Hadrian’s Wall and Durham

Today we took a break from trip planning, and explored more around the Lake District, visiting Hadrian’s Wall and Housesteads Roman Fort, followed by Durham.

We started our day with coffee and breakfast at the house, and then headed straight for Housesteads Roman Fort which was a few hours away. Housesteads Roman Fort is the remains of one of many forts along Hadrian’s Wall, which was a military fortification that separated England(which was Roman territory) from Scotland, which was considered barbarian territory by the Romans.

We really enjoyed exploring the ruins of the fort, and seeing the remains of Hadrian’s wall stretching out in either direction. We learned that the area was defended by the Roman’s by a couple hundred years, before ultimately being abandoned as the Roman Empire fell(and the barbarians in the north repeatedly attacked).

After getting our fill of the ruins, we hopped back in the car to head to Durham. Durham was a very cool city to visit, as it has a ton of character in both the architecture, and the river running through the city. In Durham we explored the Durham Cathedral, which is an absolutely massive cathedral in the center of town. We also walked the perimeter of Durham Castle, which is an old castle that now serves as the university. Lastly, we headed out of town and walked alongside the river and across a nearby bridge for views of the water and the town from afar.

After getting our fill of exploring, we opted to grab dinner at a local Turkish restaurant. We loved the food, and are excited to compare it to our upcoming experiences in Istanbul. After dinner we headed back on our long drive home, and called it a night, with more exploration tomorrow!Läs mer