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Hadrian's Wall, Northumberland, Part 1
Today's walk, 25/08/02 begins at the Once Brewed Visitor Centre car park. GR 753668.
Distance: 7 miles. Moderate to strenuous with some steep climbs.
Map: Landranger 87, Hexham & Haltwhistle.
Weather: Although warm it is overcast. Typical Bank Holiday weekend.
A roller coaster ramble visiting, Vindolanda and Housesteads Forts and THAT tree. If you like historic walks, then this is for you.
BEFORE WE START OUR WALK, just imagine the scene. You're a Roman soldier and at your Headquarters in Rome..............
use of this photo is acknowledged
The sun's shining, the Chianti is chilled and tonight you're off to a toga party. Life couldn't be better. WRONG, the barracks door bangs open and in he swaggers...........
"Right you lot, get your kit packed your posted to Hadrian's wall".
"Where?", you all shout.
"Northumberland, England, Northermost frontier of the Empire".
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh"
Then you arrive by sea in North East England one windswept day...................
use of this photo is acknowledged
The wind is whipping in off the North Sea around your bare legs. "Newcassel Broon Ale" hasn't been invented and Bobby Robson the finest of Newcastle United's managers, is just a twinkle in his ancestors eye. A Bee Gees song flashes through your mind "TRAGEDY...................."
But wait things aren't as bad as they seem...................
Leaving the visitor centre and turn right away from Hadrian's Wall. Walk down the road and turn left into Stanegate Road which pre-dates Hadrian's Wall.
Causeway House a renovated thatched cottage alongside Stanegate Road.
Further along we reach Vindolanda Roman Fort and settlement, circa 78-400A.D.
There are remains of successive forts on the site. On the day I past by a "dig" was in progress.
The six foot high Chesterholm Roman milestone is alongside Stanegate Road.
At the next road junction I turned left and then did a detour up the hill on my right to reach my next point of interest.
Long Stone with Vindolanda seen in the distance below. A repair to the stone can be seen.
A woman I met here told me that it was placed here in memory of a worker who was killed whilst working in a nearby quarry. Taking stone for the wall?
As it was from this hill, Barcombe Hill, that stone was taken to build the wall. There was also a Roman signal station up here.
From here I could see the limekiln of Crinledyke in the distance.
I'm going to go past the farm at East Crindledikes now and cross the B6318 to Housesteads Fort (Vercovicium). Click below to go to part 2 of the walk and I'll meet you there.
