A year on Hadrian's Wall Path National Trail - September 2012, part 9

Only two months left for the 2012 walking season on Hadrian's Wall Path National Trail. After the weekend of the Connecting Light art installation, I was out early on my section. A good weather forecast for all week will be welcome for all of the walkers out and about.

Errington Hill Head, half way point on my section - 03/09/2012.

The wettest Summer on record has made for miserable walking on the World Heritage Site. It was good to see walkers dressed in T shirts and shorts. Over the last few months the norm was full waterproofs! I even left them behind in my car, as I started my walk in brilliant sunshine with the temperature expected to reach 23 degrees later in the day.

Near to Heavenfield - 03/09/2012.

The wet warm weather has kept the Trail still green and in good condition. Normally at this time of year, it is showing signs of wear with the thousands of walkers completing the Trail.

I met eighteen walkers today and as usual they are impressed with the way the Trail is managed and signposted. During my walk of the section I cut back grass, nettles and brambles. I also had a large amount of litter to pick up. One area had to be reported as water from a blocked drain has collected and walkers have turned the path into a large muddy patch.

Problem area to be reported - 03/09/2012.

The sunny weather was not to last for my second visit , the sky was black and threatened rain. I started my work for the day at The Errington Arms car park picking up litter and cutting back the vegetation around the stile. As I was carrying out the work the rain came and I completed the work and set off to Heavenfield.

The dark clouds were moving in a north easterly direction and as I drove west the rain stopped. I was lucky to do the whole six and a half mile walk of the section without any more rain.

At The Errington Arms - 10/09/2012.

Litter on the Trail continues to be a problem on this section, especially where it is close to the Military Road. My litter bag was half full when I reached The Errington Arms car park again! Today the most common item to pick up was aluminium drink cans.

The sun of last week had certainly dried out some of the muddy areas and the Trail in Stanley Plantation is also improving after the washout out of the Summer.

 

Looking west - 10/09/2012.

I started my day at about eight oclock and it was about an hour and a half later when I met the first two walkers heading west. I was to meet a group of five walkers and one other walker as I returned to Heavenfield. The single walker was American and we had a good chat about the work that we do on the Trail. He was completing the full walk and I was the only Hadrian's Wall Path National Trail Volunteer Ranger that he had seen, so far on his journey.

Although the rain did not come, the cattle and sheep must have been expecting it to come, as they were lying down in a field. One cow was lying down in the middle of the path and I had to pass it twice as I walked east and west.

Not moving for anyone!!!! - 10/09/2012.

It was to be ten days since my last visit to my section of the National Trail. Overnight there was heavy rain moving south over the country. This heavy rain was to create some large puddles and waterlogged patches along the length of my section. It certainly was a lot cooler and I would not have been surprised if the temperature had dropped low enough in the early hours to create a ground frost.

After a night of heavy rain - 21/09/2012.

 The rain clouds soon cleared to the south and as usual on my walk east from Heavenfield I carried out my usual maintenance tasks. The path had been recently mown and was in good condition except for the areas affected by the rain. Along the first mile of my walk a few molehills had appeared and I had to pick up some litter.

Reaching the well defined Wall ditch near to Errington Hill Head, I caught a glimpse of something gold in the grass. On closer inspection I found it was a Golden Waxcap and I got out my camera to take a picture and note down the Ordnance Survey Grid Reference of its location. The picture and information would be sent to the Northumberland Park Ranger responsible for such sightings.

Golden Waxcap beside the Wall ditch - 21/09/2012.

On my walk east today, I met only one walker as I reached Stanley Plantation. On my return journey to Heavenfield, I met another fourteen walkers completing the full Trail. Two were a Canadian couple who were looking for St. Oswald's Tea Room. After giving them directions, they asked about the work that we carry out. They thought that the Trail is well signposted and maintained and very complimentary about the work that the Volunteer Rangers carry out. It had been a memorable experience for them to visit such a historic site.

Back at Heavenfield - 21/09/2012.

The final week in September continues to see more heavy rain, the ground continues to become more waterlogged and muddy. We are now getting closer to the last month of the 2012 walking season, it will be interesting to see the final count of walkers for this year on the Trail.

Looking back to some of my photographs of September 2012, I decided to finish this post with one image of the Trail taken during better weather. 

A sunny end of September day - 22/09/2011.