Along Hadrian’s Wall – Pennine Way day 12

A day off from wading through bogs was much appreciated as I headed out over the section of the Pennine Way which overlaps with the Hadrian’s Wall national trail. This section of the route is possibly the best signposted along the whole route, probably due to the popularity and that two national trails link up here.

Greenhead to Housestead (10 miles/16 km)

It was nice to know I only had a few hours of walking today and that I would be able to avoid bog trotting, so it was even nicer to have the sun shining too. Starting at Greenhead the first encounter with Hadrian’s Wall is Thirlwell Castle, which was actually built in the early 14th Century by John Thirlwell as a family home; built from recycled Roman stone. It did however prove to repel attacks during the Anglo-Scottish border raids in the 15th and 16th centuries until it was abandoned in the 17th century. Saved from further dereliction by Northumberland National Park Authority there is an information board highlighting the castle’s history. Despite it being at the start of the walk, it’s worth a look.

From here the route heads eastwards crossing a few minor roads and former quarry sites, now restored as wildlife habitats. Much of Hadrian’s Wall is a World Heritage site so despite the loss of sections to quarrying and theft of stone for local buildings over the centuries it is still an impressive structure and a fascinating opportunity to get close to Roman history as you walk.

The path generally follows quite close to the Wall itself, allowing you to see the best of the Wall itself. If you are able to stay in the Haltwistle area and have a free day from walking it is worth visiting some of the large Roman forts in the area which are a few miles from the route.

At Cawfields I reached another quarry, which has destroyed much of Hadrian’s Wall by removing the face of the Whin Sill. As the sign below notes, “Whinstone is the local name for the hard, fine-grained black rock called dolerite, which here is part of an enormous sheet, forming the Whin Sill. This was valued particularly for the surfacing of roads.”

I continued on towards Housestead Roman Fort where the route gets particularly busy due to the popularity of the Fort. After today’s walk I’m certainly keen to do Hadrian’s Wall National Trail at some point!