Hadrian's Wall Path - Day 4 (Tuesday 3rd May 2011) Bardon Mill to Wall - 15 miles

Awful night's sleep in the tent with the wind screeching through all night, luckily we're in a hotel tonight and then just one more night in the tent before home! We quickly pack up the tent and leave our bags for the sherpavan before heading to the tea room on site for breakfast butties! They do packed lunches too, so we get one each for today and set off walking at about half past nine.

We head back to where we left off yesterday and then up to Peel Crags and down to Sycamore Gap (famous for appearing in the Kevin Costner Robin Hood film!) It's a very pretty spot and we stop to take a few photos before heading back up the other side. Some other walkers call out to us to let us know there's a deer below near Crag Lough and we sit and watch it for a while before setting off again.

Sycamore Gap

Then it's up and down most of the way along the crags following the side of the wall. There's a short section of wall by Housestead's Crags where you're allowed to walk on the wall before heading through Knag burn gate which apparently is one of very few gateways on the wall.

It's a lot more overcast today and a bit cooler which is actually quite nice and we've been really lucky to avoid any rain at all! We pass Housesteads fort, again no time to stop for a look round! Then on past Sewingshields Crags and across lots of fields following the roman ditch before arriving at Brocolitia Roman fort, we stop and have a look at the Mithras temple before having a coffee at the little van in the visitor car park.

Mithras temple

We pass a lot of people walking in the opposite direction today and are pretty confused when we see the same people twice! It turns out a lot of people are just doing sections of the wall and getting the Hadrian's wall bus service(AD 122!) between them, we thought we were going mad!

From here we head to limestone corner which was the northernmost point of the roman empire! Then through fields running parallel with the road, back on the road past Chesters fort and into Chollerford. We're both feeling a bit tired so have a quick stop at the Riverside tearooms before walking the last mile or so up the hill to Wall.

We got a warm welcome at the Hadrian hotel, the sun had even come out so we got to sit in the lovely beer garden for a few drinks before going up to our huge room (it even had a bath which was great!) Then it was back down for tea, a few drinks and a packed lunch ordered for tomorrow, then to bed, very grateful to not be in the tent!