8:00 start with 17:30 return
Note: Tickets for the Autumn Social Event will be available on this coach. See separate entry in the list for more information about the Autumn Social Event.
Stretching 73 miles, from coast to coast, Hadrian’s Wall guarded the northern frontier of Roman Britain for nearly 300 years. We last visited this area in 2018, so this is a rare opportunity to walk with the club along some of the most dramatic sections of the wall.
You may wish to bring extra refreshments for the end of the walk as there are limited options available. There may be coffee carts at both the Housesteads Museum and the car park until 4pm, and cold drinks and snacks to take away at the museum shop until 5pm, but the National Trust cafe at the car park is currently closed.
12.25 miles / 19.7 km with 2790 ft / 850 m Total Ascent
What on earth persuaded the Emperor Hadrian to construct this wall from the Solway Firth to the North Sea and then secure naming rights? Our usual sources are strangely silent on this matter, so we must turn to contemporary scribes such as the well-known Romano-British influencer Mancus Scouseä Woolybac for inspiration. He claimed that the wall, its milecastles and forts arose from rebellious legionnaires protesting about poor transport links to and accommodation at the Empire’s edge. If they were to see off the pixies, the legionnaires demanded something better than chariots and tarps, so the wall was built, but whether better transport was forthcoming is a moot point, particularly with regard to catering. Woolybac reports that two visiting dignitaries had a particularly rough time getting there: “Caesar aderat paté, Pompey adsum iam; Caesar sic in omnibus, Pompey sic intram.”
Our hike today follows the central section of said Wall along the Whin Sill, an intrusion of igneous rock known as dolerite that forms a rough, north-facing escarpment. We start from Greenhead, heading eastward from Holmhead over Walltown Crags to Burnhead, thence along Cawfield Crags to Winshield Crags (at 345m or 1,131ft the highest point on the Wall), Peel Crags and Sycamore Gap, continuing above Crag Lough to Hotbank Crags and Housesteads. We conclude with an out-and-back to Sewingshields Crags. Almost all of the walk is on the Pennine Way and Hadrian’s Wall National Trails.
B+ Walk - Hadrian's Wall and the Pennine Way with Stuart Arnold
10 miles / 16 km with 1200 ft / 365 m Total Ascent
It may take about 5.5hrs to complete the walk but one thing is certain the views overall are quite spectacular. We start our walk from Housesteads and quickly join Hadrian's Wall. After about 1/2ml we leave the wall and head north along the Pennine Way, to the edge of the Northumberland National Park. We turn west passing Greenlee Lough National Nature Reserve, through East/West Stone fields and Greenlee Plantations. We now head back to Hadrian's Wall via Gibbs Hill and Hound Hill.
We reach the wall at Turret 39b. Now we walk appropriately 3mls along the Wall back to Housesteads for a brew, beer or tea.
8 miles / 15 km with 1000 ft / 300 m Total Ascent
From Housesteads car park, toilets, take main path up to fort and bear right following fort wall up to the Hadrians Wall path. Follow it east to a gate in the wall go through it and turn westerly following a good path with great views of the roller coaster of the wall. We follow this path, crossing the Pennine Way to Peatrigg where the path veers south west to a minor road. Left and up to a car park on Steel Rigg. Here we turn east onto the wall path which we follow to Housesteads Fort. There are some short sharp ascents and descents before we get to Sycamore Gap and the now sprouting stump. There is a lower path but it isn’t as scenic, this path can also be joined after Sycamore Gap. As we enter the woods near the fort there is a path along the top of the wall and alongside it. All the paths are good on this walk.
6 miles / 9.5 km with 500 ft / 150 m Total Ascent
I am sorry to say that I haven’t reccied this walk, but as long as we keep our eyes on the wall, we shouldn’t get lost! We leave the coach to pass the Information Centre before taking a steep uphill path to Hadrian’s Wall. We walk alongside the wall for a short while before joining the Pennine Way where we begin a gradual descent to join the path at the Nature Reserve. Here we walk on the south side of the reserve to West Hotbank before retracing our steps to the Wall and back to Housesteads for refreshments.
