Hadrian's Wall Path - Annette Inglis

Annette Inglis is a 68-year-old retired speech-language pathologist with a passion for walking, travel, and the natural world. An enthusiastic Rambler, she belongs to two hiking groups and treasures the friendship, adventure, and sense of community that come from sharing the trail with others. A devoted wife, mother, and grandmother, she is also a lifelong learner who embraces curiosity, connection, and the simple pleasures that make life meaningful.

In 2023, I finished another hiking adventure with my real/soul/sole sister, this time on Hadrian’s Wall in northern England. The trail and wall run from Bowness-on-Solway to Wallsend, outside of Newcastle, a distance of 84 miles (135 km), although we actually walked 173 km over our 8½ days.

Hadrian’s Wall is an outstanding feat of human achievement. Built by the Roman army on the orders of the Roman Emperor Hadrian, the wall spanned 84 modern miles across the rugged terrain of northern England and was intended to serve as a defence against invaders from Scotland. Today, many remnants of the wall remain in some areas, and it has been named a World Heritage Site.

While the history is fascinating and ever-present on the walk, my reasons for choosing this route were that it is well signposted, straightforward, and frequently walked. It was to be my first solo adventure, but then my trusty walking companion and sister, Alison, was able to join me. We have had seven or eight walking holidays together, both in the UK and in Europe, and I cherish the times we have spent together (and look forward to more!).

The countryside was green and beautiful, with lots of vistas over ancient and windswept farms (with numerous cows and sheep) in some areas, but more rugged and rocky in others. Of course, that green countryside is due to the frequent and, at times, heavy rain!

We were lucky to have some beautiful sunshine for a number of days, but there were also some heavy rain days where gaiters, good waterproof boots, and rain ponchos were a must. The mud was amazing in some spots!

Magic moments are always a part of a long-distance walk. I remember watching a woman and her horses running in a field one misty morning. We were there before the iconic sycamore tree at Sycamore Gap was cut down by vandals, and we were so glad to have seen it.

Of course, the people you meet along the way are an interesting part of any walk. We admired the group of men and women who were walking in support of a charity for teen mental health. The grit and determination of one man in particular were amazing. He was waiting for a hip replacement, and it was evident that every step hurt; however, he had done every walk since the group began a number of years ago, and he was going to finish! We met people at each BnB from many parts of the world, all with interesting stories and information about other walks they had done.

The hosts and residents of the area were hospitable and helpful, and we loved hearing their accents, some of which were so strong that we strained to follow the conversation. Food was plentiful — a full English breakfast would likely sink you before the start of a day of walking — but English bacon is sure good!

The only area we didn’t enjoy was the final 9 or 10 km along the River Tyne, a river polluted in the days of Newcastle shipbuilding, lined with industrial buildings and little else. The upside was that we could say we finished the full 84 miles of the trail (and a few more!). If I could do this over again, I think I would build a rest day into the middle to give us time to see the many interesting historical sites, which could not easily be done in the time that we had.

Overall, it was a great experience, and I am so lucky to continue to share these adventures with my sister. Next stops: Wales and Guernsey!