Pennine Way: Hadrian’s Wall

Monday 22nd April 2019

Having stayed overnight at the Youth Hostel at The Sill: National Landscape Discover Centre, I caught a bus back to Greenhead where I had left the Pennine Way the previous day and resumed my walk along the trail, which now coincided with the Hadrian’s Wall Path. I had walked along Hadrian’s Wall in 2006 during a holiday in Northumberland when, without planning to do so, I spent two days walking beside the wall and thoroughly enjoyed it so I was looking forward to retracing my steps. My first stop was Thirlwall Castle, which is medieval rather than Roman, however it has been built with stones pinched, or you could say, recycled from Hadrian’s Wall. The castle itself is now in ruins and it seemed to me that the Roman stones have been re-used again on the nearby farm houses. The weather for this walk was amazing with almost cloudless skies and a brisk wind, which made for easier walking than in the heat of the previous day. After coming back down from the castle I crossed the Tipal Burn and climbed a grassy hill to reach the beautiful Walltown Quarry that is now a country park. While quarrying was being carried out this section of Hadrian’s Wall was tragically destroyed and the rock underneath extracted, however eventually wiser heads prevailed and the neighbouring sections of the wall survived.

Originally the Pennine Way had to go around the quarry but now I had a lovely walk across the park before climbing up to the rim of Walltown Crags where I joyously found my first sign of Hadrian’s Wall amongst fabulously craggy terrain. This is probably the best preserved section of the Roman wall with parts more than six feet high, but is sadly short-lived as another quarry soon intervenes though with a satisfying cliff edge walk around it. Beyond the quarry there is hardly any trace of the wall for several miles, however the Whin Sill escarpment that the wall was built upon is still evident and this ridge provides tremendous walking even without the accompaniment of the Roman wall. The ridge provided me wth many ups and downs along the Pennine Way as I battled against a strong wind until I reached Great Chesters where the remains of Aesica Roman Fort provided me with sufficient surroundings to have my lunch before once again I set off into the wind. Soon I found another travesty where a quarry destroyed the wall, but beyond is a well-preserved Milecastle and more of Hadrian’s Wall above Cawfield Crags.

The delights continued as the trail passes over Winshield Crags and Peel Crags where the provision of a car park has made this section very popular with many of those people completely disobeying the signs requesting that we help preserve the archaeology by not walking on top of the wall. I don’t understand people. Beyond the Sycamore Gap the Pennine Way passes over the top of the tall escarpment of Highshield Crags with the lake of Crag Lough far below the cliff edge. I had a wonderful walk on the edge of the crag that once again made me think this would be a great ridge walk even without the occasional added interest of the Roman wall. After climbing up to the top of Hotbank Crags I passed the point where the Pennine Way parts company from Hadrian’s Wall and, with a last treat of Hadrian’s Wall on top of Housesteads Crags, I reached the remains of the Roman fort of Vercovicium, better known as Housesteads. Wainwright recommended a visit to Housesteads Fort despite it not officially being on the Pennine Way and even included the mile and a half diversion in his total mileage.

I passed there in 2006, but didn’t visit it, because I had visited the fort many years ago as a child, so I didn’t bother visiting it again now. Instead I turned around and took a path that is a short distance south of the wall along the course of the Military Way, a Roman road constructed to provide quick passage for the troops between the various forts and milecastles. When I reached the point where the Pennine Way turns north I passed through the gap in the wall and headed north onto Ridley Common, however it wasn’t long before I turned off the Pennine Way and took a footpath west. I was mindful of the fact that the following morning I would have to retrace my steps from Once Brewed along the wall back to the point where the Pennine Way turns north and I didn’t want to have to do all of those ups and downs again, so the Military Way seemed an easier alternative. This footpath took me to Hotbank Farm, which would enable me to bypass Hotbank Crags the following morning, although it is debateable whether this would actually make much difference.  

The Military Way provided me with a relatively easy route back to The Sill after a very tiring, but tremendously enjoyable and satisfying walk. It had not felt as hot as the previous day due to the brisk wind but with sunny weather all day I was able to make the most of the fabulous Hadrian’s Wall that was just as good as I had remembered it being in 2006. The Whin Sill ridge is great to walk upon and it is this that truly made this the great day that it was.