Mannering's  March

Hadrian's Wall Wall

       The Walk, to date, has raised £1,056       

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84 miles to Wallsend at Newcastle, starting point, Bowness-on-Solway, just West of Carlisle.

The intrepid trio of Georgia, Elaine, Roger and Penny the Dog. Starting out on a rather rainy few days, of walking through mud and other unmentionables.

 

Wednesday - day 1. Early start, got up at 5am and finished packing the van. Johnny took the van with Roger and Penny as passengers. Me (Elaine) and Georgia drove the car to Martin's and got a lift up to Hadrian's Wall with him in his car. After a belly buster breakfast ( Roger & Johnny had one) at Carlisle truck stop we made our way to the start. The weather was Ok, blowy, the rain started but as soon as you put your coat on it was stopping. When you see Hadrian's Wall on the map it looks like a straight line, it wasn't like I expected it to be. You went through fields, weaving this way and that, through farm yards, people's gardens, villages, down lanes and through woods. The fields and paths were really muddy and our boots and trousers were really mucky. We walked from Bowness on Solway past Carlisle, pretty flat going, really well on our first day. Didn't see the wall or if we did it was disguised and we didn't know.

 

 

 

 

Georgia and Roger on a long Roman road to Burgh by Sands. Roger with his ill fated umbrella...

On a muddy track to Glasson.

Through the woods before Carlisle.

Elaine on a bridge before Carlisle.

John and Martin, day 1, tents and bedding all sorted, stew ready, beer open...

John, Georgia, John Lewis, Roger and Elaine, pic by Martin.

Evening of day one, after 18 miles in 9 hours of walking, the 3 walkers are exhausted.Stew and dumplings eaten, fruit pie eaten, feet sore, exhausted walkers, bed beckons !! Many thanks to Denise for making the delicious Beef stew and dumplings for 8 people, eaten by 6....

 

Thursday - day 2. Raining like mad. Reo joined us. We soon got very wet but being the troopers that we are we carried on. The rain stopped, the wind blew and the sun shone we soon dried off. We were starting to climb upwards. It took about another 7 miles or so to get to our first bit of wall, Harlow Hill. Over lots more fields and we reached Birdoswold visitors centre. Here the wall properly started, we followed big stages of it. Georgia was having her doubts that there was a wall until now. We carried on walking through more fields with lots of scary cows, past Thirwall Castle and came to The National Park recreation site near the Roman museum. This was a good place for Johnny to pick us up and take us back to camp.

 

Thursday morning, Georgia spotted the donkeys looking very sad in the rain...

Georgia and Reo very wet.

Roger at Harlow Hill the first proper bit of Wall.

Elaine just past Birdoswald visitors centre where there's lots of the wall.

Reo & wall past Birdoswold...

 

 

Friday - day 3. Now this is where it cocked up. David Houghton arrived Thursday night to do the walk so he had his car with him and it had to be down at the next camp site. Martin had gone home to work, so there was nobody to transport us to our walking start point, it was so far away for Johnny to take us, go back to camp, pack up and go back where he had just been. So we all had to take the tents down, pack up, all move together and put the tents up at the other site so there was room for us in the vehicle. By the time we set off walking it was 1.40pm. Elaine, Georgia and David walked today, we gave Roger time out. This was the hardest day, but the the most scenic. We walked up and over Walltown Crags, over Cawfield Crags and Windshields Crags, the highest point. It was steep in some places, David was on his hands and knees at one point ( I think more than once actually). We did really well and walked until 7.45pm getting to Chesters fort.

Day three ( 3 fingers up). Georgia and Dave Houghton.

Dave on Cawfield crags..

Georgia on Cawfield Crags.

On the highest point Windshield crags, great views..

Elaine under the famous sycamore tree in 'Robin Hood Prince of Thieves'. Dressed in my leggings and greens, waiting for Kevin Costner.

 

Saturday - day 4. The sun was shining, we got dropped off at Chesters fort and walked back up the road we had come. This day we walked the long roman road, you walk on the path in the field by the side of the road. It was hard going on all our feet, and got very boring. The sun was really hot and I had left my sun cream in the tent. Me & Georgia got burnt that day. We could see Newcastle in the distance, it was getting nearer & nearer. we could see the aeroplanes going into land and setting off from the airport. We walked into Heddon on the wall and went into a shell garage for a drink. Standing in the queue, my feet were so knackered, hot and hurting. When I tried to walk again it was really painful, so we walked up to the banking on the side of the road, collapsed and rang Johnny to pick us up. None of us could go on our feet were killing us.

Day 4 along the lane at Chollerford.

A bit of the wall in the middle of a field at Chollerford, Georgia found an arm chair.

Following the Roman Road in fields by the side of the roads.

 

Sunday - day 5. We had decided that we would all break camp and go to Wallsend in the car. Our feet were hurting and blistered and we all wanted to get home which would be a couple of hours or more. So that's what we did, Me & Georgia Had our picture taken on the wall, but we have decided that we will finish the last leg off some other time. Maybe take our time.
I am glad we did it, it was a challenge and you find out how much stamina you have. We walked non-stop each day, only stopping for a quick break of drink, food, toilet or picture. If anybody was doing it I would say do it over a longer period so you will enjoy it more.

Georgia Sunday morning having a lie in. Molly was supposed to get her out of bed, but she snuggled down as well.

Our very own Jeeves, couldn't have done it without him. John Lewis.

my blister on my right foot, had another two on the back heel and one on the big toe.

Georgia at Walls End, the last bit of the wall.

 

A big thank you to Martin who gave us a lift, picked and dropped us off the walk. A massive thank you to Denise who supplied us with a scrummy meal of Stew and dumplings on Wednesday evening and came all the way up Saturday evening to feed us spag bol. Yum Yum.

A big thank you goes to our very own Jeeves (John Lewis), every girl should have one. He took my boots off, opened my can of ginger beer, cooked us meals, did my washing, washed up and generally tidied up. What a star...............................

BIG Thank you Johnny Ward - transporter - Roger for walking - David Houghton for walking, Georgia for not moaning (well not much) and me for spurring us on. Dare I say it David........Lets pump it out.

Elaine.

   Roll of Honour    

Walkers

Wednesday - Elaine, Georgia, Roger
Thursday    - Elaine, Georgia, Roger & 'Reo' Dave
Friday         - Elaine, Georgia & David Houghton
Saturday     - Elaine, Georgia & David Houghton.
 

Camp Logistics - Johnny Ward, John Lewis, Martin Russell

 

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28th August, 2009