And so the long slog along the Military Road begins.
The Military Road; built on General Wade's orders to greater facilitate the movement of troops from Newcastle to Carlisle - slap bang on top of the Wall! :-0
(On this stretch anyway).
BUT they missed a bit, and my day starts with a visit to this stretch at Heddon on the Wall, the first I've seen since Wallsend and the only sight I'll get until near Chollerford, a 15 mile slog to the west.
And onwards and onwards and onwards, ever onwards upstream until the river narrows and greenery replaces the urban sprawl.
A 16.5 mile prologue to the main event tomorrow: following the route of Hadrian's Wall itself (even though they built a road on top of it a couple of hundred years ago. Bloody Hanoverians)
The walk itself takes you along the post-
industrial Tyne corridor past some slightly dodgy areas where PJ and Duncan are revered as deities.
Eventually, the famous bridges come into view and you pass through the heart of Newcastle; an urban riverside walk with plenty of city sights and sounds.
The Bike Hub on the quayside does an impressive bacon sandwich, btw!
The day began unexpectedly murky; fine droplets hanging in the air. Not quite rain, but enough to require a light fleece.
To start with, a repeat of yesterday's visit to Segedunum, but this time to start the walk proper!
This is the beginning/end of Hadrian's Wall; remains of the spur that closed off the gap between the fort and the river. So here I sit, in an anonymous motel room in Wallsend, the riveting spectacle of Colombia v Greece my only company.
It is the eve of my walk, and all that stands between me and Bowness on Solway is the 84 miles of the Hadrian's Wall path and the Pennines: A daunting prospect, but less worrying to me than the thought of having to walk through a couple of rough areas of Newcastle tomorrow for the first couple of miles. I hope the natives aren't hostile; I can't speak the language and do not wish to offend their gods.
To pass the time this afternoon, before my OH drove home, we walked down to the start point of the route, the Roman fort and museum of Segedunum. Here are some photos:
First photo is a view over the excavated Segedunum site taken from the impressive viewing tower.
The second is me showing off my first Hadrian's Wall Walk Passport stamp.
Sweet holy flipping hell! One week to go before my epic pilgrimage begins.
The boots are worn in, the legs are ready, the waterproofs have been...er...waterproofed.
Now all that remains to do is walk. And walk. And walk: For Brain Tumour Research, for friends who never made it this far, for my own selfish need to achieve something to show for my half century of existence.
Will the Geordies allow me through their demesne unmolested? One week from now, I'll know...
/...To be continued!
Nothing can dispel the numbing melancholy of a disappointing civic water feature. How exciting it must be for town planners, architects and councillors; to study the latest "artist's impression" of the latest town plaza design; what fun, to recreate continental cafe culture in dull, provincial England.
