Hadrian's Wall Path (pre the walk)

Hadrian's Wall Path with Bourne Coffee Company (pre the walk) 

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After doing the West Highland Way last year, Anne and David mentioned that we should do it all again,so I looked into us doing another couple of walks.  The Hadrian's Wall Path and The Great Glen Way looked a couple of good possibilities.

Last Christmas a couple of my present's included a map and a book on the Hadrian's Wall Path and a map of the Great Glen Way.  With these I started to look into us doing both walks a little deeper.  Both appealed as they could be done within the same time frame we had used last year.  Looking at the Hadrian's Wall Path, I thought about using the official National Trail Guide which is 84 miles.  They are other versions, some start/end at South Shields, some start/end at Carlisle.  I decided that we would just stick with the National Trail Guide, which started in Wallsend and ended in Bowness-on-Solway, however we would do it the other way round, Bowness-on-Solway to Wallsend, as this would mean we would be walking homeward.

The Great Glen Way is 79 miles, I had covered a good 25 miles of this route when I completed the Cape Wrath Trail a few years ago.  The Great Glen Way runs from Fort William to Inverness.  When I looked into this walk I decided we would start at Fort William and end in Inverness.  However to do this walk we would need to includ nearly a days travel to Fort William, with another days travel to return home from Inverness at the end.

Although Anne and David said they would like to do the Great Glen Way, we became tied to timings as David and Susan could not travel up to our home until the Sunday.  They also had arrangements and had to travel back on the following Friday so we only had the fours day.

Already the plan's had slipped so the only option we had to complete one of the walks was the Hadrian's Wall Path.

Hadrian’s Wall Path 84 miles.

                             

Pre the Walk Confirm Susan happy to drive? Discuss agree the use of the car, will we need one or two? Will Janice, David do the walk?  If so we will need two cars. Will anyone else, George etc come along?

Day 1.  Sunday Drive to Bowness-on Solway Walk Bowness-on-Solway to Carlisle 14.7 miles Accommodation Dandy Dinmont Caravan and Camping Park, Blackford, CA6 4EA Tel:  01228 674611 E-mail:  dandydinmont@btopenworld.com Bleatarn Farm, Irthington CA6 4ND  (We may need to be a member of the camping club) Tel:  07795 490579 E-mail:  bleatarncampsite@hotmail.com Food Loads of places in Carlisle

Day 2.  Monday Carlisle to Greenhead 20.8 miles Running total 35.5 miles. Accommodation Holmhead Guest House CA8 7HY. Camp or use camping barn.  We have used it before, very good.  We may have to use the tent in the garden as the luxury barn has a double mattress and a single mattress.   It is also right on the walk.  Mr and Mrs Clark 016977 47402 holmhead@forestbarn.com Food Greenhead Hotel again very good, stopped here a few times, even had a meal here with David following the Three Peaks.

Day 3.  Tuesday Greenhead to Chollerford 18.6 miles Running  total 54.1 miles. Accommodation Riverside Leisure, Tyne Green, Hexham NE46 3RY Tel: 01434 604705 E-mail: riverside.leisure.hexham@unicombox.co.uk Fallowfield Dene Campsite, NE46 4RP Tel: 01434 603553 Food Loads of places in Hexham

Day 4.  Wednesday Chollerford to Heddon- on-the-Wall 15.2 miles Running total 69.3 miles Accommodation Belvedere Campsite (may not be there) NE15 0QD.  Pat Carr Tel: 01661 853689 E-mail: pat.carr@btinternet.com A website shows people sometimes stay at a local farm. If we are pushed we could come home. Food 3 Tuns Robin Hood pub

Day 5.  Thursday Heddon-on-the-Wall to Wallsend 14.9 miles Running total 84.2 miles.

Post the walk Walk from Wallsend to home.

EXTRA You can obtain a passport and get it stamped at 6 stamping points.

OPTION Instead of staying at a different place each night we could try and book two places i.e. the Holmhead Guest House Greenhead, for the first two nights.  The campsite at Heddon-on-the-Wall for the second two nights (if we need it). Walk from Bowness as far as we can get then start from the place we stop day one, on the second day, and so on. This may be a good option, especially good if Janice, David or George decide come along.  Again it all hinges on whether Susan is happy to drive.

Again this was the plan, and as I said it had already slipped so we would just wait and see what happens?

On our way to Bowness-on-Solway we passed Greenhead, a place I had previously stopped at on The Pennine Way.  So we asked if we could camp there with the idea we would stay there a couple of nights.  Which is what we did.

More to follow

Boz North
To see the actual walk follow links below.
Day 1 Bowness to Carslile
Day 2 Carslile to Greenhead
Day 3 Greenhead to Wall
Day 4 Wall to Wallsend
(Information on Bourne Coffee Company can be found on their official website)