United Kingdom
Hexham

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    • Day 92

      Housesteads to the Sill

      July 22, 2023 in England ⋅ 🌧 14 °C

      What a day, I was firm in my intention to walk to Housesteads. Talking to another hosteller, she helped me change my mind and suggested because of the weather, and the last bus coming back is at 4.45pm, then I wouldn't want to be anxious of getting the bus back. That made sense to me. She suggested the route is quite up and down so suggested I bus to Housesteads and walk back.

      I decided to do it this way and was so glad I did. I had left the hostel around 10 a.m. by bus which wasn't too far, and, walking, got back at 6 p.m. so it was quite the walk. Only 13 kms but the rain, wind, mud, rivers just made it so much harder to navigate. But I did it and was so so delighted to be walking beside that amazing old wall. A very thick wall compared with the dry stane dikes this wall was very thick...

      According to English Heritage the stone wall, had a maximum height of about 15 feet (4.6 metres), was 10 Roman feet (3 metres) wide. Wide enough for there to have been a walkway along the top, and perhaps also a parapet wall. The turf sector was 20 Roman feet (6 metres) wide. Just amazing.

      It's thought to have taken three legions of infantrymen, each legion being around 5000 men, from the army of Britain around six years to complete the Wall. The legionary soldiers were responsible for major construction tasks like building stone forts and bridges.

      It is a remote and exposed place high above the farm lands and I felt a trifle sorry for the soldiers who had to stand guard to keep out the barbarians from the North. The soldiers weren't only Roman, they had come from all over Europe wanting to be part of the Roman Empire. After 25 years of service they would be granted Roman Citizenship!!

      I was amazed again at the craftspersonship on display in the museum here as well producing very delicate ornaments, jewellry, housewares as well as the huge tools, tablets, statues that adorned the place. Also about the commander's quarters...Huge compared with the barracks, even the floors in the commanders home were heated by huge fires that were kept burning underneath the floors.

      Another huge day out in the weather, but so happy to have crossed that off my bucket list!! Getting to Sycamore Gap was quite a feat as well going up the stone stairs round corners down rivers of stones, through mud puddles galore, but how fascinating. I must watch the movie now (Robin Hood) that people say the tree at the gap is featured within. Who knew!!
      https://youtu.be/0uswBx_cKaA?t=8 (to see a video of the tree!)
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    • Day 74

      Chesters Fort

      July 4, 2024 in England ⋅ 🌬 14 °C

      More Roman stuff today.
      So much potential at this site if someone had the money to dig it all out. It was ‘rediscovered’ in the early 1800’s by a wealthy land owner who had a bit of an obsession with Roman stuff. Just as well he did coz he also save Hadrians Wall. Recognising its significance.
      We also popped into Hexham’s Abbey, built in 674 AD.
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    • Day 9

      Wir beginnen mit den Römern....

      August 21, 2019 in England ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

      Wir stehen vor dem Hadrians Wall. Hier in Corbridge hat man eine Römische Garnisonstadt frei gelegt. 2000 Jahre alt, da staunt man schon was da so alles gefunden wurde.
      Vorher schauten wir allerdings beim Aydon Castel vorbei. Aufgebaut in 1315, u. a. auch um die Schotten abzuwehren, bewohnt bis 1966 !! zuletzt als Bauernhof. Aber ehrlich, ich hätte da auch 1966 nicht drin wohnen mögen.
      Nach einem Ausflug in die Geschichte ging es nach Hexam. Dort besuchten wir das so oft angepriesene Gefängnis Museum. Man kann sich das Eintrittsgeld sparen. Dafür entschädigte die sagenhafte Abbey. Ein toller Bau, der einen Sprachlos werden lässt. Auch dieses Gebäude ist vor 1300 Jahren angefangen worden zu bauen.
      Einfach toll.
      Wir füllten die Vorräte auf. Insbesondere mit guten englischen Käse.
      Einen Übernachtungsplatz fanden wir an einer Kirche, deren Pastor uns, als wir nachfragten ob wir auf dem Parkplatz übernachten dürften,dazu einlud. So nett.
      Eine kleine Cacherrunde füllte die fehlenden Schritte auf und lies unser Gehirn zu Hochtouren auflaufen.
      Den Abend beenden wir bei englischen Käse und einem guten Sardischen Rotwein.
      Auch Urlaub kann schön sein.

      Morgen gehts zum Hadrianswall....auf die römischen Spuren
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    • Day 213

      Hadrian's Wall

      May 28, 2017 in England ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F

      We drove to a car park at Steel Rig to see and walk along the wall. But the parking lot was full! So I stopped the car on the road, Heather jumped out and got took a picture of the wall, and hopped back back into the car. That is the picture of rocks covered with grass.

      Then we drove 2 miles further down the road and took another road that crossed the wall. No car park there, but no cars either. We parked on the side of the road and went to look at the wall. That is the picture with Gordon and what is clearly a wall.

      There were plenty of British around. They were walking along the wall with their walking sticks and packs. It seems that walking is the greatest British pastime. I think that when civilization breaks down the British will do just fine. They will just get out their packs and their walking sticks and walk out of the city. Americans will hop into their cars and die of hunger while waiting for the traffic jam to clear.
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    • Day 213

      B&B Breakfast

      May 28, 2017 in England ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F

      Here is our hostess Mavis with our full English breakfast. A full English breakfast has an egg, ham, sausage, toast, tomato, mushrooms, and baked beans. We think that the baked beans must be something that became traditional during WW2.Read more

    • Day 212

      Hexham Abbey 1

      May 27, 2017 in England ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F

      This is the first large abbey built in England. At the time it was first built in 674, it was the largest abbey north of the Alps. The abbey was totally destroyed several times. The only remaining portion of the original abbey is the crypt where the finger bones is St Andrew were stored. The rest of the abbey was total rebuilt at the start of the 20th century.Read more

    • Day 8

      Allensheads to Hexham racecourse

      May 8, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

      We set iff straight up the hill from Allanheads to some wonderful tracks. These are used for grouse shooting, but thankfully we’re out of season.
      We also met a dry stone waller.
      We were on the moors for about 2.5hrs before dropping back down to farmland and riverside walking.
      We made it to the Dipton Mill Inn for lunch before our last up hill climb of 1.5 miles to camp at Hexham race course.
      Total mileage 16.2 miles.
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    • Day 90

      Vindalanda. ( White land)

      July 20, 2023 in England ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

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