Wylam to Humshaugh, 19.8 miles

Today’s walk was always going to be a long one. At just under twenty miles, it was by far the biggest day of the trip so far, and by the time we finally reached our B&B in Humshaugh, we could feel every single one of those miles in our legs.

Jayne & Ian at Wormald House ensured we were furnished with a good, hearty breakfast before we set off. Leaving Wylam, we began by retracing our steps along yesterday’s Waggonway. Normally I’m not a great fan of walking the same stretch twice; we had toyed with the idea of continuing through Wylam village and taking the minor road up on to the ridge, but our host, Ian, persuaded us otherwise, and I’m glad he did because otherwise we would have missed our first glimpse of ‘The Wall’. 

So, we retraced our steps as far as George Stephenson’s cottage, and then on a bit further. I’m sure it was only three-quarters of a mile last night when we walked in, but somehow this morning that had extended to two miles to our turn off point. How did that happen? Then we had the climb – yes, the climb we’d stopped to take photos of yesterday, the one that looked really steep, that’s the one. In actual fact, the climb was quite pleasant, it wasn’t all that steep other than in a few short sections and within about thirty minutes we were striding through the village of Heddon-on-the-Wall on top of the ridge looking for this elusive piece of stonework. A few photos and a short rest later, we backtracked on ourselves again and eventually started heading West. 

We thought that having seen our first piece of Wall, the rest of the day would be interspersed with interesting Roman artefacts and sections of wall to inspect, nestled in amongst the wide open ridge features. Sadly, the reality was rather different. 

Much of the trail shadows the B6318 Military Road, one of the straightest roads you’ll ever see. The Romans certainly knew how to build roads, but they perhaps weren’t thinking about the enjoyment of walkers two thousand years later. For long stretches we found ourselves walking beside the traffic, climbing one steep bank after another before dropping down and immediately climbing the next. There seemed to be an endless succession of ups and downs, gates, road crossings and stiles – just frequent enough to stop you ever finding a comfortable rhythm. The terrain underfoot on the section from Heddon-on-the-Wall to Wallhouses is also quite testing. The cut-throughs next to the road are narrow, eroded, and in most places the topsoil has either been worn away or was never there in the first place, leaving rough stones for much of the way. It was hard on the feet and even harder on the psyche, particularly when we encountered several points where the trail comes away from the road only to go round three sides of a square to avoid a landowner’s field. 

To make matters even more challenging, we encountered several fields contained cattle. Now, plenty of people stroll happily through fields full of cows without giving them a second thought. I am not one of those people. Every field involved careful planning, constant observation and a strong desire to keep moving. Nick, naturally, seemed completely unconcerned, while I was mentally calculating escape routes that almost certainly didn’t exist. 

Fortunately, salvation arrived in the form of the Robin Hood Inn. The timing couldn’t have been better. We thought we’d get here for elevenses but after a rough morning, it was well into lunchtime by the time we arrived. Still full from breakfast, though, we had to decline the appetising cakes, sandwiches, and full on pie and chips that were on offer and just settled for a couple of cups of coffee. A good coffee, a comfortable chair and twenty minutes off our feet transformed morale completely. We emerged revitalised and ready for the next section. 

Beyond the Robin Hood Inn, the character of the walk gradually began to change. We were still handrailing the road, but the going became a lot easier with wider verges and more forgiving terrain. The countryside opened out and the trail started to feel much more like the Hadrian’s Wall walk we’d imagined. There were glimpses of the broad Northumberland landscape stretching away in every direction, and although the wall itself only appears in fragments here, there was a real sense that we were now travelling through the frontier country of Roman Britain.

The miles, however, continued to mount. By late afternoon our conversations had become noticeably shorter (and sharper) as we concentrated on simply putting one foot in front of the other. The final few miles seemed to go on forever, each hill raising false hope that surely the next valley would reveal our destination. We had more stops in the afternoon. About three miles after leaving the Robin Hood Inn the path skirts a small woodland on a rise and just as you head round the back we found some large stones with the view opening up beyond, looking down into green valleys – just the perfect spot for an al fresco picnic of nuts and biscuits while we gave our feet a rest. From there we could see that the trail headed more downhill than uphill for once and we set off again, refreshed with our snacks and cups of tea. 

We passed through the roundabout where The Portgate, a large fortified gateway that controlled traffic crossing the Wall, once stood. There was no evidence of it as we passed through and it seemed to have transformed over the years into The Errington Coffee House which looked inviting, although we didn’t go in. Give it a try if you have the time. From there it wasn’t far to Stanley Plantation where the landscape transformed again and we were suddenly in amongst pine trees which gave way to other forest further in. Even though we were still quite close to the road and could hear the traffic, the calming scent of the pines and the sense of being enveloped in greenery had a restful and re-energising effect. 

Emerging from the woodland, we crossed the road yet again, and followed gates and ladder stiles up and over the stretches of the Vallum (the remnants of the large ditch that ran alongside the wall). This was our first real sighting of the Vallum, and you could see how good a defensive structure it would have been with the wall sitting along the top of it. At St Oswald’s Farm we found a welcoming bench to sit on to have another cup of tea and then roused our weary bodies with the thought of just the last few miles remaining. Round the next corner was Heavenfield, site of a batlle in approximately 633AD. I was too tired by this time to even stop to take photographs!

Just after Heavenfield the trail diverts and does a triangular route to avoid a busy stretch of road – although it was tempting to carry straight on, it was actually a pleasant stroll down the leafy lane. As you then come back towards the main road there is a turn off for Brunton Turret if you have the energy to go and look at some more Roman architecture (we just didn’t today).

After a bit more road walking, eventually we crossed the attractive stone bridge over the North Tyne at Chollerford.

Just one last push up the hill to Humshaugh and our B&B for the night at Linden House – it would have to be at the top of the hill wouldn’t it? What a delight, though, our room is large and there’s a bathtub with a view for soaking weary legs.

I’d still be there, immersed in the bubbles, if it wasn’t for the fact we had to get down to The George for dinner at 7pm. Sadly, the Crown Inn, which is just across the way from Linden House has closed, so there was no other option but to head down to Chollerford – I could just have done without the walk back up the hill afterwards!

Check out the Relive video we’ve made of this walk: Hadrian’s Wall Day 3