Category Archives: Hadrian’s Wall Walk

England, Hadrian's Wall Walk

When life gives you boots…

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The Old Chapel Bed and Breakfast at Bowness on Solway was where we started our Hadrian’s Wall Walk. But most people walk in the other direction, ending there. A lot of folks had left their hiking boots in the trash at the B&B, never wanting to see them again.

The proprietor had a sense of humor and she fished boots out of the trash and used them as planters.

The night we stayed before starting, we chatted with a pair of hikers who were finishing up, they showed off their significant blisters. It was intimidating.

However, they had walked the wall in three days (for contrast we took 11).

We didn’t have problems with blisters but, even so, we did leave my husband’s boots on a trash can on the next to last day of the hike.

Our contribution

His boots started to come apart on the third day (after Carlisle, the last city where we could have found replacements).

The beginning of the end

He tried tying them together with string, then, at one wonderful B&B (the Henshaw Barn, somewhere in the middle of the hike), the owner glued them together for him. That lasted a short time, but, finally, he had to give up and bid them farewell.

Saying goodbye.

He walked the rest of the way in his non-hiking shoes.

The moral of the story is: ALWAYS make sure you can walk in any pair of shoes you bring along.

For Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: bare feet or boots.

England, Hadrian's Wall Walk

A nine-patch of Hadrian’s trees

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Trees along Hadrian’s Wall National Trail in northern England.

In 2018 we walked Hadrian’s Wall from coast to coast. These are just a few of the trees we saw along the way. Often the trees were referred to as land marks in our guide book. I included two views of the “most photographed tree in England”. Who am I to buck tradition?

For Becky of Winchester’s Tree Squares-25.

England, Hadrian's Wall Walk

Up on a hill…motte, actually

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View from up on the motte to the north, You can see Scotland in the distance.

St. Mary’s is in Beaumont, Cumbria, in the north of England. We visited it while walking the Hadrian’s Wall Trail in 2018.

Here are a few more photos of the old church I showed in this morning’s Pull up a Seat. As I mentioned, I have a “thing” about old churches that are clearly very much still alive. I especially like the smaller ones, where you, in my mind anyway, feel the love and care of the centuries. They lift me up and create a sense of hope and perspective for the ability to come through strife.

The mechanism to lift up the lid on the baptismal font:

I was charmed by the bird shaped counter weight that was part of the mechanism for lifting the lid of the baptismal font.

For Becky of Winchester’s Square Up Challenge

England, Hadrian's Wall Walk

Cross countryside

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Countryside near Solway Firth, viewed from Boustead Hill, in Cumbria England.
View from Boustead hill north-ish across Solway Firth, the very distant land is Scotland.
Somewhere between Boustead hill and Carlisle.
Heading out into the countryside north-east of Carlisle.
Between Crosby-on Eden and Lanercost Abbey
The River Irthing from the Millenium Bridge between Birdoswald Fort and Gilsland.
Northumberland. I think these are from Windshield Crags (they might be Cawfield Crags).
View from Hotbank crags toward Cragfield Loch.
Countryside between Sewingshields and Brocolitia.
At Chester’s Fort in Chollerford looking toward the north fork of the Tyne River.
Farmland
More farmland
A creek flowing into the now very wide Tyne river as it approaches Newcastle-on-Tyne.

Last summer my husband and I walked across northern England on the Hadrian’s wall trail. The Lens Artists prompt: countryside, prompted me to go through my extensive collection of photos from that trip. There is one photo above from each day that is representative of the type of countryside we saw that day.

England, Hadrian's Wall Walk, Picture Galleries, Snapshots from a Happy Life

Where fairies live

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Perhaps because we mostly have alder and evergreens locally I was quite fascinated by some of the trees, mostly I think they were sycamore, or plane trees, that we saw while walking Hadrian’s Wall National Trail in England last summer.

I think I love them because they remind me of fairy stories.

Lens Artists Photo Challenge #50: Trees