Haydon

Cloudy day in Edinburgh. Breakfast then extracted car from difficult car park at Dorstan Guesthouse. Easy exit from Edinburgh compared to the drive in five day earlier. Stopped at viaduct viewing spot at Leaderfoot in Scotland. Next stop was the border with England. As we neared Hadrian’s Wall we stopped using the Tom Tom GPS and followed tourist signs to reach Housesteads Fort Visitors Centre. Took a picture of a pretty bridge when we joined the B6318. The carpark had a sign to pay parking fees when you leave. (Code for your number plate has been photographed... Northumberland Council). English Heritage have designed the Visitors Centre buildings to make it seem you must pay then to walk along Hadrian’s Wall when you can ignore the cash register and walk past it and through the door to access the walks and Hadrian's Wall beyond. Chose to walk to Sycamore Gap (Tree used in the film Robin Hood Prince of Thieves). The initial section of the walk allows you to walk on a restored section of the wall through woodland. At the end of the wood the restored section ended and we walked next to the wall that was built in 122AD. Passed Milecastle 37 and on to the site of Milecastle 38 with views of the wall snaking across the countryside like the Great Wall of China. Ate lunch behind a stone wall with a good view of the countryside below the cliffs we on top of but out of the cold wind. After lunch descended into the Sycamore Gap. Returned via the Military Way. Paid for the time the car was in the car park and drove to Nentall Country House Hotel using both the car GPS and Google Maps. Stopped and photographed a uniquely angled viaduct on the way. Dinner of lamb shanks in the hotel.Read more