Starting from Once Brewed and heading East is a steep ascent that gets the heart pumping. At the top of this climb, we took a 20-minute rest. Dennis awoke unwell this morning, but insisted on continuing the walk. The climb up the hill exhausted him; the break allowed him to continue forward. He is such a trooper.
Today there was just a slight wind to our backs and, for the first time on this walk, I rolled up my sleeves–guess I am acclimatizing, because it was only in the low 60’s.
Milecastle 39 has only a north and south entrance, unlike many that have four gates. This section of the Wall (from Once Brewed to Housesteads and then to Vindolanda, where there is a Roman Fort and Museum) attracts many tourists, as evidenced in the picture on the right. Most people are day hikers without packs; there are many children and dogs. We saw a wide-eyed brother and sister walking with swords; the brother ready to defend the family from horse thieves . I guess he did not quite grasp the historical meaning of the wall.
Descending into Sycamore Gap (left) provides this unique view and is probably one of the most photographed gaps on Hadrian’s ‘Wall. Some of my movie-buff friends may recognize the tree from “Robin Hood, Prince of Wales” where a boy was rescued by Kevin Kostner.
Archeologists are waiting for the tree to die so they can excavate the gap, believing that will unearth a lot of artifacts.
The wall here is very wide (right). Dennis is six feet tall and, as he lies on the wall, the wall is much wider.
Shortly after this gap, we walked in a forest. Until then, I did not realize how much I missed the woods or how accustomed I had become to the open fields, sheep, and cattle. I found the trees very comforting.
Dennis and I love to talk with other hikers. Benn, now eleven, started hiking when he was five.He has hiked in the Lakes District, a mountainous region in Northwest England, and in the Alps. Today’s walk must have been a breeze for him.
He is a very talented guitarist and his grandfather, left, bought him several electronic guitars, including one from Eric Clapton.
Milecastle 37 is the only one to have a partially surviving arch. These gateways limited the height of goods coming into the fort.
Coming into Housesteads, there is an opportunity to walk on the wall; for a short distance, you can pretend to be a Roman guard walking the wall, looking down on the steep precipice to the valley below.