Well just how glorious was the weather today! Absolutely perfect walking conditions, around 16c, lots of fluffy clouds floating through the expanse of blue, and a refreshing breeze; we couldn't ask for more. And with camera in hand the photos would be looking good with the mix of the stunning landscape, the historical Hadrians Wall and the great light.
Our first outing of the day wasn't a hike, in fact it only involved a very short walk of around 100 metres to the entrance to Housesteads Roman Fort. It was good to get in there just after 10am so as to miss the crowds which would no doubt be flocking there as the day passed. So with just a few other early starters we were amazed at the remains of the buildings that made up the fort. The neatness of the walls, the accuracy of the corners and the the ingenuity of their underfloor heating - just how this has remained for such a period of time is testimony to the skills of the legions.
We spent around 90 minutes looking around the site and the small museum, then headed back to the cottage to have an early lunch before heading out on our hike. Our route took us along Hadrians Wall to milecastle 37 where we then picked up the Pennine Way heading north over to Stonefolds, then taking a turn to the west over the top of Greenlee Lough.
After crossing some wetlands on a lovely raised wooden path we then had to find a route through a rather muddy area where the footpath was rather poorly marked, before meeting up with a small lane. Now I must admit that the walk was taking us a little further than I had planned, and taking us longer than we had packed for. We now had to make the decision whether to head back along Hadrians Wall which would be the shortest route but also involve going up and down small hills following the wall, or go further and stay on the roads. We chose the shorter route but were still nearly 3 miles back to the cottage.
By the time we arrived back at base we had walked 9 miles, with 1,400ft of ascent and walked for not far off 5hrs. Both tired and ready for something to eat and drink, but then again just think of how many calories we have burnt off today And now fingers crossed for a lovely clear evening and some great stargazing.
Our first outing of the day wasn't a hike, in fact it only involved a very short walk of around 100 metres to the entrance to Housesteads Roman Fort. It was good to get in there just after 10am so as to miss the crowds which would no doubt be flocking there as the day passed. So with just a few other early starters we were amazed at the remains of the buildings that made up the fort. The neatness of the walls, the accuracy of the corners and the the ingenuity of their underfloor heating - just how this has remained for such a period of time is testimony to the skills of the legions.
We spent around 90 minutes looking around the site and the small museum, then headed back to the cottage to have an early lunch before heading out on our hike. Our route took us along Hadrians Wall to milecastle 37 where we then picked up the Pennine Way heading north over to Stonefolds, then taking a turn to the west over the top of Greenlee Lough.
After crossing some wetlands on a lovely raised wooden path we then had to find a route through a rather muddy area where the footpath was rather poorly marked, before meeting up with a small lane. Now I must admit that the walk was taking us a little further than I had planned, and taking us longer than we had packed for. We now had to make the decision whether to head back along Hadrians Wall which would be the shortest route but also involve going up and down small hills following the wall, or go further and stay on the roads. We chose the shorter route but were still nearly 3 miles back to the cottage.
By the time we arrived back at base we had walked 9 miles, with 1,400ft of ascent and walked for not far off 5hrs. Both tired and ready for something to eat and drink, but then again just think of how many calories we have burnt off today And now fingers crossed for a lovely clear evening and some great stargazing.
Comments
Post a Comment