3-day trip to hadrian's wall: day 3

Note: This is the fourth post on the trip. So to start at the beginning, go to post titled "3-day trip to hadrian's wall: part one of day 1."

Important Note: Highly recommended that you click on the photos themselves to enlarge them. Some of the landscape and the colours look much more alive in a larger photo than in these small ones.


The third day was supposed to be a long one: 11-12 miles of walking. I was feeling somewhat tired from the previous day and more importantly, I was feeling a bit lazy (as usual). So I decided to keep an open mind, which basically meant that if after the first 2 miles of walking, I felt I didn't want to walk any further, I would call it a day and get on to the bus and head home. And if I decided I wanted to walk further, I'd go on - after the first 2 miles, there were no bus stops for the next 9 miles or so. So it was either 2 miles or 11 miles.

I started around 9:30 am, walking from Once-Brewed to the cliffs to join the Hadrian's Wall path again (photo below).

Soon I was climbing up and down the cliffs again...

The remains of one of the turrets along Hadrian's Wall

Hadrian's Wall climbing up the next hill (above photo) and looking at the hill I'd just walked down (below)

And then as I walked up the next cliff I found myself looking at a beautiful sight. A lake stretched out at the base of the cliff (below). Wildflowers grew through the cracks of stone along the cliff-sides. I loitered around here for 15-20 minutes, it was just so beautiful and serene.

Continuing on the path, down this hill and up another, I came across the remains of another turret, where I managed to put the camera on timer and take a photo of myself.

2 miles later, at 11:30 am, I reached Housesteads, the site of a Roman Fort (below).

I have to say that the most interesting part of the ruins of the fort were the latrines (potties) built for the soldiers (below) :-)

Now, if I walked further from here, I'd have to walk 9 miles before the next bus-stop. My toes were killing me and of course I was lazy, so I decided to give up. I went down to the bus-stop where there was a visitor's centre and cafe and I sat there drinking coffee for the next hour, waiting for the bus which was to come at 1:30 pm. But at 1 pm, I suddenly felt like walking again. Actually I was just indecisive. But I started walking back to the wall, wondering with every step whether I really wanted to walk. Then 15 minutes later, it seemed too late to go back to the bus-stop, so... I continued. Up one more cliff and the view of a beautiful lake (below) rejuvenated me.

At one point, I saw turmeric sheep in the distance. Not sure what the deal was - were they dyed turmeric for some reason? They couldn't be this colour naturally, could they? Zoomed in and took a photo (below).

And then finally, finally, the cliffs ended and then it was flat land. My toes were really killing me. I had to get to my destination by 6 pm so that I could catch the last bus back to Hexham railway station, so I really couldn't afford to rest much. Though I did rest at two spots, both times taking photos of myself, and once taking my shoes off and rubbing my toes.

I clicked some more photos of lonely trees before reaching Chesters.

And finally a photo of one of the Hadrian Wall signs.

I reached Chesters at 5 pm in my haste to not miss the last bus. Loitered around for the next hour, talking to my parents on the phone. Just as the bus was going to come, it started raining. I'd been so lucky on the entire trip with it raining only in the late evenings when I was not walking. A wonderful 3 days - well, 2.5 days. Anyone who comes to visit me is going to be taken to walk for at least a day on the Hadrian's Wall path.