Adventures in Roman Britain

Just touching base to let you know how things are going here in “merry olde England”. As you know, it’s been raining here – a lot! The bad news is that there are certain tricks to walking in rainy conditions that I have never had a reason to learn. As a result, on my first day of walking I wound up walking about 10 miles in boots full of water. I had no idea that when you are walking in the rain, once your pants get soaked they stick to your skin and act like a funnel, sending gallons of water down your legs and into your boots. The worse news is that soggy socks are a guaranteed way to blister your feet, and I was, sadly, no exception to this rule.

Because of being hobbled by large blisters on four toes and various other parts of both feet, I’ve had to fall back and regroup, altering my plans without throwing in the towel altogether. In an odd sort of way, blistering my feet has proven to be a blessing in disguise. What I have learned since getting here is that had I walked the entire length of the Hadrian’s Wall Path, I would not have had time to take in any museums, forts, or other attractions. What’s more, much of the path no longer has any remnants of the Wall left to view, so much of the “thrill” of walking along an ancient Roman wall is lost because the stones for the wall were stolen by locals and used to build homes, churches, and other military structures. Most of this has happened fairly recently, just within in the last few hundred years.

Sections of the Wall are in amazing condition, however, and the fort at Vindolanda was nothing short of spectacular. Not only are the ruins extensive there, but the site has ongoing digs in progress that are turning up new artifacts every day.

The countryside in northern England is also quite striking in ways that are both similar and different from Wales. There is a harsh beauty here, stark and rustic, with spots of lush vegetation like oases in a muted green desert. And the wind – it blows constantly, but not steadily. It surges and ebbs, then changes direction slightly as if it were alive. I can see why people love it here, why they set down deep roots and stay for generations. The lands near the coast are less demanding, but near Steel Rigg the rounded hills are punctuated with outcroppings of stone and ragged cliffs, and the Wall goes over them all no matter how gradual or steep the incline.

I’ve been blessed to have met some wonderful people. M.J. at the Centurion Inn in Walton was a hoot – she has tons of attitude, but she is also dedicated to running a tight ship, providing top-notch service. I’ve also gotten acquainted with several of the drivers of the AD 122 bus line that runs along Hadrian’s Wall. Everywhere I go there is a “small town” feel and people are happy to help, providing tips and information that no marketing brochure would ever include.

I’m hoping that things keep getting better here, weather-wise. We’ve had a couple of mostly dry days, and I’ve still got more sections of the Wall that I want to walk, toes permitting.

More later… 

B