Day 10: Mixed emotions...

We left the old farm house where we had stayed the night before and walked back to Hadrian's Path with mixed emotions. There was the joy and excitement of reaching our destination and the realisation that this would be our last day and the end of the challenge, which had far exceeded all our expectations. We would never forget the people we had met, the conversations in which we had participated, the sights, sounds and smells of the surrounding countryside, the knowledge we had gained, not only about the history of this part of the country, but also about ourselves. We never lost sight of why we were undertaking this adventure: our hope that we could continue to support the families and especially the children of Reuben Monareng School in South Africa.  This belief ensured our success!

Again, and almost unbelievably, the sun shone. We had walked no further than a mile when the breeze from the coast brought the delicious salt smells of the sea in our direction. This morning's trail kept the coastline in view as the mouth of the river became forever wider.

The first village

The first village we entered was that of Drumburgh...one letter box, one phone box, a medieval church, a bus stop and the ruins of a Norman Ccastle...oh, and a few houses and farms. This seemed to be the pattern of many of the villages through which we had walked in previous days.In some villages there was even the village shop which was often in the front room of a private home and sold almost anything that was needed!

Surrounding Countryside

The Path

Our journey which was somewhat shorter today, then took us through country lanes, a small copse and muddy fields. It must have been the time of day but we only met one other walker and this was a jovial Irish man from Dublin who was just setting out to walk to Wallsend and the North Sea. We wished him well; we wished him luck and the best of weather - and continued for our final few miles.

The Sea

Lunch

Today we even sat on a well positioned bench overlooking the sea to have our lunch. We dawdled, as  Bowness was within our sights and we were prolonging the inevitable...reaching the end of our journey.  And then we met Roger! Roger was a retired fisherman who had set-up his own business to take photographs of walkers as they started or finished the Hadrian's challenge. What a lovely man! He talked with passion about his years at sea, the danger of the surrounding sands and his interest in the history of the area. Photograph taken...even with my own phone. He described the people we would be staying  with tonight. He would not take any money, but wished us a safe journey home....

The end of Hadrian's Wall

Well, here we are; Bowness, the end of the wall and the end of our journey. My feet are in good condition, I may even be a little lighter and there is the feeling of elation at having achieved our goal. But my heart is heavy as I will be leaving what has been an amazing journey. The memories however, will sustain us.

There are so many people to thank for their endless support, but that will have to wait for another day. Thank you to our readers...I hope you have enjoyed our adventures and I will continue to keep you updated as to the project for Reuben Monareng.

With our love and gratitude....Rosie, a tired little Daisy, and Lesley

Day 9: The Call of the Sea!

It seemed somewhat strange this morning to be setting out on the penultimate day of the Hadrian's Wall adventure. As usual, we were somewhat daunted by the prospect of the 20+km which lay ahead, who we would meet and what we would learn about the surrounding countryside...and ourselves!

The walk started well: bright sunshine, lunch in rucksack, warm feet and above all else...enthusiasm.  After the first mile or so we were prevented from continuing our walk along Hadrian's Path. "Road closed" - a familiar sight in the last few days. "Diversion this way".That was the beginning of an extended trek around and through Carlisle. The locals seemed too involved in their own lives to be amused by random back-packers striding through their city trying to navigate their way out!  I decided to follow my instinct...not a good idea when it comes to direction, as I can easily get lost in my own house! As fate would have it, we passed a bus stop (tempted briefly to succumb to the joys of public transport...but resisted) when we spotted a gentleman sitting on a bench avidly reading a map. We recognised Matthew (a computer scientist from New Brunswick, Canada) from our walk the previous day and from the next table at breakfast this morning. What delight! A fellow traveller also lost...but to our good fortune, an excellent map reader!

Matthew

Thus continued our journey together as far as possible out of Carlisle. When at last we were able to rejoin the trail we had a tremendous feeling of satisfaction and reassurance that we would not be defeated. The pathways took us through traditional English country lanes which were filled with the sounds of hedgerow birds; the sound was almost deafening. We passed-by several small rural hamlets meeting very few fellow walkers, although dog-walking was undoubtedly a prime pastime for many local inhabitants.

Cumbrian Countryside

Cumbrian Lane

We stopped in one small village, Beaumont, and sat on the steps near the lychgate of a beautiful Norman church and then proceeded towards the village of Burgh-by-Sands.

Norman Church

The ancient church in this village claimed to be the place where Edward 1 (of Braveheart fame) had died of dysentery whilst waiting to cross the Solway Firth in 1307. The king's body lay-in-state in the church before being buried in Westminster Abbey. The Church of St Michael's also contained remnants of Roman occupation.

Plaque at St. Michael's Church

Historical note: look at the photograph of the plaque which was on the side of the church wall. Fascinating.

Burgh-By-Sands: Marshes

The final part of today's walk was across the salt marshes. The marshes seemed to stretch for ever, but in the distance one could just see the estuary which leads to the Irish Sea...the end of our journey!
At Boustead Hill we parted company with Matthew as he continued on his journey. Good luck and thank you Matthew...I have so enjoyed your company today.

The Estuary

And tomorrow the sounds and smells of the sea await...

Day 8: Over to you Daisy...

Well what a commotion!  I was woken at some ridiculous hour to get ready for the day's walk  I was ignominiously placed in the back of a rucksack...and unlike my niece, I was strapped-in!  Well at least I would have a good view of the scenery and learn a little more about this Roman wall that I had been hearing so much about.

Setting off this morning

Viv and Richard arrived promptly and we all set out at quite a pace under a warm sky and a gentle breeze. The path initially took us across farmlands and open meadows. From what my companions were saying the nature of the agriculture was changing...there were new livestock breeds more suited to the lowlands of Cumbria and we even saw the beginnings of crop farming. At one section of Hadrian's Pathway we were walking for a fair distance on top of the unexcavated wall. The valum was still visible and there were sheep grazing peacefully and blissfully unaware of the wonderful history below their meadow,

At two junctions along the pathway  there were diversions due to the bank erosion which had taken place along the River Eden. Such awful flooding had taken place at Christmas time last year...many houses were still needing renovation and were uninhabited...the people my companions spoke with were quite resilient and optimistic for the future. What amazing strength under such conditions!

At times we lost Viv...but we knew where to find her! She was always nestling in the hedgerows picking the most scrumptious blackberries for our lunch. Such a treat! Richard was our new map reader for the day, and I envy him his sense of direction...as many of you know, my companion's sense of direction is not only poor, but dangerous at times - who knows where she could have landed up...

Viv collecting blackberries for lunch

As we were approaching Carlisle, the path took us more into small hamlets with village greens, neatly kept gardens, children playing and walkers  picnicking; such a pleasant Sunday morning! My companions didn't meet many fellow walkers today...two Canadian men walking in the opposite direction towards Wallsend and a few day walkers. We did stop at a farm for a drink...it is so lovely to see "honesty boxes" alive and well. Those extra treats along our walk make the day special.
Well, we arrived at Carlisle, having crossed over the M6 and were walking to our next B&B when Richard was stung by a wasp...such bad luck. But the wasp certainly did not survive! It was now time to say goodbye to Richard and Viviane as they needed to leave us and return to London. It was quite sad to see them go, and we were so grateful to have had their company and support for the last two days.  Safe journey home...

I'm not quite sure what was meant, but I overheard one companion say that she had discovered muscles she didn't even know existed! I'm now quite ready for a good night's sleep in a warm bed and I hope that I will not be awakened too abruptly tomorrow morning. I am so looking forward to seeing the Irish Sea on Tuesday, but I believe we have another long day ahead of us before that delight! Good night and sleep tight.  Dx

A long needed rest

Day 7: Eureka, she's arrived!

Today will be a short entry...Daisy has arrived in style courtesy of Jayne at Seven Spouts who kindly ensured her transport. Tonight we celebrate and Aunty Daisy is here to cheer us on during the final stages of our challenge.

We also had a wonderful surprise this morning as my son Richard and his lovely new wife Viviane travelled overnight on the sleeper train from London to walk with us for two days...what joy!

Today we will let our photographs speak for themselves. Our journey now is more straightforward as we approach Carlisle having left Northumberland and entered Cumbria this morning. It is interesting to see how the Hadrian's Wall Path is taking us across farmland and even through people's gardens. At one point today a group of intrepid English walkers jumped over a hedge when a small herd of bullocks approached us out of curiosity. The walkers soon realised that the bullocks were only curious and they soon stormed by. I wish this sight could have been captured on video as it was quite amusing to see grown men scared of a few young animals!

Please enjoy the photographs below. Two historical facts await tomorrow as we need to continue our celebrations this evening and nurse our tired limbs! Cheers, Daisy. Your turn to write tomorrow....

 

Day 6: A VERY challenging day

Maybe the Romans had more success than us in communicating! No mobile phone connections, wifi at a walking pace and the possibility of posting photographs tonight is negligible... but we will catch up.

Back to business. Torrential rain again through the night but the morning left the sun shining and blue skies, although the south east of England seems to have flooded again. Maybe the south east should borrow some of the splendid weather that we are having in the north. We wanted to share with you a photograph of Christine, the wonderful woman we met yesterday. She must have taken a liking to us as she added extra cake to our packed lunches.

Christine

For those of you who don't know how we are travelling we need to confess that Hadrian's Haul transports our luggage from one B and B to the next. Occasionally we have to walk a mile or more from the Wall to reach our B and B. If the distance is greater than  that, our wonderful company, Mickledore [cannot recommend them highly enough] provide a taxi to cover the distances between the Wall and the accommodation. This morning our taxi driver [I know all about his family but I don't know his name] was so interested in what we were trying to achieve that when we left the taxi he gave us a donation for Reuben Monareng School. This is undoubtedly a first...a taxi driver offering us money rather than taking it from us. What a wonderful gesture!

The walking today was hard. The wind was so strong at the top of some of the crags that it was difficult to stand up.

Even the sheep slept!

The rain from the night before had left the ground treacherously slippy and I must admit that I landed on my butt on one or two occasions! But undaunted, we strode onwards and upwards [ and occasionally downwards!]. Strong recommendation when attempting this type of walk:  poles are essential.

Health and Safety

The people we met today ranged from Lithuanians, Americans, our first group of French and one poor guy who, when I asked if he was a Yorkshireman, clearly and emphatically put me in my place by telling me he was from Durham and proud of it! The local allegiances in this part of the country remain strong.

Historical fact: Non Roman soldiers were called auxiliaries and were experts in their special trade. If they served the army for twenty five years they were granted Roman citizenship which was also bestowed upon their children and all future generations.

Rosie and I have been amazed by how each day of our journey has been entirely different. Today reminded me of walking as a child in the Berwyn Mountains, in mid Wales where my grandfather would teach my sister and I the names of the birds and trees around us; such happy memories. We wish to share with you two photographs of the surrounding countryside here in Northumberland which I hope will bear justice to the beauty of the landscape that we have been privileged to experience.

Countryside

Rugged countryside

Thank you for joining us on our journey. Today has been tough and I fully understand why Daisy went awol! Tomorrow is another day full of such wonderful surprises. Hope you can bear the suspense....

Day 5: A challenging day

An early rise to see the moors come to life. The mist hung low and our early morning venture took us high in to the hills so that we looked down onto the mist. It would have been wonderful to be able to capture the sounds and the smells as we walked through one of the many copses; the ground was full of dew, the sound of a cock crowing and the mew of a bird of prey accompanied by the bleat of a sheep in the distance added to the sense of isolation. We walked for over an hour without seeing another human being or habitable building.

Early morning dew

Solitude

As we progressed along the Wall we began to encounter day trippers as this is the most accessible and famous section of the Wall. On our walk we once again met people from across the globe: German, Dutch, several Americans and our first Italian as well as a Chinese man. Oh,  by the way, there are a smattering of Brits too!
                                                                           
Historical fact: We were intrigued to discover that the Wall, during its three hundred years as the northern edge of the Roman Empire, was occupied by soldiers from every country in the known world. Immigration Roman style!

Sycamore Gap

Lunch was at the top of the place known as Sycamore Gap. The views east and west were magnificent, the elevation was not to my liking although Rosie relished my apprehension at having to walk down a steep, steep, steep path. From our position we could see a " Roman legion of children in orange hats". We were amazed to discover that our would be legionnaires were in fact a Grade 6 class from the American International School, London [ACS]. What an incredible coincidence! They were being guided by a sterling group of young teachers. Joy! Clambering up the next rugged headland, the students soon overtook us as they headed back to their coach.

Students of ACS

We are truly being looked after and the sun is shining on us, as to date the weather has been glorious. We now look west and not east as we are more than halfway on this amazing journey. A sign reinforcing this was when Hadrian's Wall Path intersected with the Pennine Way [the backbone of England].

Pennine Way and Hadrian's Wall Intersection

Rosie and I have been so moved by the reaction to our challenge by the people we have met. Tonight, for example, when we were having supper at a local B and B, Christine [chef, manager and superhuman] came to our table and gave us a generous donation for the children of Reuben Monareng School. People's generosity never fails but to humble us.

Daisy has been sorely missed...delighted to tell you that Aunty Daisy will be arriving in the near future...can't wait. Join us again tomorrow evening when we will tell you more of our exploits.

Day 4: What a day!

What a day it has been! Please be patient and we will go through the events... the anticipated torrential rain finally arrived accompanied by a spectacular electrical storm [who needs fireworks?]. Our breakfast acquaintances did not disappoint - a wonderful American woman from the East Coast enlightened the rest of us about American politics!

Daisy, Rosie and I set out with great enthusiasm, although we knew that the going would be tough as the ground was sodden. Our first port of call was the Roman fort of Chester, beautifully preserved by English Heritage, but for the first time on our tour we had to bypass a gift shop... when will they ever learn?

We were back on the trail and we passed through a small hamlet which had been constructed in previous centuries utilising the stone from the Wall. It is fascinating to see how the centuries have benefitted from the amazing Roman structure. We soon got into open moorland. At this point Daisy got restless and unfortunately decided to deviate from our path [more detail to follow]. Having walked several miles over rough terrain we stopped to take photographs of what remained of a Roman turret with the vallum to the north of the Wall. The vallum added to the defences of the Roman Army in Britain.

Daisy had not kept pace with us and in our anxiety we decided to retrace our steps. Fellow walkers were most helpful and one or two had even spotted Daisy in the mouth of a golden retriever heading in the opposite direction! I am delighted to tell you that half the population of Northumberland, including wonderful foreign visitors, are now searching for her. In our despair we contacted Aunty Daisy who has decided to join us later on in our expedition. We are very disappointed with Daisy's behaviour, but it has given Rosie and I the opportunity to discuss topics that were off limits in her hearing.

Back to the expedition: as we are now in open moorland there are no more tea rooms or country pubs in which to seek refreshment. The first picture we are sharing with you is of Rosie having lunch sitting on part of the Roman turret.
                                                   

It is an amazing feeling to know that nearly two thousand years ago, Roman soldiers were marching on the very ground upon which we were walking and had left so much of their heritage for us to enjoy. If only modern day buildings were built to last like this. Another photograph we share with you is of a section of the excavated wall, and we could only marvel at the precision and uniformity of the stones which would be cut and carried by hand. We were fortunate to pass by part of the extended vallum where huge boulders were being prepared by the soldiers and cut, with such accuracy.

Today did not have the glorious sunshine which Rosie so loves, but we felt a cooling breeze and sensed the remoteness of the moorland. Our third photograph shows you the very point that was furthest north of the Roman Empire. Can you spot Scotland in the distance?

Historical note: One of the other delights on our journey today was visiting an excavated Roman temple, dedicated to the worship of Mithras. It was built by the soldiers stationed on the Wall. Temples were usually small [unless you are in Rome], confined spaces to represent the cave that was used for sacrificial rituals.

Supper tonight at an isolated B and B on the top of the moors brought us into an engaging conversation with fellow travellers who originated from California. We wish them well on their journey east. We were again enthralled to hear about American politics.

And finally... it is a sad evening to be without Daisy. We look forward to her speedy return and await the arrival of Aunty Daisy!

Day 3: Daisy's voice

At long last I am allowed a voice! I have had to put up with my two companions, Rosie and Lesley, talking endlessly ... If it isn't politics, it's education!

When we set out this morning the weather was hotter than anticipated. My companions packed rainwear as heavy showers were forecast. We're still waiting! First I need to tell you about my name: The Kilchenmann family donated a life size cow{Daisy} to the ISB. The wonderful students of the Aesch Campus voted to call her Daisy - I'm her ambassador! That said, I shall now get back to this adventure.

Today, for the first time, I have been allowed to speak with my fellow quadrupeds. Please see below...

This was such a delight as we found ourselves truly in the countryside. It was a steep climb this morning and fortunately I was able to hitch a ride on the back of a rucksack. Yet again, my companions met up firstly with a group of Canadians who found the English weather too hot, then an Aussie bestowing the virtues of British beer in a pub where walkers rested.

At lunchtime we continued to climb to the highest point in the region and drew ever closer to the Wall, on the open moors. When we got there I felt like the King of the castle!

Historical note: The base of the Wall was three metres wide. Seeing this in reality leaves one amazed at the engineering feat that was accomplished so very long ago. As Aurelius Victor said "...after driving out the enemy, he fortified Britian, as far as it was useful, with a wall led across the island to each end of the ocean".

This has been the most rigorous day of this challenge so far and I do hope you will all support Rosie and Lesley in what they are trying to do for the children of Reuben Monareng School. They may even  let me write to you again if I don't moo too loudly in the meantime.

Day 2: The Wall beckons!

Getting up bright and early, we opened the curtains to see the sun shining in a clear blue sky. We left our B & B around 9 a.m. knowing that we had more than 20km ahead of us. Everyone we spoke to yesterday evening joked about the steep path that lay ahead. Optimism high, filled with enthusiasm, but with a touch of trepidation, off we went.

Start of the day

We had a rigorous stroll along the banks of the River Tyne before heading due north to Heddon on the Wall. The warnings were justified! Heddon on the Wall is the most beautiful village hidden away from the rest of the world, except for the community and intrepid walkers. One of the other unexpected charms of this adventure is meeting fellow travellers from all across the globe, and in Heddon we met a delightful Dutch couple who not only spoke (as one might expect) perfect English, but had also embarked upon the walk carrying their own luggage - such admiration, although they were about forty years younger.

Daisy initiated some quite interesting questions and gave us the opportunity to talk of our challenge.

Something that disconcerted us was the fact that we were meeting so many people walking towards us and not in the same direction as us. What did they know that we didn't? We had the sun in our face, but they had the breeze at their backs.

Historical note: the Romans built sixteen forts along the Wall and in the second century it was manned by soldiers from Germany and Holland. The European Union was alive and well....

A kissing gate

The trail was peppered with stiles and what are commonly called kissing gates. Daisy was fascinated and slightly bruised after passing through so many. And finally for those of you who have an understanding of colloquial English, enjoy the photograph below.

Colloquial English

Day 1: Adventure Begins

Rosie, Daisy and I arrived in Newcastle yesterday afternoon. What a weekend to choose! The Great Northern Run was about to commence...the Red Arrows, Mo Farah and 57,000 other runners.
As the weather was glorious, we decided to tackle the first five miles of the walk last evening. Having successfully negotiated the Metro we arrived at Wallsend. This was overlooking the beautiful River Tyne and was our first taste of Roman history... an excavated fort.

Daisy over the excavated fort.

A little history note: Hadrian's Wall marks the furthest most northern point of the Roman Empire and was intended to retain the marauding tribes of the north i.e. The Scots! I think the "tables" might be turned today...

This morning took us along Hadrian's Way which followed the river, before we eventually head inland to the moorlands and the Wall.  As an aside, we have met wonderful people en route. Once we had decoded the accent, the humour and warmth of  Newcastle (Geordies) people shone through. One wonderful family was walking to raise funds for heart research following the tragic death of a beloved daughter. It was also a special moment to talk about the amazing children of Reuben Monareng who exude such joy and happiness, but have so little.

So looking forward to tomorrow...the sun is shining, Daisy and Rosie are such good company and no blisters...yet!

                                                           

Rosie and Daisy en route

Nearly ready to go

These boots were made for walking......not sure about the feet though!

Getting excited now.  Heading for Newcastle on Saturday.

The Reuben Monareng School

Reuben Monareng School is situated about 150 kilometres from Johannesburg. The School has approximately 800 students, educated in poor facilities, with an average class size of over 40 children. Many of the children are in single parent families or are orphaned, mainly due to HIV/AIDS. Government funds for the school are extremely small. There is very little money for basic resources, and certainly not enough for "luxuries" like reading books and dictionaries. In addition, the buildings and facilities are very poor.

The funds raised will enable the completion of the building project, initiated by the staff of ISB. The pictures below show the Reuben Monareng School and the children of the school.