Hadrian's Wall Path National Trail - The New Season 2011

The new season started for Hadrian's Wall Path National Trail on the 1st May. It will bring an influx of walkers and tourists to our area.

During last season more than 10,000 walkers used the Trail. With this many feet on the Trail, maintenance and monitoring is an ongoing task to keep it in its best condition. The season ends in October but work and monitoring continues throughout the Winter months.

Sycamore Gap.

 

 

 

 

For the first time walker or visitor, they will experience some stunning scenery and come close up to the structures and archaeology on the World Heritage Site.

Milecastle 39 - Castle Nick.

With such a good spell of weather recently, and not being interested in the 'wedding', I decided to check on my section of the Trail before the first day of the season.

My main reason for visiting the Trail was to ensure all was well and to cut back any vegetation around the gates and stiles. After parking the car, I climbed over the first stile at The Errington Arms Stagshaw and set off for the three and a half mile walk to Heavenfield.

The first thing I noticed was that the Trail had recently been mown, and how green it was looking. The warm weather has certainly been good for weeds and nettles, short walks between stiles and gates led to some hard work clearing the vegetation at these points.

Earlier walks had led me to report on a large amount of waterlogged areas, these areas have now dried up and in some places the ground was actually cracking. As usual there was a small amount of litter to pick up from out of the Vallum and Wall ditch.

On my last walk in early April I met no walkers, this walk saw me talk to seven full trail walkers and six day walkers. For the one of the full trail walkers talked to travelling east, he was to tell me it was only his third day on the Trail. At the point I met him, he was about 25 miles from the finish. He did comment that "his knees were starting to feel it!" For most walkers I talk to at this point it is their fifth day, so he had really made good time.

I reached Heavenfield about lunch time and after a short rest set off back to Stagshaw. Having completed the work on the outward leg, it was a leisurely stroll back in the sunshine. It was a very clear day and the views to the North and South were magnificent and the lambs were lying down in the warm sunshine.

After the harsh winter and wet weather, the Trail on my section was looking excellent. I had no problem areas to report back to Hadrian's Wall Heritage Limited about. I am looking forward to another season as a Hadrian's Wall Volunteer Ranger and shall be out on the Trail in the not to distant future.