Walk of section - 22nd September 2011

Took advantage of the dry and sunny weather of late September to squeeze in another walk of the section. The rain of the last three months still continues to cause problems on the Trail. The dips and hollows are still waterlogged with standing water in places. 

Plastic matting has been laid by our two lengths men on the most muddiest areas of my section. On my walk today I cut back the vegetation around all of the stiles and gates, I also cut back any brambles and nettles encroaching on the path. Molehills are also starting to appear on some grassed areas.

I met 24 walkers on the Trail today, 22 were completing the full Hadrian's Wall Path National Trail, the other two were day walkers out with their dog.

Whilst in the wooded area of Stanley Plantation I found the path blocked by a large branch. Moving it was quite difficult, as it was down in the narrowest section of the Trail. 

The following photographs were taken as I walked the six and a half mile return journey of my section:

Approaching Stanley Plantation walking west.

Beside Military Road Plantation.

Beside the Military Road Crossing looking west.

View of Trail looking west to Heavenfield

One of the problem areas on the Trail.

St. Oswald's Church at Heavenfield.

Walk of section: 5th September 2011

With the end of the season nearly upon us, it was time for another monthly monitoring report of my section. The weather forecast predicted sunshine and showers for this morning. I was lucky to complete the six and a half mile round trip without the need of my waterproofs.

I began my walk at Heavenfield in bright sunshine and reached Port gate at about 10.15 a.m. On the way, I cut back the vegetation around all of the gates and stiles on the Trail, picked up a wide variety of litter, cut back brambles and nettles near to the Trail and replaced one missing Acorn way marker which had been removed from a stile.

On the first leg my walk I met no walkers. it was only on my return leg that I met four people, who were completing the full Trail.

The recent wet weather has not helped the Trail as it was waterlogged, flooded and very muddy in places.

The following photographs were taken as I completed the walk of my section:

Example of one of the problem areas.

Walking East towards Portgate.

Trail looking West.

Trail looking West towards Stanley Plantation.

Flooded section of Trail.

Walking West towards Heavenfield.

Looking East.

Gate into Heavenfield, walking West.

Trail in Heavenfield, walking West.

Hadrian's Wall Path National Trail - 2011 Season

Hadrian's Wall is a remarkable monument to nearly four hundred years of Roman rule in Britain. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a Scheduled Ancient Monument. In 2003, Hadrian's Wall Path National Trail was opened and the well trodden path is also a Scheduled Ancient Monument. The walking season begins in May and finishes in October, approximately 10,000 walkers will follow the route across the country.

The route will take the walker through urban landscape and magnificent countryside, and will provide many opportunities to see some wonderful sites.

Sycamore Gap - An iconic image associated with the Trail.

The 2011 season is rapidly coming to a close. Over the year as a National Trail Volunteer Ranger, I have been looking after and monitoring the Trail's condition, on a three and a quarter mile section. The season has seen periods of dry weather and prolonged periods of rain. July and August has been particulary wet this year!

Waterlogged path after heavy rain - mid August.

You are never certain of what you are going to find when out on your section of the Trail! Take this season for example. I have had to report dead sheep, remove stones and rubble from the path after a van crashed through a dry stone wall and report many waterlogged stretches.


The Trail started off as usual in an excellent condition, most off my visits over the season were completed without the need of full waterproofs. This was not to be the case for some of the walkers I have talked to. With the full walk taking more than five days plus, they were bound to get caught in some of the bad weather we have experienced.

Trail beside the Wall Vallum looking West

Walk of Section - 19th August 2011

Today was to be my first visit to my section of the trail in August. Starting at Heavenfield the ground beside the gate was very muddy and waterlogged. It was to be a familiar site along the route, due to the recent rain especially over last night.

The dips in the trail were waterlogged and it will need a long period of dry weather for them to dry up. Many of the fields that the trail passes through have been cut and collected for hay. 

As usual, my tasks along the section were: litter picking, cutting back vegetation around the numerous gates and stiles, cutting back nettles/brambles/bracken which encroaches on the trail and monitoring path condition and archaeology.

At the mid point of my section of the trail, walkers come to an area laid with stone flags, this area was flooded and water was running from a drain along side the B6318 Military Road.

Flooded section of Trail

Not far from this point you enter Stanley Plantation,the path was very muddy underfoot and some areas waterlogged. At some points, you could not take a drier route, It is the first time this season that I have seen the trail in such a poor condition. The rains of July and August have really left their mark!

I try to complete all of my work on the outward leg of the section. Reaching The Errington Arms at about 11.30, with everything completed, I set off on the return leg and managed to take some of the folloiwng photographs. In total, I walk six and a half miles, and today I met 14 walkers completing the full 84 mile trail.

I will try to fit in another walk of my section before the end of August and monitor the problem waterlogged areas. We certainly could do with a dry spell of weather before the season finishes in October.

Looking East towards Portgate

Trail looking East

Trail looking West towards Stanley Plantation

Trail looking East

Vallum

Vallum

Trail looking East towards Military Road Crossing point

Trail looking West

Trail looking West

Wall ditch

Trail looking West towards Heavenfield

Walk of Section - 11th July 2011

During the month of July I make two visits the Portgate to Heavenfield section to inspect the Trail and return a monitoring report. Today was to be the second visit and I started at Heavenfield at about 8.15 a.m. It was a beautifully sunny morning and the majority of my time on the outward journey east to Portgate was spent cutting back vegetation around the gates and stiles.

The path continues to be in good condition and as it was recently mown it stands out in the fields probably being left for hay making.

Trail at Heavenfield looking West.

No problems were noted on the Trail as I reached the mid point. It was about 10.00 a.m. when I reached Stanley Plantation. As I walked through the wood, I cut back nettles and brambles encroaching on the path. It was to be at about 10.30 a.m. when I met the first two walkers travelling West.

Reaching The Errington Arms at about 11.00 a.m. I set back on the return leg back to Heavenfield. The sun continued to shine, but there was a few spots of rain and gathering dark clouds in the west. There was very liitle litter to pick up along the Trail this visit. On my way back I met a further 12 walkers travelling east. They had experienced no problems whilst on the Trail and were very complimentary about the condition of the path.

The following photographs were taken throughout the morning:

Trail looking West

Trail looking West

Colour in the Gorse bushes beside Stanley Plantation

Trail through Stanley Plantation looking West

Trail beside the Wall ditch looking West

Well mown Path looking West

Walk of Section - 1st July 2011

As it was the first of July and a fine day, I took the opportunity of going out to do my third monitoring report of the 2011 season on Hadrian's Wall Path National Trail. It was quite early when I started at Heavenfield and it soon became clear that the recent rain and warm weather was the ideal conditions for the vegetation to grow in the fields and in and around the gates and stiles on the Trail. I had only walked about 100 metres before I had to cut back nettles and grass from around the gate into Heavenfield.

Heavenfield from gate looking West.

The Trail had been recently cut by the two lengthsmen who cover the entire length of the walk. I was to find that this was the case over the whole of the section from Heavenfield to Portgate. As well as marking out the Trail it also will help the tired walker.

As I reached each gate and stile I had to spend a small amount of time ensuring that they were in a state of good repair and clear away any nettles etc.

Near to St. Oswald's Tea Room, looking West.

On the Trail leading to the middle of the section, there were a few molehills, that needed to be spread out. It was only a fraction of the amount that was there during the months of January and February.

View of well maintained Trail, looking West.

I reached the centre point of my section by mid morning after working on every gate and stile. It was unusual that I had not met any walkers travelling west. Parts of the Trail had been repaired and new grass seed sown. I had been informed earlier in the week about a vehicle that had crashed through the wall and ended up on the Trail beside the Military Road plantation. The two lengthmen had removed all of the stone obstructing the Trail. The damaged wall and fence will be repaired by the necessary authorities in the future.

Looking West towards Stanley Plantation, near to site of Milecastle 23.

End of section, looking East towards The Errington Arms (Portgate).

I reached the The Errington Arms by about 11.00 a.m. and had a full bag of litter that I had picked up along the Trail. After a short rest and spot of refreshment, I set off on the return walk to Heavenfield. 

Trail beside the Vallum, looking West.

Trail beside the Vallum looking East.

 It was not until I was in Stanley Plantation and at about 11.30 a.m. when I met my first walker, he was only doing small parts of the Trail over a period of time. It was to be about another half an hour before I met two Canadian families doing the whole Trail. They were having a great time and they were all surprised at how well the path is maintained.

I finally reached Heavenfield about noon after only having to cut back some brambles encroaching onto the Trail. It definitely was unsual to met only 8 walkers at this time of year.

Packing everything away, I set off home in my car, and as I passed the middle of the section a very large group of walkers were making their way West!

Walk of Section: 6th June 2011

After the rain of yesterday, it was good to see some sunshine again for my second walk of the season, on my section of Hadrian's Wall Path National Trail. I was at the start of the section for about 8.00 a.m. and started by picking up some litter, cutting the grass around the first stile and tidying up around the information plaque.

Trail at Heavenfield.



On the way west to Heavenfield, I cut the grass under all of the stiles and cleared away nettles. The path through Stanley Plantation was relatively clear, but some troublesome brambles and nettles encroaching on the path needed to be removed.

It was not until after I had crossed the Military Road at the half way point of the section, that I met the first two walkers on the trail. 

View of Wall ditch looking west.

Reaching Heavenfield about 10.30 a.m. I had to cut back some branches of a tree that had fallen probably due to the strong winds at the end of May.

After cutting some nettles near to the gate in Heavenfield I set off on my return leg to The Errington Arms at Stagshaw roundabout. In total during the three and a half hours on the trail, I met 20 walkers who were doing the full walk.

Although it became very overcast, the rain kept off and the sun came out again as I reached the car park at The Errington Arms.

Speaking to the walkers today, they were all complimentary about the condition of the path and said how friendly all of the people were that they had met during their time on their walk.

Stanley Plantation.

View of trail looking west.

Trail looking west towards Heavenfield.