Hadrians Wall Wall Day 5

Steel Rigg to Brocolitia

Hail and Welcome!

As I lie here facing East on a glorious summers morning it might be easy to get swept away and wax lyrical about yesterday’s leg of our walk.

The reality though is summed up neatly like this: Elation and Exhaustion. Add to my hardship there were no Inn to stop on this leg! Unless you are willing to come off the Wall and walk down….

So on this leg we are fully in the midst of the crags, starting at the ‘Caw Gap’. So you climb up and down steep elevations The one that went down towards the now even more famous Sycamore gap, was particularly like that.

Three things struck my thoughts about that place just in the news a day or so ago regarding the sentences handed down to those particularly stupid desecrators:

Firstly, their act of iconoclasm failed. The tourist groups park at and walk with that place as a focus still or perhaps even more so now!

Secondly the Sycamore is growing back. Mother Earth has spoken!

Thirdly the two burks who perpetrated this stupid act are in jail for just over four years. They lose, three times over!

We were envious of the tourists. For they arrive refreshed and walk to Housesteads fort then off on their next day of attractions. Where as we two, fully laden with backpacks that even the majority of other walkers do not have: still go up from Housesteads towards Sewingshields. After that we then had five more miles across to Brocolitia Fort.

The English Heritage have a museum at Housesteads Fort…. Which availed us much needed water, canned soda and icecream: no actual food you’ll notice! It also became a real moment of truth for us: we had already walked Crag and tidges: Winshields-Steel Rigg. In effect a mere 3 mile leg of our journey ended up taking 3 hours, were we really cut out for this?

I was exhausted. With crags yet to come and 5 miles after Sewingshilds Crag to get to Brocolitia…. the prospect was daunting. As I lay my rucksack off my back and sore shoulders: the prospect of going down and getting a bus to Brocolitia seemed delicious.

I was about to admit defeat and get the bus. Yet we refreshed ourselves with lemonade, water and an ice lolly. Passed a pleasant hour at Housesteads Museum. Tried the sloe gin, chilli enthused mead and ginger wine samples in their shop.

My spirits revived. My will to carry on returned. With Toby checking my decision we went forward together.

I am so glad I did. For when we got to the top of Sewinshields Crag we were stunned by the 360° beauty on view. Truly stunned. Were

That sense of elation I mentioned meant we sat up there and gloried in that view. It was a fine summers day…. Fluffy rolling clouds on an azure background and the Sun as a warming companion. We sat. Talked. Sipped Toby’s purchased ginger wine and sat atop Mother Earths Emerald sparkling lap.

Then came the other half of the walk. That was exhausting.

We arrived at Greencarts campsite near 8pm very hungry and very tired. Luckily the evening was very fine and sunny. Also nearby Hexham has Pizza and it is delivered to this working farm! Hurrah! Im not sure I chewed it at all… just shovelled it straight down so that it did not even tough the sides! I was so hungry!

Today our next leg is calmer. With an Inn and a bed awaiting this evening. Our 4 camping days are finished. We are now heading the 30 miles or so to Newcastle. Still remnants of walls and mile-castles and museums to do… though the latter difficult for me without glasses!

Be it all as it is. Blessings to you all dear readers!

Syre Byrd and Toby Tregear