Day 7 of David and Murray's Northern Frontier Conquest

Day 7: Sandysike - Carlisle

Weather: Mostly dry, odd shower

Distance Walked: 12 miles

Different Beers Sampled: 3

Sandysike looking South to the Lakes & Pennines

Morning! Penultimate days walking. The sun was shinning. Porridge and coffee had been consumed in sufficient quantities. Time to leave the basic, but cozy camping barns and their eccentric owners behind. Our night at Sandysike had proved to be eventful, let's hope the days walking was as well. Classic Hadrian's

Cam Beck Weir

Wall country was now behind us, as were the hills and crags. As we walked, the Cumbrian countryside opened up into green fields and then the flood planes and water of the River Eden. It was nigh on flat from here. Our packs seemed less heavy as well. Fitter, or just numb to the pain?! 

Vallum on North Wall
Nr Newtown

Mmmmmm......
Inside Stall-on-Wall
Bleatarn Farm

 The remnants of Roman occupation were more subtle, such as the path following the North Ditch of the Vallum near Newtown; interesting & picturesque though in their own right. A welcome modern addition to the Wall,  was the Stall-on-the Wall at Bleatarn Farm , packed full of goodies. You can also camp here, which we didn't, having only been walking for 2hrs, but you could if you wanted.

Don't mind if I do!
 The Stag Inn

After about 3hrs of gentle walking the path enters Crosby-on-Eden and  The Stag Inn. It would be rude not to, especially as the sun was shinning! As with a lot of rural pubs, there seems to be a fashion for small stuffed dead things and the Stag Inn, does indeed have a Stag's head. Thankfully we could sit outside. Beer was well kept. Lunch was the Potato & Butter pie [a Northern special!] we had carried from Bramptom and ale was supplied by Jennings. Pie and Ale. Perfect marching food. Our new Dutch friends [although they live in Manchester!] had also stopped so lunchtime gossip was to be had as well. 

David and our new Dutch companions
Stag Inn, Crosby

M6
Modern Day Chariot Racing

 Post lunch saw us head across fields, along the Eden, before crossing the M6 and venturing into the suburbs of  Carlisle. Penultimate stamp for our Hadrian's Wall Passport was at the Sands Centre. No great ancient architectural sights here, but there is an impressive series of metal plates outside demonstrating the sites of the main Roman Forts along the Wall. It did, however, provide time to have a cup of tea and some cake. Always a good thing. Found out Vettel had just won the Italian FI Grand Prix. No surprise there. Being in a city, we were staying a YHA. But not just any hostel, Old Brewery Residence which was once home to the Theakstones Brewery. Quite fitting really! But we couldn't check in until 16.00hrs, so we had a mooch around town.

Old Brewery Residence

Carlisle Castle

 Carlise appeared to be an attractive and thriving city, steeped in millenia of history. The Roman Fort that once stood here was the largest on Hadrian's Wall and where the highest ranking officer of the Northern Frontier was stationed. Today however, there is very little in existence of this once mighty fort of Petriana or Uxelodunum [debate over name]. The current castle stands on part of the site, as does the A595 dual carriage way and part of the Tullie House. Having time we went inside the Tullie House and Museum .

The man who started it all

Attack!

Some things never change!

 An interesting museum, with not just Roman artifacts, but social and political history of Carlisle, art galleries and wildlife galleries. There were even interactive exhibits. The Roman shield was not particularly heavy on it's own, but I can imagine it felt that way after a days marching / fighting. What I was impressed with was the public underpass near the museum. Usually grotty and smelling of wee, this one was all 'pimped up'! A hot shower and food beckoned, so we checked into the YHA and headed back out into the city in search of food once cleansed. Now after 7 days walking, with packs, I had been fantasising about pizza and one of the first places we came across was a pizza place; so we had a Happy Hour Pizza at Franco's . Very tasty [and cheap] it was too. I was feeling quite tired by now, so a quick stroll around Carlisle, accompanied by a cheeky pint and a bag of chips [I've expanded a lot of energy over the past week!] before crashing out early at the YHA. Last full day walking tomorrow......

Underpass next to Tullie House

Day 6 of David & Murray's Northern Frontier Conquest

 Day 6: Birdoswald - Sandysyke

Weather: Showers

Distance Covered: 12 miles

New Beers Sampled: 2

Birdoswald Farm on site of Roman fort

Cheese of the highest caliber 

 After a superb nights sleep, breakfast was to be looked forward to, as cooked by Dianne. Every bit of it fresh, local & delicious. Bread, whole earth beans, scrambled egg. We were dry; we were warm ; we were rested; we had been fed well; we had bought exceptional bread & cheese for lunch; now walk! We revisited Birdoswald Fort first, to get stamp 5 of our passport, but didn't loiter. The rain came and went throughout the day, as did the sun, creating some quite dramatic & creative cloud patterns in the sky. Almost made up for being wet! But we had our Birdoswald bread and cheese [which we stopped for at Hare Hill]

South towards Pennines & Lakes

BATs on Hare Hill

Along this section of the walk, the scenery was changing quite rapidly. Down we came from the upper moors of Northumbria National Park, off the Crags and we we had crossed the border into Cumbria. In this part of Cumbria, the hills are gentle, with lush rolling green pastures. Less stark. The Wall was also changing in appearance and becoming less visible. Much of the wall from here [and in other stretches] had been constructed mostly of turf banks with timber palisade. Some was later replaced with stone wall and there are only fragments of wall- but stretches kept surprising us, such as Sandy Sike Turret 51a and ,a third of a Roman Mile, 333 marching steps away, Lea Hill Turret 51. Not to mention Pike Hill Roman Signal Station.  However, due to being rested and well fed the night before, and well fed by Birdoswald cheese at lunch time, we had stormed this section of this walk and had time to detour and visit Lanercost Priory. So glad we did, not just because of the historical & moody ruins, but we also wouldn't have met Angie, the highly entertaining, highly intelligent and highly energetic English Heritage member of staff.

Lanercost Priory

Lanercost Priory

  Lanercost has it's place in English history as after being fraternised and almost bankrupted by Edward I in 1306, repeatedly sacked by the Border Rievers during the 15th  / 16th Century before finally being dissolved [and dismantled ] by Henry VIII's policy of dissolution of the monastery's  between 1536-1541. A bit unlucky you could say. The ruins were impressive and 'moody' in the alternating sunshine and showers.

                                                      

Part of the ruins also now contain the parish church, which contains a William Morris Dossal, newly refurbished as well.

William Morris Dossal

 
Filled full of even more English history , it was now off to the Centurion Inn in Walton for food & beer. Except when we got there, the Centurion was closed down. Don't panic. Breath Deeply. Relax. There will be a solution. Walton, thankfully , had a little cafe, where we sat and planned our next move. A big mug of tea and a sublime slice of meringue pie put things in perspective. We were staying at Sandysike Camping Barns and B&B, only a few miles away. The nearest settlement with food and beer was Brampton, 3 miles away from where we were staying. Fortified by tea and pie, we came together with a plan during our walk to the Bunkhouse. Let's get a taxi into town. Problem sorted. The plan got even better as a Belgium man and his son who were also staying there, shared the taxi. Brampton. A Cumbrian Market Town which has fallen on bad times. It reaked of faded glow, its glamour now a bit tatty. Shame. The first pub we entered didn't do anything to change our minds, The Nags Head. Rough, ready and smelly. We had a [bad] pint of -wait for it - Doom Bar. We didn't stay long, before heading back out on the thriving Saturday evening streets Brampton. Our next choice of pub was better with The Howard Arms being much more salubrious.  An excellent choice of Thwaites Ale to be supped ; 'Little Bewdy' a little fruity & hoppy number, and a 'Lancaster Bomber' and a full bodied, chestnut coloured ale  [the menu was OK as well]. Feeling refreshed and emboldened by ale, we did a little shop for the following days supplies, before deciding to walk back. Lovely evening for it. The rain has cleared and there are stars in the sky.

Further chess games were to be had over a beer, back at the bunkhouse; I think I may be getting better!

Day 5: Persistent Precipitation!

Day 5: Twice Brewed - Birdoswald

Weather: Persistent  Precipitation

Distance Walked: 10 miles

New Beers Sampled: 1

Vindolanda

Daybreak on day 5 didn't so much break on a crest of golden sunshine as we had been used to, but was washed in; the predicted rain had arrived. But, unlike the Tories, we had a Plan B. Or rather, David had organised a Plan B. Whilst I has half asleep in the pub, David was running around being very organised sorting out our day. Thank goodness for David. The forecast had been grim , and it was grim, but David had not only booked us into the bunk house at Slack House Farm, but also planned to have our luggage sent on to the bunkhouse at Slack House Farm. There are several services which do this along Hadrian't Wall and are very useful at times such as this. So we walked today with no packs and had a guaranteed dry place to stay and dry packs when we got there. Thank-you David.

Looking towards fort
from civilian village

Site of civilian village
Vindolanada

This meant we had time to spend a few hours this morning at Vindolanda Fort , which was one of the highlights of the trip. Hadrian's Wall Bus 'AD122' handily stopped at the YHA and went the short distance to Vindolanda. The bus arrives a few minutes before opening times, and today the very kind staff took pity on us and let us in early.  This fort spans many centuries and has several incarnations , both wood, earth and stone built, literally on top of each other over the centuries. The museum , unlike the weather, was exceptional. Every artifact on display was uncovered on site- and there are many thousands of them- and they offer a unique insight into daily life on a frontier town. From a vast collection of leather footwear [over 4,000!], to pots, pans, coins, armour, weapons, beauty products,  clothing and the 'piece de resistance' being the recently uncovered haul of writing tablets. These are an eclectic mix of letters & postcards written in ink on wood blocks, detailing daily life in a frontier settlement. Ordinary tales of invitations to parties, concerned parents, requests for clean underwear and demands for more beer to sent out to troops on patrols! Not much has changed in 2,000years really...

East Gateway Vindolanda

Vindolanda

After a relaxing and, mostly, dry morning in the fort and museum, it was time to get walking again, so bus AD122 back to the YHA and picking up of the trail where we left off yesterday. It was wet, but visibility was OK  and walking without a pack was a doddle!

Looking East towards Winshields Crags

We were making good time, no pain in shoulders or back and we could even pose happily for photo's .

Me! Near Caw Gap [East View]

Above Bogle Hole

Milecastle 42

Cawfields Quarry
Where once there stood a wall

Keeping Lookout
Milecastle 44b

As was the case yesterday, today offered up classic, exceptional, if wet, views of Hadrian's Wall. Mile upon mile of wall of sections of wall and its turrets and milecastles'. Roman imperial authority stamped across the landscape, disrupting trading routes [as at milecastele 42 where the Roman's decided the 'natural route' where there is now a gate, would need to go uphill to their fort] which most likely pissed off the locals and onto myth and legend such as at Bogle Hole [which means 'goblins hollow', its name betraying local superstition about the little folk.]  Unfortunately, even in the high crags, in places the wall has gone completely, thanks to 19th and early 20th Century quarrying. Actually, as can be seen from the photo of Cawfields Quarry, not much remains of the crags either! Blasted apart  and carried off for building material. Progress. But then again, Hadrian's Wall is a symbol of an imperial conquering army and was no doubt hatted as a symbol of oppression. No wonder it's gone in places. In fact, it's a wonder there is anything left all.  Mussings' over 'twas time to continue our mission for the day, which was to get to Birdoswald via  pub. We were beginning to get a little damp, Gortex or not , this northern rain was persistent. My feet were wet now as well. Pah. Blimmin' Romans! And then we saw it. A cafe at Walltown Quarry. Hot tea and cake. Mmmmm. We also came across some fellow travelers, of the feathery kind, also wet and weary, also seeking shelter from the storm. 

Interesting section of wall,
built below the natural high ground
 'Heathen lands ' are on the left and
'Conquered Land' is on right

Shelter from the storm

No, you can't come in to my field.

Whilst we enjoyed a well earned and well timed cuppa, our feathery friends [house martins?] huddled together for warmth.  It was time for food and beer. The packed lunch from the YHA was all gone. The cake wouldn't fill me up for long. I was hungry. And damp. Pub beckoned  There was, however, the small matter of getting there. This cow was not going to let David [nor me!] get over the stile. It's calf was in that field and we weren't allowed in; right of way or not. So we had to make a slight detour. Cow is bigger- and never, ever, get between a mother and it's child. Unless you want trouble, which we didn't. Soon, and without further incident, the bright lights of Gilsand came into view, and more particularly the lights of the Samson Inn and a pint of Wylam Angel. 

Wylam Angel

Several pints actually, as it kept out the cold. Drying out and warming up in the inn were also a few other 'groups' of walkers we had come across over the past few days, including our new Dutch friends who very kindly bought us a pint.  The menu of the Sampson also looked good. A puye lentil and root vegetable stew with roast squash, deep fried camembert and toast. Divine. 

It was very, very tempting to stay in the in, as the wood burner was on, my tummy was full and the beer and company were equally as pleasant. However we still had over a mile to walk until we reached Birdoswald, it was still raining and it was getting dark. Head torches ready, we braved the wet once more.  

Looking down towards bridge abutment
nr Willowford Farm

Funnily enough, the rain didn't seem so bad after a few pints! There was some interesting sections of wall to view along the way, which we duly did and by the time we got to Birdoswald, we needed our torches. Our bed for the night beckoned. It was dark. Only another half mile until we reached  Slack House Farm . We were settled in to the camping barn by Dianne Slack who is one of life's dynamo's. A truly inspirational and interesting woman. Passionate about food, where it comes from, its trace-ability, the sustainability of food sources and power sources, helping people set up local sustainable businesses.

Slack House Farm

Bunkhouse at Slack House Farm

 Dianne and her husband also run a cafe, tend to an organic dairy herd and make the one of the tastiest cheeses I have ever had- and I like my cheese, so that is high praise indeed. The bed was comfy as well and the wood burner was very welcome. After a few games of chess, we slept well that night. Warm and dry at Slack House Farm.

Murray & David's Northern Frontier Conquest: Day 4

Day 4: Chollaford- Twice Brewed 

Weather: Sunny

Distance Walked: 13 miles

New Beers Sampled: 3

David at the Temple to Mithras

Chesters Fort Information Board!

A new day dawned, and again it was sunny. Rumour on the trail was that the weather was on the turn and that it would rain later in the day and all day Friday. But this morning was hot and sunny, so day 3 of walking began with the collection of our  third stamp on passport outside Chester Roman Fort. We were there before it opened, so missed out on the 'best preserved cavalry fort in Britain'. Oh well, there will be more [and we had planned to visit two over the next days]. Before long we had got to Brocolitia Fort [a grassy bank] and the well preserved Temple to Mithras, which was worth a look around. Both here and along the way we kept bumping into fellow walkers from all nationalities, with an American, and a Dutch couple [who we later found to be Church of England Priests!] This was one of the delights of the walk- swapping tales with fellow travelers. Everyone has a tale to tell, and this is mine.

Lunch!
Sewingshields Crag. Milecastle 35

The scenery really was changing now and we were climbing up onto the Crags- Sewingshields Crag to be exact. Very dramatic escarpments caused by volcanic action some 295 million years ago - that's even before the Romans! Dramatic and picturesque they may be, but hard work to walk up even for fine athletes (!) like David and myself. We were now immersed in the high moorlands of the Northumberland National Park and the range of Roman ruins and  natural panoramas were breathtaking, quite literally at times. It was time for lunch, so we found the extensive ruins of  Milecastle 35 and I cooked up a boil in the bag vegetarian curry. Very tasty it was too. I wonder if the Romans had boil in the bag curries? Must check that out. Refreshed and raring to go, we set off along Sewingshields Crag, down into Kings Wicket / Busy Gap, up again onto Kennel Crags and finally onto to the Roman Fort of Vercovicium [AKA Housesteads].

View West from Kennel Crag

Me & David,
View back [East] to Kennel & Sewingshields Crag

Leading up to Housestead

Inside Housesteads
Looking East

Garrison Latrines Roman Style
There were wooden benches
along the walls.

Housesteads was the first-and best preserved- major fort ruins we had stopped at since leaving Newcastle. Perched high up on a Crag, it commanded superb views. It didn't take much imagination to see why Hadrian chose such sites to build major forts such as Housestead. For many of the 800 troops stationed there, it was probably a wild and bleak place, and really did feel like the Northern Frontier of the Roman Empire- the end of the earth. Why not a posting to Italy, Spain, North Africa - anywhere  except here! Today it was hot, sunny and stunningly beautiful, but again, it doesn't take much imagination to picture this place in a northern winter. Brrrrr.  Unless. of course, you were a high ranking officer, who unsurprisingly had underfloor heating all year around. Must have felt just like home [almost!]. But at least there were well designed and functional latrines.

Crag Lough from top of Highshields Crag
Looking East

Looking West down to Sycamore Gap
What was Robbin Hood doing this far north ?

Further stupendous views were to be had on the final leg of today's walk. Which is just as well, as it took the mind off the pain of the ruck sack. It was beginning to hurt now. Legs were OK. Back and shoulders hurt. The sun was also still shining and the sky looked clear. Which was a bonus. Descending off Peel Crags, a short walk along the road took us to the YHA Once Brewed where we had decided to decamp for the night due to impending rain. The staff at the YHA deserve a mention for being extremely friendly and helpful. A quick bottle of beer [Cumberland Ale] and hot shower. Bliss. Perchance there was a pub - Twice Brewed - next door.  So called because original brewery, that was there many years ago to cater to the Navvies building the Military Road,  became greedy, started watering down it's beer, so the  navvies demanded that the beer was brewed again- hence Twice Brewed! A big bowl of mushroom pasta followed by a few pints of Yates IPA and Exp5256 replenished most of my lost energy. Thankfully the beer is not watered down now. It had been a tough and hot day. I almost fell asleep in my pasta! Scenically and Wall wise, it was by far the best day yet. This was classic Hadrian's Wall countryside and it did not disappoint.

Castle Nick Mile Castle

Steel Rig-View East