Where to go..

Sometimes when I leave home to go and take photographs I don't actually have a destination in mind.

Although I suppose the high crags part of Hadrian's Wall doesn't cover that many miles, the way the land form is means the conditions can differ dramatically mile by mile.

As I head through Greenhead and up Glenwhelt Bank I always have a sense of anticipation. Of course I have favourite spots but it seems to me the list of favourites changes almost as much as the weather. At the moment it seems to be the area around Cawfields that draws me, and so it was when I last set out for a sunset.

This time I parked at Caw Gap and headed west along the Wall to the high point above Thorny Doors. NY724669

What I particularly like about this spot is the fact you have a good view east or west, because while the sun set to the west often, in the best pantomime traditionfind the best cloud colour is 'behind you'.

When I did this stretch of walk with the archaeologist I spoke of imagining the soldiers who built the Wall and on these lovely nights my imagination runs wild.

I'd thought the Wall had a finished height of 2 metres, but no it was actually 12 metres high, up on the ramparts it must have been like being on top of the world.

Oh, for a time machine - to view Hadrian's Wall as it was when new, golden stones catching the rays of the setting sun, soldiers on patrol, locals going about their business feeling protected.

It's amazing to touch the stones adding your 'layer' to all those other hands that have touched that same stone, down through 1800 years since it was first laid in place. As a little aside I was also told the Romans didn't have wheelbarrows, so that's a lot of stone to haul about manually.

I'm a romantic, I know but places do have an atmosphere and for me the atmosphere here at Cawfields is always a happy one.

Come see for yourself :)

Catch you later.

out with an expert

I was recently invited to walk on Hadrian's Wall with an archaeologist and, at the weekend, we met up at Cawfields.

We decided to walk east from Cawfields car park, along the Hadrian's Wall Path towards Steel Rigg, a great walk for amazing views in both directions.

Just out of Cawfields car park you come onto the Hadrian's Wall Path at Hole Gap, and there before you is Milecastle 42, it's not that long ago I found 3 'Roman soldiers' there enjoying a picnic lunch. They were part of a re-enactment group, and while some people might think it's a bit silly to get dressed up in costume I thought they were very brave.

Up onto Cawfield Crags, from here you can see the Vallum and Military Way, oft talked about but seldom seen in such a clear way.

As is normal it was windy up on the Wall and my companion told me it was considered unmanly for Romans to wear trousers, can't have been much fun for them with that wind whistling around their nether regions. No wonder one of the Vindolanda tablets record a young man begging his mother to send him more warm undergarments.

Up and down the dip that's called Thorney Doors and up again towards Caw Gap, looking back west from this high point you can see how the Wall winds its way to Walltown. It also gives an idea of how easy it would have been for soldiers manning the Forts and Milecastles along the way to signal each other.

From Caw Gap looking east you see the Wall climbing up over Bogle Hole and onto the Winshields Crag, at 1132 feet it's the highest point on the whin sill of Hadrian's Wall.

Views east from Winshields, are wonderful yet so often I see walkers, head down just striding out determined to cover as many miles as possible without actually taking in any of the landscape around them.

The Wall is covered with mosses and lichen, wild flowers grow in the shelter of the Wall and butterflies are drawn to the flowers. I prefer the tortoise approach, slow but steady, stopping now and again to enjoy nature.

It seems to me that the Hadrian's Wall Path is busier than ever this year so if you're just thinking about a trip here please book up now as I'm guessing many of the B&B's will be full if you leave it too long.

We came down to Steel Rigg and then walked back to Cawfields using the road and footpaths to the north of the Wall, giving us views of the crags and perhaps an appreciation of the skills of the builders of Hadrian's Wall. It also made it a circular walk which I prefer.

I really appreciated being out with an expert, lots of my questions answered, many of my romantic bubbles burst :) but it made me wonder if it was something an enterprising person could do, organise walks with various experts.

Durham University are doing various studies on the way people use Hadrian's Wall http://www.dur.ac.uk/roman.centre/hadrianswall/

Today's picture shows the view you get as you come down from Winshields to Steel Rigg.

Catch you later.