Hadrian’s Wall – A Walk Through Roman History
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The Roman Emperor Hadrian ordered a great wall to be built in 122 AD. It was ‘to separate the Romans from the Barbarians’ and it was built across the narrowest point of northern Britain, between the Solway Firth in the west and the North Sea in the east. It was extended with stone defences following the natural ridge lines, with a deep ditch known as The Vallum alongside it. Later, much of the stonework was mortared enabling it to survive for centuries, becoming one of the oldest structures in the country today. The path for walking that traces its line is however the most recent National Trail, opened in the spring of 2003. You too can feel like a Legionary as you walk its 82 mile (133 km) length.
It is a tremendous walk with a huge variety of scenery. Walking from east to west, there are the modern cityscapes of Newcastle upon Tyne, ending with the red sandstone of medieval Carlisle – from the blustery heights of Highshields Crags in the Northumberland National Park to the lime green pastoral scenes of the Eden valley. Starting at little more than a grassy bank, it moves into stone and rollercoasters over crag tops and down into examples of impressive Roman forts, such as Housesteads.
After visiting the excavated fort at Segedunum, you set off along the River Tyne and under the Tyne Bridge, walking on the line of the wall for the first time at Heddon on the Wall. You then continue beside the road, past milecastles and the Roman forts at Vindobala, Onvvm and Chesters at Chollerford with its impressive bath house and remains of a Roman bridge. Moving into the Northumberland National Park, you pass the temple at Mithraeum before leaving the road and heading up onto Sewingshields Crags where you have great views over Broomlee Lough to Housesteads Fort, with its Roman latrines. You continue via Steel Rigg before dropping down to the remains of the 14th century Thirlwall Castle and past the Romano-Victorian Birdoswald fort. The landscape becomes gentler as you walk down into the lovely Eden Valley and on to Carlisle. This town, with both Roman and medieval features, has a rather chequered border history. Usually you have two nights here as the final flattish walk to Bowness on Solway you do in reverse by taking the morning bus and walking back into Carlisle, allowing plenty of time to look around the town.
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