Built between AD122 and AD128, Hadrian’s Wall was constructed to protect the Northern boundary of the Roman empire. Less time that it would take to get the planning permission for such a project in today’s world! Hadrian’s Wall Path (HWP) uses the route of the wall as its inspiration and runs for 84 miles from coast to coast. The highest point on the path is only 345 m above sea level so it makes for easy walking so long as the weather is kind. The waymarking is excellent, but the collection of water needs to be carefully planned as options are limited.

I chose to walk a 30 mile section between Walton (nr. Carlisle) and Chollerford (nr. Hexham) as this section has the greatest amount of visible wall and is also the highest and wildest section of the path. I had already walked a section of this route in 2019 as part of the Pennine Journey. The character of Southern Northumbria is unique in the UK. The hills are modest in scale and I would describe the landscape as undulating rather than rolling. There are more trees than you see in Cumbria or Lancashire, clustered between areas of grazing land and small pockets of un-farmed fell. But the vista’s are wide and attractive both in character and their uniqueness. Having the ancient wall and mile-castles for company provides an additional layer of interest. Because of the path’s low altitude it is a good option when hill and mountain regions are blanketed by low cloud as they were the weekend I had pencilled in for a wild walk.

Practicalities

The availability of public transport helped to define my start and end points. The train line from Carlisle to Newcastle shadows the wall but the services are not very frequent linking the smaller stations in between. However, the 685 bus covers the same route once an hour from 0700-2200 from Monday to Saturday and until around 1900 on a Sunday. The current bus fare cap makes this option not only convenient but also a very cheap option. Buses linked my endpoint at Chollerford to Hexham every two hours too, just requiring a short taxi journey from Brampton back to Walton (5 miles, £10).

You do need to plan your water collection carefully on this central section as you only pass through two villages on the route, and the countryside is to low for it to be sensible to gather water from streams because of the likely contamination with agricultural run off and gut displeasing viruses.

Description

Day 1 – Walton to Cawfield Crags : 15 miles / 450 m HG

After an early start from home, I parked the car in Walton and was walking by 0930. With sunset due at 1620 I needed to set a good pace. I reached the first significant section of surviving wall at Hare Hill in just under an hour.

Views into the distance were obscured by mist, but after the village of Banks there were plenty of sections of wall and remains of mile-castle to enjoy.

I had lunch next to the River Irthing which I learned is one of only two rivers crossed by the wall in it’s journey across the breath of England. After lunch, with the mist starting to clear, there were occasional glimpses of blue sky and ever increasing amounts of interest.

Between mile-castles 46 and 45 (NY 668 660) I came across an unexpected facilities block in the ‘tourist’ car park which would have a cafe in the summer but has toilets, and more importantly, drinking water year round. It was then time to ascend Walltown Crags and onto a really lovely section of high ground, prominent wall and lovely views.

I descended to the Cawfield Quarry car park just as the sun set. Here I was able to get water from the excellent toilet block. I had thought I would wild camp somewhere up on Cawfield Crags but instead I spotted a lovely flat and reasonably well hidden spot in the trees at the end of the lake. I waited until it was almost night and pitched. The moon rose attractively for me. An unexpected bonus of this pitch was it being just a 10 minute walk from the Milecastle Inn. This proved a very welcoming hostelry with an open fire by which to toast my feet whilst I enjoyed a rather fine and generously dry hopped ale from Twice Brewed Brewery.

A number of camper-vans had opted to ignore the no camping signs in the car park, so anyone who saw my tent was unlikely to complain.

Day 2 – Cawfield Crags to Chollerford : 15 miles / 350 m HG

My day started with what was probably the most attractive section of the HWP. Up onto Cawfield then Winshield Crags and along a section which coincides with the Pennine Journey path which I walked in 2019. It was then past the sad sight of the Sycamore Gap denuded of its tree. The stump is sprouting though.

The path above Crag Lough is lovely, and the fort at Housesteads impressive too. The path remains relatively high, with lovely vistas for another 2.5 miles after Housesteads but then becomes less attractive for a few miles as it runs alongside the road. If I were to repeat this walk, and I think I will during a future summer, one option would be to finish at the Mithraeum Temple where there is a bus stop which would take you into Hexham and the train and bus links hubs for your journey back West or to home. When the path gets further from the road around mile-castle 30 it becomes a nicer path with really good views to the East. Looking at my watch I realised I had made really good time and that if I upped my pace a little further, rather than catching the 1640 bus, I should be able to get the 1440 bus. The benefit of an early start. Using the old technique of Scout Pace, where you alternate between walking and then running 50 paces got me to Chollerford with 10 minutes to spare. A word of warning here, if you plan to get the bus into Hexham as I did. The place to catch the bus is directly outside of The George Hotel, not at the obvious bus stop some 20 metres to the North. I almost missed my bus, which would have been very galling after pacing the final 2.5 miles.

Final comments

With the land to the West of my start point being very flat and devoid of any clear evidence of Hadrian’s Wall, then with the route East of my terminus being next to the road all the way into Newcastle I am confident that I walked the most attractive section of the Hadrian’s Wall Path. The views would have been better in better weather, but given the low cloud covering everywhere South of the Great Glen that weekend I made the best of a dry yet otherwise unattractive weather window. I certainly hope to walk a route similar to this again in better weather but will probably need to opt to use a campsite when the days are longer. The countryside is not highly dramatic, but is very attractive because of it’s unique nature, with small attractive youthfully mammillarian hills and clusters of trees punctuating the expansive undulating landscape. The amount of height gain is very modest so this route lends itself to the greatest distances of a fast and light approach.