Carole and Jenny

Before we start our blog for today we need to set the record straight.  We are NOT surviving on gin, tonic and wine!!  It just helps the aches in the evening.

We are posting this blog, tonight, from a computer at the pub.  Our Guest House does not have wireless internet, so we cannot upload any photos.  These will be posted tomorrow, hopefully.

We started today with a dry spell as we walked to Chollerford.  We saw a stud farm, with the stud farmer, who gave us a look which said - “I know fillies and you two look like a pair of old nags!!”  Charming.  We didn’t stay.

Then we had our first long drizzly spell as we approached a field with wall within it and cows guarding it.  Carole did her best Mrs Doolittle impression and we got some photos of Buttercup and Daisy.

We then walked a series of fields which followed the wall to the northernmost point of the Roman Empire, which was not as impressive as we had hoped as the path was being used as the sheep’s latrine and so we had to tread carefully.

The scenery would have been spectacular, if it had not been raining so much.  We went passed a Roman fort called Brocolitia, which had a temple dedicated to Mithras - the Eastern Sun God.  Jenny commented that it was not surprising that the Romans had chosen this God to worship since the weather at this point was *******!

We continued along climbing gradually until we got to Sewing Shields.  We came out at a crag with a long area of wall with many turrets.

At this point, with amazing views, the sun came out and we felt that Christina was smiling upon us.

We climbed along this stunning pathway, right next to excavated wall all the way to Housestead, which is the most impressive Roman fort along the wall.  It did not fail to impress.  There was even a Roman Centurion whipping up a class of school children into a battle frenzy.

We had our sandwich lunch and then moved on.

This part of the walk was very tiring as we climbed up and down undulating crags, close to the wall but the views were breathtaking and worth every step.

We came into Once Brewed in beautiful sunshine, the hamlet, where we rest our weary bones for the night.

We had anticipated a day with dreadful weather, but felt we have been lucky today.  Tomorrow is a big one!!  Atleast 15 - 18 miles of undulations!!

Feet Report

Jenny - healthy but smelly.

Carole - 1 plaster now, but a few aching bones.

Alcohol report

Carole - 1 gin and tonic.

Jenny - the old lush - 1 gin, 1 large glass of wine.

Cowpat Report

Carole has wrestled the crown from Jenny and is now Cowpat Queen.  She trod in a big one today.  Oh dear!!

This entry was posted on Monday, July 7th, 2008 at 8:10 pm and is filed under Hadrian's Wall - 4th-11th July 2008. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.