Bright light through the fog on Hadrian's Wall

Woke up yesterday to a beautiful morning, just a light frost with a clear blue sky.
As soon as I was able, I got my camera and headed off to Hadrian's Wall, there's a certain point on the road out of Gilsland where Walltown Crags appear much closer than they actually are, don't know why but they do, anyway yesterday I could see some mist swirling about the tops of the Nicks.

Could be interesting conditions, a couple of years ago I was out in similar conditions and took a photograph that won me a DSLR.

Yesterday the interesting mist turned into thick fog, I called into Cawfields Quarry just in case something inrteresting developed but no, fog it was, just two people appearing alongside the Wall like ghostly centurians of long ago.

Mist at Cawfields

Reluctant to go home I set off to visit the good folk at Saughy Rigg Farm, one of  the Hadrian's Wall B and B's, beautifully situated for visiting the best bits of the Wall.
 
Brad was in the middle of extensive refurbishment works so I didn't stay long but headed down to the Northumberland National Parks Authority Visitor Centre at Once Brewed. 
The best place ever for information on Hadrian's Wall!
It only opens at the weekend during the winter months and Pam was on duty yesterday, I hoped she might have some leaflets about the Illuminating Hadrian's Wall event, I keep meeting people walking along the Wall who have heard nothing about this event.
I thought I'd have a few leaflets in my bag to hand out to people who express an interest in the night of lights.
Guess what, there are no leaflets it seems all the information is online.

Had a word with Peter, he was one of the NNPA Wardens and has recently retired, he told me the fog only started at Housesteads and that the local hunt was meeting at Limestone Corner. I set off east, saw the hunt gathering through the fog which had obviously moved east since Peter travelled the road and decided that I should just give up on photographs and head home.

As I drew level with Winshields Farm Campsite (tel 01434 344 243) I noticed a chink of blue appearing through the fog.

I turned up towards Caw Gap and then headed up the Hadrian's Wall Path towards Cawfields. This is one of my favourite stretches of Wall, the views are lovely yet it still has that feeling of bleakness.

Cawfield Crags

Cawfield Crags looking towards Walltown

The sun broke through, catching the stones of Hadrian's Wall and the mosses and lichens that grow on it.
(My challenge this year is to photograph the various plants growing on and near the Wall)

Cawfield Crags above Thorney Doors

I took some shots, including a group of four walkers, enjoying the fresh air and not at all put off by the varied weather conditions.

A walk on Cawfield Crags

After ten minutes the sun disappeared and the fog returned, never mind I had a couple of photographs to share with you and I went off home happy that my excursion had been fruitful.
It's almost a year since I started this blog and I'd like to thank those few who have followed my ramblings from the beginning.

Catch you later,

Joan

The High Point

I've been treating myself to one of those fancy 'flashing light' spirit levels for my camera, so needing to give it a try out I headed off to Winshields Crag (NY742675)
It's the highest point on Hadrian's Wall and the views are spectacular in every direction.
You park in the Steel Rigg car park, and as it's still the main holiday season the car park was full with the overspill field in use.

(By the way I should mention, the car parking charge is £3 a day but you can go from Walltown to Housesteads and points in between on that one pass -BUT if you're coming for a week get the £8 pass from the Once Brewed Visitor Centre it's much better value)
Back to Winshields, head back out of the car park, turn right over the wall stile and head up the field.

I've noticed there are loads of butterflies warming themselves on the stones of Hadrian's Wall and plenty of wild flowers for nectar, on Thursday there were also masses of black flying insects!

A couple of gates to go through on your journey up hill, please do remember to close the gates behind you and latch them properly, the Wall is single skin for a part of the way up although the foundations of the wider Wall are visible.

Eventually you reach a good solid chunk of Hadrian's Wall and just beyond that is the white (well decidedly off white at the moment) trig point. I believe with all the new technology these trig points are now obsolete but it would be a shame if they weren't there.

Had a chat with one of the NNPA Rangers who was doing a survey to see what jobs needed doing over the coming months. It's easy to think the Hadrian's Wall Path takes care of itself but it would be a very different place if it weren't for the work of the Northumbria National Parks Authority and their team.

I love the view east back down the line of the Hadrian's Wall Path, especially using a zoom lens to exagerate the bumps and curves of the land. I stood around for a while waiting for some light, patience is a virtue, and had a chat with the farmer who came up the easy way, on his quad bike.

Then the light came and I spent the next ten minutes running back and forward to try and capture my shots.

There's a new Cafe at the Winshields Farm Camp site, the farmer had recommended the home made scones with blackcurrant jam, so I felt obliged to do some research on your behalf.

I have to report the coffee, scones and welcome were excellent.

Took ages to clone out all the insects and the spirit level worked a treat.
Catch you later.

Greenlee Lough

In March I blogged about my trip to Greenlee Lough, at that time the NNPA was constructing a boardwalk and I promised to get back to you once that was finished.

I went out there on Wednesday eagerly anticipating a gentle stroll from the road to the Lough

Ha! Gentle stroll, in my dreams.

Once you've gone through the smart new gate you have to work your way across uneven terrain, roughly following a line of telegraph poles.

As yet there are no way markers, those helpful little yellow arrows to keep us on the straight and narrow, and because this isn't one of the more popular walks the route isn't terrible obvious.

Highland cows and Jacob's sheep graze the early part of the walk then you pass through damp meadowland full of butterflies. I was delighted to see a lot of the coloured ones, in our garden at home we seem to be getting just the white ones.

The track takes you up to a small wood, private and no access allowed so follow the wall along until you spy a bright new pole that marks the start of the boardwalk.

Michael and the NNPA team are to be congratulated, they have made a splendid job of the boardwalk and it's blending into the surroundings very well. Once you're on that you can make good time, passing through areas of cotton grass, Millet grass and countless species of wild flower - stunning on a nice day.

7 mute swans on Greenlee Lough but it's not easy to see anything else as access to the waterside is limited to the hide, which the birds seem to take delight in going no where near.

I took the old route up the hill back to the car which I thought I'd parked carefully. Certainly not blocking anybodies access and miles from anywhere but I got back to find a polite note asking me not to stop there again.

So bear in mind there's no parking anywhere near the Lough. The official walk starts at Steel Rigg, covers 7.5miles and is rated as strenuous.

After I'd done the walk I went into the Once Brewed Tourist Office and discovered they have a new leaflet that explains all of this, so make that your first port of call.

Catch you later.

28th March 2009

It's been a funny old day, a real mix of weather but all with a cold wind.

Went out to the Once Brewed Visitor Centre, they're gearing up for the new season and will be open all week from the 1st of April, it's a great centre with such helpful staff make sure and call in, say I sent you :)

On the way home I called into Walltown, had a walk around the Quarry lake but it was a biting cold wind, I was looking for toad spawn, loads of frog spawn in the lake but nothing from the toads.
Stopped at the Olde Forge Tea Room in Greenhead for a warming cup of coffee and a cheese scone, it's been completely refurbished and is bright and shiny - food is good too.

This evening the wind dropped and it looked as though there might be a sunset of sorts. There's a pull in at Banks with a lovely tree and I've been trying to catch the sun setting behind it. I never seem to time it right and again the sun was too far to the right.

There are great bits of Roman Wall between Birdoswald and Banks but they're really difficult to make a 'good' photograph of. The road runs alongside the Wall remains and on the other side there are fences and no amount of great light helps.

I came back along to Birdoswald and wandered around the back of the Fort, there's a museum and tea room and while I have tried the tea room I have never been in the museum, something I shall have to put right this season.

Michael's lambs were full of beans running and jumping, they'd probably been huddled up against the Wall all day trying to keep out of the wind. They are so cute when they charge around in little gangs having a great time.
My sunset shots were nothing special so I'm leaving you a picture of the lambs on the outer wall of the Fort.
Catch you later.