Day 78 A day of two halves

Today was divided into two distinctly different sections-The Wall and The Bog.

The Wall was great. The morning started as I was admiring the campsite owner’s house and ruined barn and he showed me where the bastle (17th century defensible house) was built. My thirst for architectural history sated, I set off east along the Wall. It was a sunny morning but not too hot so I was surprised that I seemed to be sweating huge amounts-my back was quite wet. So wet that I thought either I had some dreadful condition or, possibly more likely, my water bag had leaked. I stopped on the path and unpacked my bag. Yes, almost no water left in the bag. Oh well.

This part of Hadrian’s Wall is very popular with day walkers. And rightly so as it is pretty substantial and has amazing views. I passed Sycamore Gap (made famous by the film Robin Hood Prince of Thieves)

I decided I would walk to Housesteads fort, about three quarters of a mile past the Pennine Way turn off point. It was a disappointment because you had to pre-book online (I hadn’t) and I thought I could sneak in a back entrance but I couldn’t. I opted for an ice cream at the museum instead, there being no cafe.

As I walked , I saw an unexpected but welcome sight, a man with a strimmer, clearing the path. And beyond him, a man on a ride-on mower. Northumberland National Park obviously takes its path mowing seriously

Refreshed after my ice cream I headed back to where the Pennine Way crossed the Wall and headed off into wild territory. There wasn’t much there apart from the odd farm.

I plodded on until I reached the Forest. Then the real bog started. It was waring and wet. I left the forest, still boggy. It was all rather tedious. So tedious that I didn’t take any more photosI was camping tonight at an eco-campsite in a Forestry Commission village in the middle of nowhere. It was quiet and peaceful and had a picnic table so I pitched my tent close to that and enjoyed the sunny evening after my 12 mile day.