The guidebooks suggest that this day and the next are the best days, and today did not disappoint. There was plenty of wall, even more ditch, some fun with cows, and some great views but you have to work for it. This is the day you start to feel you are walking along Hadrian’s Wall.
There was more. We passed both Carrawburgh and Housesteads Forts. There’s not a lot to see at Carrawburgh and we chose not to go into Housesteads because it was crowded and we were immediately missing the solitude we’d enjoyed. There were also some turrets with good information signs and milecastles. One of the more fascinating things we saw was the remains of an ancient temple to Mithras, a Roman god.
Another highlight was seeing the shoots sprouting out of Sycamore Gap’s stump.
Another highlight was the previous night’s B&B and Humshaugh, and as that was the start of the day, I’ll describe the rest chronologically.
Linden House’s “breakfast room” was very grand. We enjoyed freshly laid eggs in our breakfast! It really was a beautiful place to stay, and the whole village had a great vibe that reminded us of the Cotswolds.The weather forecaster that was perched outside our window suggested a misty start but we were hopeful of it clearing later. We had breakfast with another hiker going eastwards and it sounded like today was going to be a tough day.Humshaugh has its own little grocery store, staffed by local volunteers, so we were able to stock up for the day.Once we were back on the HWP trail, there was no sign of the wall but plenty of the ditch. I suppose Hadrian’s Ditch didn’t catch on.Cows were out in force.A small herd allowed us to pass along the path. They appeared to be male but were calm and tame.After a while, we noticed the signs showing that we were in the national park.We reached the northern most point of the wall, and the Roman Empire, but the mist was still pretty thick so there wasn’t much of a view.In some spots, there was a natural ditch!When there was a matrix of paths, we spotted the little white acorn beckoning us through the fog. We heard some shrieking in the fog and imagined the Romans hearing Barbarians attacking. However, these BaaBaarians were not attacking anyone! 😎Thankful for the pavers through the mud.Is the mist clearing?A post-Roman drystone wall shows evidence that rocks were taken from the wall.This cow was guarding a turret, and wasn’t keen on me taking her photo!This turret was out of the wind so it was a perfect place for a snack.That is where we are going! Much of this wall was drystone wall, not Roman, but it followed the ridge up and down, as we did.I’m glad the newer signs are in place. Once again, we have to go up there!When Crag Lough comes into view, it’s a sign you are close to today’s end, but there is still plenty of climbing. Yes, you do walk along the top of that cliff!There is so much wall around here that Milecastle 39 just gets a small wooden sign.It was a great day for the wall and the views after the mist burned off.A steep descent to a turret, but more importantly, that is Twice Brewed in the distance so we are close to the end of our 14 mile day.Done for the day!Note how the pub’s logo includes the sycamore from The Gap.Each room in the pub also has a Roman name. We will have to be dutiful! A fine Cumberland Sausage and Steak and Ale pie for dinner.
Even though this pub has over 20 guest rooms, it is full tonight. We saw many pieces of luggage when we arrived, having been dropped off by Hadrian’s Haul. There is nowhere near here to stay close to the wall, so most hikers probably stay here, both eastward and westward bound. We gave up counting the number of hikers we passed today when it got crowded at Housesteads.
It was another day that was longer than we like, but the views were great and the history brings an extra perspective. The crowds at Housesteads were a bit of a shock and we were happy to keep moving, enjoying our lunch on a rock about a mile further. Tomorrow is shorter with even more wall, but it looks like there will be plenty of ups and downs. I’m sure the feet and legs will be ready in the morning after a good night’s sleep.
This blog post is linked to from my Hadrian’s Wall Path page, where you can find the accounts of the other days in this adventure.
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"Cajunlimeys" combines Lousiana (Janet) and England (Peter). For "limeys," check out scurvy in the English navy.
We love adventures and use blogging to write a photo diary to preserve our memories. Some crazy friends enjoy following us and my notes might help others plan.
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2 thoughts on “HWP Day 4: Chollerford / Humshaugh to Twice Brewed”
The Adventures of the Cajunlimeys 
This is so interesting. A lot th
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who would have thought there was so much Roman history in England. Vini, Vidi, Vici!!
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