Walltown to Housesteads

Participating in the British Heart Foundation 9 mile charity hike along Hadrian’s Wall proved to be a rewarding experience this weekend. My friend Monica came up from Kent and was enthused by the superb scenery.  Although the stretch from Walltown Crags to Housesteads is familiar territory for us as locals, it never fails to please: the dramatic cliffs of the Whin Sill rising up from the lough below to tower above the debateable lands that stretch to the north for miles. As always, it was immensely satisfying to walk along the wall, imagining the sounds and smells of centuries ago

Walking (part of) the Wall

This weekend I’m excited to be walking 9 miles of Hadrian’s Wall (along the best bits that usually features on the TV) for the British Heart Foundation. Heart disease is something I’m very aware of, as is my friend Monica who is travelling from Kent to join me. It’s as well she’s made of stern stuff as she’ll have to cope with our undecorated living room and scratty bathroom but that aside, I’m looking forward catching up with her! I suspect we’ll be breathless with talking as well as physical effort as we tread in the footsteps of Roman Legionaries

Swords, Skirts and Stunning Scenery

I spent the weekend dressed as a Romanised British woman cooking pork, apple and juniper berries in red wine over a fire while Andy paraded about in a red skirt topped with armour.  Why relatively sane adults would want to do something this bizarre is what  I’ve been asking myself over the past few weeks since we agreed to help some Roman re-enacting friends who were involved in a living history display on Hadrian’s Wall.  In actual fact, the event was interesting with both days well attended by enthusiastic visitors keen to see life as it was in Roman Britain.

It was enlightening on Hadrian's Wall

On March 13, Andy, Nerea and I were lucky enough to be involved in Illuminating Hadrian’s Wall. It was an impressive event to mark 1600 years since the end of the Roman rule with 500 beacons lighting the entire length (84 miles) of the wall from Segedunum at Wallsend in the East to Bowness on Solway in the West. Although much of the media attention was focussed on the impressive sections along Whin Sill, those of us on the Western end still played an important role. We felt as though we had been a part of a significant, historical experience