Hadrian’s Wall: Bleatarn to Birdoswald. Yay, Roman wall at last.

Day 5; 19(?)km; 7.5 hr

I was cold last night and very tired in the morning. After wandering the site trying to find the exit I headed off 9:20 with the sun fully out, through green pasture and beside (at last!) Wall ditch for a long day of walking. A stop for sun cream, then another for some oat cakes (hungry- I really should have brought two porridges for each morning). The landscape now feels much more rural. In Newtown I found a wonderfully cute honesty snack shed, apparently run by a 13 year old for pocket money, so stopped for a coffee and chocolate. I do a lot of stopping but I’ll get there in the end!

Continuing through fields, I past over the Cam Beck noticing some great eroded rocky banks, and a lovely engraved bench. Following, I past confident cute calves and felt very promising about the day despite my tiredness. I also sighted my first (possible) Wall stone under tree roots .

Continuing down road and field (stuck at one Kissing gate by an aggressive cow and calf) I walked quickly on, worried about my slow timing and deciding at the footbridge junction that, although I could possibly afford the time for a visit, and it sounded a lovely place, that it was safest to miss the detour to Lanercost Priory and tearooms given my guide book’s mention of a hut and toilets at the top of the hill- I was half way and it was nearly 1. Duly, I stopped (hungry) in the shelter if Haytongate Hut as the rain poured down. A Babybel, pepperoni and mini pita for lunch -eyeing up my food for the other days and v sad that the crisps advertised weren’t out. I used another pound to make myself a tea with three sugars in, whilst learning Latin phrases likenon sum Pisces, aio quantias Magna frumentorum est andUnitam logica falsa Tuam Philosophiam Totam süffodiant (Auto correct is annoying).

After a limp to the portaloo I began the hill summit with tea in hand, to views of ‘the Langholm hills and south to the Pennines and Lakeland fells’. Soon I stopped to inspect a spectacularly stunning piece of the Wall at Hare Hill, the tallest surviving part with apparently an ingraved stone from the centurion who oversaw construction (rebuilt by the Victorians but with original lower parts).

Continuing I climbed up to the lovely village of Banks, having a nice chat with a painter. The remains of Milecastle 52a were very impressive, four walls and what i assume to be a stair evident: i truly felt on the path of the Romans. Further in the entrance and angled walls of Pike Hill signal station were clear to view- they certainly had a good position for surveying the land up here.

Having rested I took up the guidebooks challenge to pace myself between turret 51a and b - set precisely 333 Roman marching steps (2 turrets between each mile castle) apart. I just fell short of Roman legionary material, taking 354 steps from door to door!

Pleased with my progress, I ignored a walker’s advice to shortcut on the road and followed the trail througha lovely (if muddy) wood, then down and up to cross the Vallum ditch. The last section to Birdoswald Roman fort, through fields along the vallum maintained a slow, tiring rise on sloshy ground.

Sighting Birdoswold the path came alongside a stretch of consolidated Wall to emerge beside the Roman fort. With slack house in sight, and a quick rest on a picnic bench, I set of for the bridleway across The valley, but dubious due to the marshes marked on the map, I decided to take the road way instead. A hard steep climb and i made it to the farm, to find nobody in sight. I called up, to the surprise of the lady answering- I have obviously walked too fast! So I went into to the very nice looking sitting room, took my boots off, and made myself a hot chocolate.

After meeting the lady running the guest house, a rest and shower, I came down to charge my phone and have another hot chocolate. Soon she was back with dinner, and the young Austrian couple also staying came over. I had polite conversation with them over the meal - lamb hotpot with veggies then plumb crumble (minus crumble) and ice cream from the farm- my first proper meal for a while. We washed up, put clothes around the fire thing to dry, and they left for their room.

Nice cat just wants to Be inside, made lots of attempts to sneak in.