Hadrian's Wall Path - Day 4, part 1

From Steel Rigg westwards was probably my favourite section of the Wall, although the fact that the weather turned nice may have been a factor. Also, I saw far fewer people, at least until I reached Greenhead.

Looking back to the east from Steel Rigg

At the highest point of the Wall (not very high)

Milecastle 42 is another ingeniously situated fortification, accessible from the north only up an impractically steep bank. There is no reason for this at all, except for asinine military planning. In this capture from Google Earth you can see the Wall running down the ridge from the top left, and the rectangular milecastle near the bottom.


If the engineers had shifted the milecastle just 50 yards to the right, the gate would have been placed in the convenient cleft where the modern lane runs. But the boneheads obviously didn't do this. I suppose this strict, inflexible level of regimentation helps explain both the success and the ultimate failure of the Roman empire...

Just before Greenhead is the best-preserved section of the Wall, which in places survives above head height. It's the most amazing thing in the world.

Hadrian's Wall

The so-called 'Great Wall' of China

I didn’t have time to stop at the Roman Army Museum near Greenhead, but at noon I did pause at a visitor centre, where I was stalked by a chaffinch who wanted my ice cream.