A year on Hadrian's Wall Path National Trail - April 2012, Part 4

The first week in April began with a wide variety of weather: rain, wind, sleet, snow, ice and sunshine. It was a bright frosty morning when I undertook my first walk of the new month. There was still a great deal of snow in places on the Trail and in the Wall Vallum and Ditch. Over the course of the morning, the sun continued to shine against a brilliant blue sky.

Sun, gorse and snow - 05/04/2012.

By mid morning after a brisk walk and carrying out some routine tasks, it was getting quite warm again. Walking west, I was making good progress until I came to the path in Stanley Plantation.

The path was blocked in a few places with fallen branches. The wind and weight of the recent snow fall was obviously the cause. I managed to move the heavy branches and cleared the debris away to the side of the path. Further along the path a tree branch had fallen and jammed itself against a tree on the opposite side, forming an arch. I could not move it, so it was reported to Hadrian's Wall Heritage Limited for them to arrange the lengthsmen to come out and cut it down with a chainsaw.

The path in Stanley Plantation - 05/04/2012.

I reached The Errington Arms car park after about one and a half hours walking and picking litter etc. I met no other walkers on the easterly leg of the trip and I set off back to Heavenfield.

On the westerly leg, I cleared some brambles and vegetation that was starting to encroach onto the path. At times it was very quiet and all you could hear was the calls of various birds: pheasants, curlews and crows.

I had just crossed the Military Road at Errington Hill Head, when I met the first two walkers of the day. They were walking east and they would finish their days walking at Heddon on the Wall.

The sun was still shining brightly as I finished my walk, it had taken just under three hours to complete the six and a half mile round trip. The Trail continues to be in good condition as we move coser to the start of the 2012 walking season in May.

Snow in the Wall ditch, looking west - 05/04/2012.

The 2012 walking season is just around the corner and I continue to get out on the Tail weekly to ensure that all is well for the walkers and visitors to the iconic and historic monument. April showers is the best way to describe the weather! The Trail continues to get a small amount of walkers, it will soon get quite a pounding by hundreds of feet.

As well as walking on my section, I try to get out and visit other sites of interest in the Hadrian's Wall Corridor. Walkers and Visitors alike have some great places to visit and take in the wonderful scenery. The following photographs were taken on some of my visits.

Cawfields.

Milecastle 39 - Castle Nick.

Sycamore Gap.

April started with snow and it was to end with the typical April showers! The dry warm weather in March dried the Trail and stopped the normal muddy areas from forming. The rain of the last weeks have created waterlogged areas and mud that makes walking quite difficult. Walkers are now starting to get out onto the Trail in large numbers and this weather shows the pounding that it gets over the walking season.

Gate into Heavenfield - 23/04/2012.

During this walk of my section I met four walkers who were completing the full Trail. The first two I met had started on the Sunday of the London Marathon. They said they had also completed twenty six miles and were feeling the effects of this, on their second day of walking.

Trail looking east - 23/04/2012.

 There was the evidence of the heavy rainfall in many places along my section. In places the Wall ditch and Vallum were waterlogged. There are places that get full of water and remain so throughout the year but there were places that I have never seen been so before. As usual my main task for today was picking up litter, I also cut back the grass and vegetation growing at the base of the gates and stiles.

Flooded Vallum - 23/04/2012.

The new walking season will begin on the 1st May. The Trail on my section will be very wet and muddy in places. I am hoping for some drier weather and sunshine to get the Trail back into a reasonable condition for the walkers. Over the last four months it has been very quiet on the Trail, this will start to change as the new passport season starts.

The AD 122 bus service is in operation again and the walkers and visitors will come to the area. It will be another busy season for all of those people involved with Hadrian's Wall Country.

A year on Hadrian's Wall Path National Trail - March 2012, Part 3

Another month of 2012 has passed and we move ever closer to another walking season on the popular Trail. The weather continues to be warm and the frosts of February seem to be a distant memory. We need to remember that it is only early March, as I get out on my section once again for my weekly walk.

Looking west towards Heavenfield - 02/03/2012.

As always you never know what the weather will turn out actually to be and looking at the sky I thought I would get away without putting on waterproof over trousers. It was not to be, as after about ten minutes of walking, a fine drizzle of rain started and full waterproofs were needed. The rain soon passed over to the south and for the rest of the morning, the sky was bright with some sunny intervals.

The ground was quite dry for this time of year, although the usual places were muddy, it was easy walking. On the way east, I noticed some wind blown litter on the south slope of the Wall ditch, the ditch continues to be waterlogged in places for most of the year. I left the litter to collect on my return journey, after thinking how to keep my feet dry whilst getting to the litter.

Passing the site of Milecastle 24, I came across the site of an accident that happened in the last week of February. The stones from the roadside wall were strewn over a wide area. The Military Road claiming another one to add to its statistics.

Accident site beside the Military Road - 02/03/2012.

I made very good progress and reached The Errington Arms just before 10.00 am. Just before doing so I met four walkers doing the full trail. They were planning to try and reach Housesteads before going to their camp site. They soon disappeared and I continued with litter picking and checking stiles and gates, as I returned back to Heavenfield.

As I passed St. Oswald's Tea Room, the four walkers I had met earlier were sitting outside having a well deserved drink. Having just opened for this year, the Tea Room will see a great deal of the Trail walkers, locals and visitors to the area.

The Trail close to St. Oswald's Tea Room - 02/03/2012.

My second walk of the section began early and I was unsure whether I would be able to get onto the Military Road because of the road resurfacing work that had started earlier in the week. The cones and barriers at the Stagshaw roundabout had been removed so a diversion was not needed!

Beside the Military Road looking east - 09/03/2012.

The path had dried out in places since my walk of last week and it was a warm but overcast day. By mid morning dark clouds were forming in the north and west. A  westerly wind blew in and this would mean walking directly into it on my return journey from The Errington Arms.

View of Vallum approaching Stanley Planation - 09/03/2012.

No other walkers were out on the section today as I completed the six and a half mile walk in just under three hours. Again, I had to get into the Wall ditch and onto the slopes to get to bottles and aluminium cans. I am never surprised at what is left or dumped - today I had to retrieve a four foot long piece of plastic curtain track out of the vegetation beside St. Oswald's Hill Head Farm.

The Trail although still waterlogged in places, is in good condition for the time of year. If the warmer weather continues, there will be the need to get going on cutting back vegetation and brambles to keep the path clear.

Walking west in Stanley Plantation - 09/03/2012.

A bright crisp morning saw me start my third walk of my section in March. It turned out to be the quickest walk of the six and a half miles in 2012. I completed the round trip from Heavenfield to The Errington Arms in under three hours. The main reason for this was less mole activity and the Wall ditch being free from litter.

View of Trail looking west towards Heavenfield - 19/03/2012.

There was no need for waterproofs today and the Trail was relatively dry - less muddy clothes and no need to scrape the mud off my walking boots. The recent spell of warm weather is making the vegetation start to grow quicker and patches of colour are starting to appear. In particular the gorse bushes are coming into flower.

Gorse bushes beside the Wall ditch - 19/03/2012.

My tasks for the day ended up as: cutting back the brambles in Stanley Plantation, brushing mud off the stile steps and picking up a small amount off litter mainly in the wooded area of Stanley Plantation. During my walk I met three people, one walking their dogs and two walkers completing the whole Trail. The two walkers were walking east and they were into the last quarter of their expedition.

The year marches on, the Trail continues to be in good condition and the new season will nearly be upon us. The AD122 Bus Service will be starting in April and the popular sites along the National Trail will be gearing up for the influx of walkers and visitors.

Stile on the Trail near to The Errington Arms - 19/03/2012.

 My tasks for the day ended up as: cutting back the brambles in Stanley Plantation, brushing mud off the stile steps and picking up a small amount off litter mainly in the wooded area of Stanley Plantation. During my walk I met three people, one walking their dogs and two walkers completing the whole Trail. The two walkers were walking east and they were into the last quarter of their expedition.

The year marches on, the Trail continues to be in good condition and the new season will nearly be upon us. The AD122 Bus Service will be starting in April and the popular sites along the National Trail will be gearing up for the influx of walkers and visitors.


The sunny and warm weather continued to the end of the month and my last walk of the section in March began with a dark sky at Heavenfield. It was not to last long and the sun came through and dried the early morning dew from the Trail. The 2012 walking season is nearly on us and for the first months of the year, I have been the only walker on my section. Today I met six walkers and saw many more as I returned home in my car.

Gate on the Trail near to St. Oswald's Hill Head Farm - 30/03/2012.

The lack of rain  over the last month has allowed the Trail to dry out and it is looking in good condition and ready for the first of May. The mole activity has almost stopped but litter in the Wall ditch continues to be a major task to clear when out walking. In Stanley Plantation, work has been carried out on the path by Hadrian's Wall Heritage Limited. Wood chippings has been spread out at various points.

Work on path in Stanley Plantation - 30/03/2012.

Nearing Portgate, I walked through a field with sheep and their lambs, it is the first sighting for me this year and I managed to get close enough to get a photograph whilst the ewe and three lambs were grazing.  With the weather forecast being for temperatures at least ten degrees cooler for the start of April, I am looking forward to taking many more pictures whilst on my weekly visits to the Trail. 

New lambs near to Portgate - 30/03/2012

NEWS: The Hadrian's Wall Country Bus service AD122 - which allows local people and visitors alike to get out and about in Hadrian's Wall Country - begins again on Good Friday 6th April and runs through to Sunday 28th October.

The timetable can be downloaded using this link: http://www.hadrians-wall.org/page.aspx/Interactive-Map/Hadrian%27s-Wall-Country-Bus