The End of the Adventure

Friday, September 27th, I walked on the cold, windy, rough North Sea beach.

Then we caught a train to Newcastle, ate lunch in a greenhouse hookah bar, and enjoyed a beautiful train ride up the North Sea coast back to Edinburgh.

Saturday we shopped yarn, fabric, and pretty Scottish woolen clothing. We walked into a Turkish restaurant that was full and got seated alone in a loft with kilim rug covered benches. It was a cool experience, and we enjoyed delicious food and a good chat with the server/proprietor.

Sunday we returned to the Unitarian church, and then saw a Lavery exhibit at the art museum. Neither of us had heard of him but enjoyed his paintings and his story.

Monday Cathy left and I visited Edinburgh Castle. Mostly used for defense with wild stories of Scottish/English fighting and all the usual Scottish/English fighters, the site is large and sited on the end of a ridge.

Occasionally soldiers stay there but the royals stay at Holyrood Palace when they are in town. King Charles stayed at Holyrood Saturday night. Edinburgh Castle does not have the feel of luxury.

Here’s a picture of the Great Hall, site of many significant events including dinners, and restored after Cromwell trashed it. It’s still used for formal state events.

Saint Margaret of Scotland (1045 - 1093) died here and her son had this charming little chapel built in her honor.

Tuesday, I walked to the Royal Botanic Garden. It was a treat, as were these two Andy Goldsworthy pieces.

Lastly, I thought the Le Creuset bowl was a nice touch.

Fly home tomorrow, 10/2. An awesome experience.

Last day. Newcastle to Wallsend.

Only 5.5 miles but strong wind and a bit of rain. A bit more industrial than we’ve previously seen. Arrived at Wallsend shortly after noon. Note the signage.

There’s a sculpture of a Roman soldier with a fake name.

A tower with elevator, thank goodness, for viewing the foundations of the Roman fort.

We caught the train to Whitley Bay, a delightful seaside town with a good Turkish restaurant and an amazing yarn shop, Ringorosie’s.

Our B&B in a Victorian row house was our last accommodation provided by our trip coordinator, Contours. Paying for their services was a good decision.

Newburn to Newcastle

Rained a bit off and on. Only 6.5 miles and these flatter, shorter walks have allowed hips and knees to recover. Great hiking socks don’t offer much cushion when wet, though.

We are walking along the Tyne into coal country and the multiple bridges make a grand entrance.

An old mine entrance

Sculpture along the way

Our hotel was posh enough I felt a bit embarrassed to be walking in wearing hiking boots and backpack. However, they knew we were coming and treated us as celebrities and we were appreciative.

We had things we wanted to see in Newcastle but really, we’re just a bit tired and the hotel was pleasant and had good food so we just relaxed.

Day 9, East Wallhouses to Newburn

We started out in light rain but it stopped by mid-morning. Still, wet socks and shoes caused a bloody bunion by evening, which was nothing compared to the excitement of the day

It was a pretty walk.

Pretty landscape with clouds.

We enjoyed a lovely lunch at The Swan in Heddon-on-the-Wall, separated briefly, we thought, but could not find each other in this tiny little town. In addition, the wall walk signage was particularly bad.

After 45 minutes of searching for Cathy, I reluctantly left messages at the two restaurants and the gas station/grocery that I was going on and would meet her in Newburn.

She had the map but I had a copy of our hotel address. Of course I had not bothered to figure out international calling and Cathy left the sound off on her phone most of the time, anyway.

I was asking everyone I ran into if they had seen her and a local man out walking with his dog told me I was not only not on the trail but there was a shortcut to Newburn and sent me off.

When I arrived at our destination 5 miles away, she was not there but the hostess called our walk coordinator who had heard from Cathy and knew she was on her way. She had run into man with dog who told her I was ahead of her and he walked her almost all the way to our hotel.

We had a lovely Italian dinner.

I’m fascinated by all the ways the Britts design gates for walkers, both through and over fences. Lots of people walk over the countryside, often long distances most every day.

And these next two are the same gate, called a kissing gate. It swings in a way that would make it almost impossible for a cow or sheep to get through so there is sometimes no latch.

Day 8, Chollerford to East Wallhouse, 9 Miles

Monday, September 23

Down out of the hills today and back to bucolic countryside. Also, places to eat along the way for the first time in several days. This was the first day of rain, pretty steady, pretty wet, all afternoon.

Hips and knees recovered. Wet shoes and socks. Wondering if abandoning my waterproof boots that took up half the suitcase and were a bit uncomfortable was wise. Didn’t take pictures after the rain started.

The River Tyne.

Long-eared sheep.

We stayed at the Robin Hood Inn, warm, dry, cozy, washer and dryer down the hall, hair dryer for drying our shoes - we liked this place.

Housestead to Chollerford

Day 7, Sunday, September 22

10 miles

Another up and down day but less up and down than yesterday. Unfortunately for my gut, it’s mostly ibuprofen getting me through the hip and knee pain. Still, no blisters, blue skies, and amazing views.

We stayed at the George Hotel in Chollerford. It is a 17th century building, redone inside so it looks more 1940s, and, at least in our room, lacking hot water, so not as charming as one might hope. Up until now, the accommodations have been way more lux than we expected so we just spent the night and walked on without complaint.

I was fascinated by a couple of Temples of Mithras along the trail. The book suggests the spiritual practice was roughly equivalent to Scientology.

Gilsland to Housesteads

So this was the tough day. Up and down extremely steep hills, all day. The book says ten miles but it is based on a flat map. Everyone’s pedometers say 13 miles. Our hips and knees say 232 miles.

We reached the highest elevation on the trail and the midpoint of our walk.

What’s worse, I forgot my cell phone so the steps didn’t even get recorded!

The good news is that we are staying two nights at the Old School House B&B with the lovely Ian and Kate who ferry us to and from the trail and provided a bag of ice. The phone was where I left it in the mud room when putting on my boots. The pictures are from Cathy.

Lanercost to Gilsland

Our first wall sighting, this piece of the wall probably still exits because a house had been built up against it.

Today, we continue to see more wall and climb more hills. We also pass fewer villages which means fewer places to eat and appreciate toilets, as opposed to nettle infested opportunities.

Turret and mile castle foundations are increasingly visible as we walk into rolling hill country. The wall is estimated to have been 12 feet high most places. The construction technique changed. At this end of the wall, the construction was smooth and precise across the width. As we move east, it will become less smooth on the outside and very sloppy inside.

A foundation set on the diagonal, followed by the explanation, and a sketch of a possible likeness.

And miles and miles of wall, and wall building ruins with excellent explanations, and walking up and down and up and down.

Crosby-on-Eden to Lanercost

Thursday, 9/18, the taxi took us back to Crosby and we walked 8 miles to Lanercost. The landscape is changing to rolling hills.

Whereas before it was uncertain exactly where the wall was, there are sections here where we are clearly walking on unexcavated wall.

I haven’t figured out why there is so much red in the water, in this case, the Eden River.

Lanercost was an Augustinian priory. The monks owned a lot of nearby land which supported the community.

Back to Edward I - when he came through to fight the Scots in September 1306, he was old, sick, and being borne on a litter. His retinue of 200 including Queen Margaret of France and Edward II needed to be housed and fed. Seven carpenters and a builder were employed to create temporary residences.

Apparently the monks were appalled when some of the king’s soldiers already in Scotland sent the heads of two of Robert the Bruce’s brothers to Lanercost, on sticks, to prove to the king they were on it. Such delightful people some of us came from.

By March 1037, Edward I recovered enough to proceed on to Burgh-by-Sands, die, and lie in wait in that tiny little Roman church mentioned earlier.

Edward II took over. Some say he wasn’t as motivated as his father to beat back the Scots and some say he probably just ran out of money.

Regardless, when Edward I died, Robert the Bruce proceeded to savage this part of England. Those of us with English and Scottish genes have double the bad behavior.

The Lanercost Priory suffered from Robert the Bruce, and worse, Henry VIII’s dissolution of the Catholic church.

The front of the church, on the left, remains and serves the community today. We stayed in one of the nearby buildings to the right of this picture.

Our hostess, Charlotte Graham, a British photographer of some renown, served dinner and all guests, who happened to all be hikers, not only shared stories, but continue to visit as our paths repeatedly cross on the trail.

We are at 37/84 miles according to the book.