Length:
18.3 km (11.4 mi)
Ascent/Descent:
436/410m
Net
Walking Time: ca. 4 ½ - 5 hours
Toughness:
5 out
of 10
Take
the 10.23 Morpeth train from Carlisle, arrives Bardon Mill at 11.00.
Return
trains: 16.14,
16.32, 17.15, 17.45, 18.28, 19.28, 20.29,
21.26 and 22.31 (from 29 minutes
journey time). Buy a Bardon Mill return.
From
Bardon Mill Station ascend along quiet lanes to Thorngrafton and via Thorngrafton
Common onto Barcombe Hill. Form there you have fine views across green valleys to
the line of crags upon which Hadrian’s Wall used to run as well as to the
unconquered ‘Disputed Lands’ beyond. You descend from the hill and walk through
a mildly undulating landscape up to Housesteads Fort on Hadrian’s Wall.
Turn
west along the best stretch of Hadrian’s Wall Path (HWP) with a high presence of Roman structures due to the
remoteness of the area and its inaccessibility for the ‘recycling’ of rocks in
farms, roads, ecclesiastical and private buildings.
You
walk along a steady line of crags, with
dramatic views north across commons and moors, as well as to the south across
pastures, passing the scenic Crag
Lough, the famous ‘Sycamore Gap’ with the ‘Robin Hood Tree’ and eventually ascend
to the highest point on the HWP, at Winshield Crags. Descend gently along still
more crags to Cawfield Quarry and to the cut created by the Haltwhistle
Burn.
For
the descent into the South Tyne Valley to the historic market town of
Haltwhistle, you follow the Haltwhistle Burn initially across the open upland
through the Roman Military Zone, with impressive traces of Roman Marching Camps
and Cemeteries, Haltwhistle Burn Roman Fortlet and Stanegate Roman Road. The
Burn then enters the steep wooded Burn Gorge, full of remnants of a thick industrial
past based on mining, brickworks and the power of the fast flowing water.
Walk
Options:
An
Alternative Ascent Route up the Chainley Burn gorge and past Vindolanda Roman
Fort avoids the initial ascent up to Barcombe Hill.
Line
AD122 (Walltown
Quarry - Haltwhistle - Hexham) stops at Housesteads Visitor Centre Car Park, at
Vindolanda Fort Car Park and all along the B6318, every 2 hours per direction.
Elenvenses/Lunch:
Housesteads Fort Café, Once Brewed Coffee and Bakehouse at The
Sill and Once Brewed pub
(both about 7 mins off path), Milecastle Inn
(5 mins off path).
Tea:
Plenty of options in Haltwhistle (for details see the pdf).
For
walk directions, map, photos and gpx/kml files click here. t=swc.413.c
2 comments:
Ticket office busy at Carlisle today. Best to get there early.
Of the 13 SWCers left in the area, 1 went to Edinburgh today and 1 other visited the Roman Army Museum and Vindolanda Roman Fort, which left n=11 on the walk, 1 of those taking the bus to Housesteads Roman Fort to visit and join the walk there. Us others got to Housesteads after 100 minutes of very enjoyable walking, had a 30 minutes Elenvenses (at 1 o'clock) and took up the Wall Path westwards. For a late lunch, we descended to the Twice Brewed Inn, although some preferred the Once Brewed Café at The Sill.
2 took the AD122 bus from there to Haltwhistle, where we much later caught up with them at The Black Bull pub.
Currently all 12 (incl. the Vindolanda man) are at The Mansion House Inn, awaiting our dinner order.
By common consent, a rather perfect day and walk in w=sunny-and-warm weather.
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