last so I could spend more time visiting the sites. Some may ask why do it in separate trips, but you don’t have to do it in one go as the wall isn’t going anywhere as it’s over 1000 years old. It’s best to do what is convenient and cheaper for you. I found a bargain Megabus ticket from Manchester to Newcastle for £1, and an off peak ticket that got me to Manchester for £3.50. The return journey was a few pounds more, but the total return fare was under £15, and this was incentive enough for me to do a couple of journeys, and it gave me a chance to relax in between them.

I arrived on time in Newcastle, at a quarter to seven and it had been my first Megabus journey in the UK. It was fine, and only ran a few minutes late. My friend wanted to join me for a portion of the walk, so we agreed we would walk from the Quayside to Wallsend together with her family as a day out before I left on Saturday afternoon. My plan had been to walk from Newcastle to Chollerford, or at the very least the Robin Hood Inn to get my passport stamp. It did mean a full day of walking and getting up at the crack of dawn though. The National Trail issues a passport you can buy for £5 which goes towards supporting the path, and there are seven designated stamps to collect on the walk.

I got up later than planned and had a hearty breakfast. The journey had been more tiring than I had anticipated and the club below the hotel had live music until 1 a.m. and so I go very little quality sleep. Originally I had planned to get a bus to Chollerford and then walk back to Newcastle, so whatever happened I would find a way back, but as the bus services are sparse. I opted for a lie in as my friend had offered to pick me up wherever I ended up and take me back to hers for a home-cooked dinner. I thought it was cheating, but as she wanted to cook for me, it was better she picked me up rather than wait for me to find my way to her home! I didn’t have much to carry; just my water bottle, some snacks, and sunscreen as I was returning to the same hotel, so hopefully my pace would be a little quicker.

I left by 10 a.m. and the city was still quiet with few people around. The 72 path (the Hadrian’s Wall cycle path) is well marked, and I soon got used to the brown signs with the helmet on as a pointer. They are in fact necessary because the path isn’t obvious as there is no actual wall to follow even by the riverside! I can see why people recommend walking West to East now rather than what I was doing because of the brisk and strong winds that create resistance. Mark my words, they make a difference as you walk against the wind, even on what seemed a fine and sunny day. Several people passed me in the opposite direction and it’s clear most looked tired and had set out early in order to finish the walk. Most managed a smile or a ‘hello’ as I was starting out on the walk. There were a few groups, and some had obviously camped looking at the size of their backpacks. I kind of admired them, and I hadn’t even made it out of Newcastle yet.

To be honest there wasn’t much to see, and as I left Newcastle and crossed over the road (A695) to rejoin the path, it was quiet with industrial and housing estates. I went through Denton Dene (about an hour and a half), where the bridge to cross the A1 is, and it’s windy, so hold on to your hat and don’t look down.  If you need to stop Lemington is near the path with some shops and facilities. The few people I saw on the path behind me stopped here and I never saw them again. Next were more local pathways and I went past the Warburton’s factory in Newburn.

Map shows the bridge you need to cross the A1

Lemington is the first place to stop for a break

Long stretches of path

I didn’t see many people and as I was walking alone I had to be more aware of my surroundings. I really don’t think that many people do the entire walk as for many stretches I didn’t see a single being and it’s August during the holidays in daylight. The signposts aren’t always in front of you and they sometimes differ from the cycle route, and here I missed one and ended up taking a riverbank route via Wylam, so look out for the helmet signs and not just the kissing gates. I stumbled across a sign on the main road to my right and it was luckily a Hadrian’s Wall marker for Heddon on the Wall.

I had taken the riverside path behind the sign and darted out when I saw the sign to get back on the path

There had been a brief shower and I decided to keep my jacket on as I followed the path through Close House (a golf club) and made my way up the hill to Heddon on the Wall. I passed a tall athletic couple who were fully kitted out, and these were the first people I had seen in a while. The trek through the woods and up the steep winding roads to Heddon on the Wall was hard. The sign said 1 and 3/4 miles, but I was soon to learn not to rely on such information. I found the sign about 1 p.m. and had covered roughly 10 miles in 3 hours which wasn’t too bad. It took me 40 minutes to get to Heddon on the Wall where I stopped at The Swan for an elderflower water, use of the bathroom, and to put some blister plasters on as I could feel them coming. While I was in the pub the heavens opened up and I decided to stay put a little longer as it was pretty torrential. I ended up staying there for an hour, which meant it was nearly 3 p.m. before I set off again. I amended my journey goal to Halton instead being realistic, because I had spent longer in the pub due to the rain, which would have accounted for at least 3 miles. I know people say there’s no such thing as bad weather but the wrong clothing, but I’m not a fan of walking in the rain unnecessarily, because it’s simply not fun.

Heddon on the Wall

More time was spent as I visited the portion of wall at Heddon, and bumped into others looking for the ‘wall’ too. It’s definitely worth spending some time there and is hidden behind some bushes next to an English Heritage sign. Heddon on the Wall is a good junction and place to stop over with facilities and decent lodgings and places to eat, and would recommend it if you are planning a trip.

Next I made my way down the Military Road, the B6318, and I didn’t see anyone for nearly an hour again. In fact there was nothing but a scattering of houses, farms and fields as I passed through Rudchester. Half an hour later I am in Vindobala or rather where the old fort in Rudchester once stood. I read the sign in a field of sheep adhering to the rules to walk around the perimeter of the field and try to gracefully dodge the droppings. I’m on their territory so I am the alien here.

I now follow signs to Harlow Hill which is allegedly 2 1/4 miles away. I have learned from experience not to count on that information, and so theoretically it should take me about an hour. It does take me an hour after going around several fields and having cows and sheep for company. I meet very few walkers en route all going the opposite direction, and many seemed to be in a hurry to get to their next stopping point which I assume would be Heddon on the Wall. That was one of the longest hours of my life as I dipped in and out of gates, climbed on walls to get to them, and manoeuvered my way around countless sheep and cattle.

  Sign for the path in Harlow Hill, except you need to climb over the wall to get to it, and when I slipped into a ditch and pulled my knee!

There isn’t much at Harlow Hill and there isn’t much of a pavement either as I eagerly looked out for small little wooden signs with helmets on. I nearly walked past it as it was behind a wall, and requires you to climb over the wall (2 steps are randomly placed to help you) to get onto the path. I decided to take a photo of this to help others spot it and took a step back in the undergrowth to discover a ditch. I pulled my knee ever so slightly, and as it was getting darker I knew I needed to push on. I was still hoping to make it to Halton and had abandoned Chollerford a while back now as my friend wanted to know roughly what time to pick me up and where. Phone signal in the middle of nowhere is scant at times, and so I headed to Whittle Dene which according to google maps was only a mile away.

The long boggy path in East Wallhouses

The rain had made the trail boggy and walking was no pleasure or fun with only the sound of speeding cars on the Military Road for company. My knee started to hurt now and I was limping like a Hobbit and decided to call it day at the Robin Hood Inn as there was no way I would make it to Halton and not be in some pain, plus I needed somewhere where my friend could find me to pick me up! Amazingly somehow I did make it to Whittle Dene in 20 minutes even with the knee. The sign saying 1 mile to East Wallhouses was a welcome sight, but I still couldn’t see where I would end up even though the road ahead was clear. Google maps was sort of working and giving me a countdown in minutes to my destination, and I did it in 27 minutes of hobbling.

I got to the Robin Hood Inn and got my first stamp on the passport and was so happy to sit down. My friend arrived within minutes and said she had a mac ‘n cheese ready for me when I got in. The time was 17:40 and I had been walking since 10 with an hour break at Heddon on the Wall.

Newcastle Quayside to Robin Hood Inn ~ 17.6 miles 6 hours according to google (6.5 hours in reality)

I don’t think I did too badly, but the choice had been to have a lie in or to have those extra couple of hours of walking. My friend took me past Halton where we saw a couple of walkers who chose to walk on the grass verges rather than walk around the fields. Sadly, this is a disheartening part of the walk where you don’t see much and to stay safe the path requires you to walk further around fields. Halton would be another 3 miles (an hour) of walking through fields and in a way I am glad I skipped it because there really was nothing to see.

Having done this stretch even if I had left at 7 a.m. I would only just be getting into Chollerford about 8 p.m. as google calculates it takes 8.5 hours, so you need to add on an hour for lunch and breaks, and adjust the timing for steep ascents. Also I read some walkers were so tired they couldn’t appreciate the parts of the walk and had to carry on to get to the next stop before dark. I didn’t want that and so I’m glad I opted to go easy on myself in the end, well, actually my knee helped with that decision.

My aim is to pick up things at Chollerford, and visit Planetrees and the Brunton Turret, and carry on westwards towards The Sill where I have booked a room at the YHA for a few nights next week. That’s the plan so far…

Hadrian’s Wall Walk ~ Stage 1, Day 1; Newcastle to Halton The first time I'd read about Hadrian's Wall back as a teenager, I thought, well, 84 miles…

[offwithalicesheadx]

1000 Question Survey pt. 4

Money 301.) Do you have a job?: Yeah

302.) What do you do?: I'm an administrative assistant in property management for a company called Savills

303.) Does your boss like you?: Pretty sure, yeah

304.) How much do you get paid?: £15k per annum

305.) Do you have your own bank account?: Yeah

306.) Do you have a credit card?: No, a debit card

307.) A checkbook?: No

308.) Are you a big spender?: Not really, I can be but only on things like food haha

309.) Do you go to the mall a lot?:  I walk round on my lunches some days

310.) In an average week, how much money do you spend?: I'd say like £200 average including getting to work and stuff

311.) Do you know how much a peso would be worth in the United States today?: No idea

312.) How about a Franc?: Also no idea

313.) Do you really care?: Not massively

314.) Do you like your job if you have one?: It's okay, it gets pretty boring and sometimes stressful but it's good enough money for me to be able to do the things I want to do

315.) If you don’t have one, do you wish you had one?:  -

316.) Do you wish you had more money?: I'm doing alright with what I've got, the only thing is not being able to afford to go to Disney World, but I could save for a long while

317.) Why?: Because if I really need money for something I've learnt to be patient and save up for it

318.) Would you rather be filthy rich with no friends or dirt poor with tons of friends and a dog?: It depends, I'm not rich but I don't really have any friends aside from my boyfriend, and I'm cool with not having friends based on the fact it's because I got rid of the bad people from my life, however if I had genuine friends I'd rather that and be dirt poor, plus the dog sounds dope but I'd hate if I was too poor to be able to look after it

319.) Do you have a cool wallet?: I don't know what defines cool but I like it

320.) What is the largest amount of money you ever had in your possession at one time?:  I'm not sure, maybe when I changed over a load of money to Turkish Lira before I went on holiday, I can't remember how much that was though

321.) What are you wearing?: Black tights, a stripey grey, black and red dress, flat black slip on shoes, my watch and my Pandora bracelet

322.) What are you listening to?: Nothing, just whoever is talking on the phone at work when somebody rings up

323.) Who are you talking to?: Jesse over WhatsApp, whoever rings at work and whoever might walk in or out as I'm on the reception desk

324.) What are you doing other than filling out this survey?: Pretty much what I just said above

325.) How is your hair?: I plaited it last night when it was wet so it's sort of wavy but it hadn't dried properly so it doesn't really look how I wanted to, sort of frizzy

326.) Do you have anything on your feet?: Tights and slip on shoes

327.) Are you cold or warm?: It's more cold than warm but I'm not like shivering

328.) Do you have any jewelry on?: My Pandora bracelet

329.) Do you have any makeup on?: Yeah

330.) Name 4 things laying around your desk:

Tissues

Bubblegum scented hand sanitizer

Chocolate

My work notebook

331.) Pick up a book laying near you and type a random sentence from a random page: "I was away on an excursion for the last couple of days"

332.) Open a cabinet near you and describe what’s in it:  A make-up bag, a lanyard, lip balm, Vaseline, a mirror, bandages, a defender alarm, a phone case, a shoe polisher, Fifty Shades of Grey, a nail file

334.) Should you be doing something else now?: I probably shouldn't be on this but there's nothing I really should be doing

335.) Why aren’t you doing it?:  -

336.) Is your room a mess now?: No

337.) Is your mom nagging at you to clean it?: I don't live with my mom

338.) What are any people around you doing?: There's two guys trying to fix the lift at work

339.) Who are you thinking about right now?: Jesse

340.) Are you doing anything illegal?: No

Looks 341.) How much time do you spend on your appearance in the morning?:  Before work it's usually about half an hour

342.) Do you wear makeup regularly?: Yeah

343.) If so, what?: Primer, foundation, eyebrow powder, concealer, face powder, mascara - and sometimes I'll wear bronzer, highlighter, eyeshadow, eyeliner and lipgloss or lipstick

344.) Are your looks important to you?: In some ways

345.) Do you want to change the way you look?: Yeah, I want to get a full fringe but I feel like I'd get annoyed with it and I want a slimmer face too

346.) What would you change?: ^

347.) How do you usually wear your hair?: Most days for work it's either in a plait or I'll have plaited it before hand and then took it out so it's wavy and some days it's in a ponytail, if I'm going out on the weekend I might curl it and sometimes I straighten it

348.) Do you dye your hair?: Yeah

349.) Do you straighten your hair?: Sometimes

350.) What color is your hair naturally?: Mousey brown

351.) What is your eye color?: Some days they look green and others they look brown or a mix of the two

352.) Do you wear colored contacts?: No

353.) Do you look like your parents?: Yeah, I think more like my dad than my mom

354.) Is that good or bad?: I guess it's good, haha, I don't really have much opinion on it

355.) Do you turn strange colors sometimes?: I wouldn't say strange, I just go red a lot

356.) Why?: I go red if I'm hot or cold or embarrassed or stressed, it's my reaction to a lot of things haha

357.) Do you have any piercings?: No

358.) Any tattoos?: Two, one on my arm that says 'wildflower' and one of my ankle of Tinkerbell

359.) Ever gotten a makeover?: No

360.) Do you experiment a lot with new looks?:  Sometimes I'll try a new make-up look or wear something a little different but not really

Travel 361.) Have you ever been out of the country?: Yeah

362.) Out of your state?: I don't live in a state, but I've been out of my county, is that like our equivalent?

363.) Out of your city?: Yeah

364.) Do you go on a vacation every year?: Usually, even if it's only in the same country I'll try to get a break somewhere

365.) If so, to where and for how long?: I've been to Turkey, Spain, France, last year I went camping a couple of times just in this country and I'm going away in this country this year

366.) Have you ever ridden in a plane?: Yeah

367.) In a boat?: Yeah

368.) Do you visit relatives that live far away from you at all?: Not really anymore, I have been over to Devon and to Hereford as I have relatives there but I usually just see them when they come down here now, and my dad lives in Hinckley but that's not too far so I try visit him every month or so

369.) ON average, every week how many miles do you travel?: If I go from Jesse's to work that's about 5 and a half miles so there and back about 11, if I go from mine to work it's about 9 miles so 18 there and back, I usually go from mine to work twice in the week and Jesse's three times so that's 69 (ha), then on Saturday we will usually go from mine to town and back so that's another 18 making it 87, and Sunday we will go from mine to Jesse's which is about 10 miles, so almost 100 miles altogether

370.) Do you drive?: No

Cars 371.) Favorite car?: Old Beetles

372.) Color for that car?: Navy blue

373.) Do you have your license?: I have a provisional license but not a proper one

374.) Permit?: No

375.) Do you like fast cars?:  Not bothered

Sleep 376.) How long do you sleep each night on average?: About 6-7 hours

377.) Is this enough?: I never feel like I've had enough sleep haha

378.) Do you dream every night?: Not every night, or at least I don't remember them all

379.) Describe a weird dream you had: The last dream I remember most that was pretty weird was it was just me looking at this really tall, thin, extremely pale woman. She had white long hair but she either didn't have a face or I don't remember her face, she had a long white dress on but the dress started to become soaked with blood, but didn't seem to be coming from any kind of wound she had, and it was spreading across her whole dress and dripping from it, that's all that happened and then I woke up jumping and feeling scared and confused

380.) Do you sleep in awkward positions?: Sometimes

381.) Do you sleep in school?: No

382.) If so, do you wake up with different patterns all over your face from whatever you were laying on?: -

383.) What position do you usually wake up in?: I'm usually either on my side or on my front

389.) Does your alarm clock wake you up?: Yeah

390.) What kind of alarm clock do you have?:  I just use the one on my phone

Going Out 391.) How often do you go to parties?: Not very often

392.) Are you a crazy party hopper?: No

393.) Do you like wild parties with lots of people?: I usually just end up feeling a bit overwhelmed or get anxious

394.) Are you a social butterfly?: I don't think so

395.) Do you go clubbing?:  Yeah

396.) Ever been drunk?: Yeah

397.) Ever get kicked out of a party?: No

398.) For what?: -

399.) Do you throw a lot of parties?: No

400.) Do you go to the mall a lot?: I'll walk round on my lunch some days or might go on the weekend if there's something I need to get

401.) Do you go with a lot of friends?: No

402.) Do you like going to arcades?: Yeah they can be pretty fun

403.) Is DDR a cool game?: Don't know what that is

404.) What about those racing games?: They're okay

405.) How many parties have you been to in the last 3 months?: I don't know what properly counts as a party because I've been clubbing and I've been to a couple of family gatherings around Christmas and New Year but they're not like proper parties

406.) How many formal dances have you been to in the last year or so?: None

407.) Do you dress up when you go out?: Sometimes

408.) Do you go to see a lot of movies on the weekend?: Jesse and I will usually go like every other weekend, depending if something decent is on

409.) Who has the best parties?: I'm not sure, the ones at sixth form were pretty fun at the time, but I usually just go clubbing now, I enjoy Snobs and Popworld