If there’s been one wall in my life… it’s been physical. I’ve had weird knees since I was 16, with a genetic inclination to lock them in such a way that I resembled a chicken. Don’t laugh. Cousin Bobby could lock his in such a way that they were almost 45 degrees in the wrong direction.
In Junior High I was a member of a synchronized swim team. Before you start laughing again, know that in college I briefly took up fencing. Mostly I’ve succeeded at not breaking a sweat. I blame my knees. I blame genetics. I blame a bunch of things and folks… but if I’m honest, the wall isn’t just physical. It’s psychological as well.If I’m honest, the wall isn’t just physical. It’s psychological as well.
January 2023 I will be turning 60 years old. I’ve decided I’m going to break down walls in my 60th year. I’m taking a sabbatical from work for the first three months of 2023, and in April I’m going to hike Hadrian’s Wall.
The Wall path is approximately 84 miles long, and runs from coast to coast across the northern section of England. I plan on arriving in Edinburgh, and staying there for a day or so before taking the train to Bowness-on-Solway. The following 10 days will be spent walking, drinking in pubs, and staying in B&B’s as I move east toward Wallsend. I’ll then return to Edinburgh for my trip home.
That’s the plan. Two weeks of wall-walking/wall-breaking ridiculousness.
Of course, this sort of nonsense is always better with friends. Here’s the parameters:
- Anyone who identifies as female is welcome.
- This is not a coordinated tour. I’m not coordinated enough for my own travel to coordinate the travel of others.
- Come for the entire event or for just a night or two.
- Over the next few months I’ll be blogging about my preparations (I figure if I’m going to be walking 8 miles or so per day I should probably practice doing that). I’ll also be sharing my itinerary.
The basic plan is that I’m going to tell y’all what pub I’m going to be in on which night… as well as where I’ve been able to snag lodging. I will buy the first round every evening, but the rest is on your own. You create your own itinerary. You may choose to walk faster (or not at all!). Just know that whether or not you join me, you’ll be with me as I walk.
I’ll be in Edinburgh April 12th, and Bowness-on-Solway the evening of April 13th. The walk begins April 14th at 9 a.m. I’ll fly home on the 26th. Whee!
I’ll use this page to update progress on preparations and planning. More info to come!
days
hours minutes seconds
until
Hadrian’s Wall
Less than three months to go!
The last few months have been consumed by work, and the last few weeks I’ve either been sick or recovering. I’ve been negligent in sharing details about this journey, and apologize to any and all who have lovingly held back questions or concerns.
Here’s the details:
I land in Edinburgh on April 12th. We’ll arrive in Bowness-on-Solway on the 13th and commence walking on the 14th. I opted to ditch the “you plan it” route, and have hired Celtic Trails Walking Holidays (www.celtrictrailswalkingholidays.com) as our agent. They’ve arranged for housing and transfers. If you’re interested in a similar package – reach out to them. The total for 10 days is 1,110 British pounds, but the ability to give the planning to someone else was priceless. That’s for twin accommodation… I believe there is an additional charge for solo travelers.
Because they are coordinating travel, there are a few nights where we will be in the same spot. My understanding is that we will be shipped to a different starting spot each day – so the entire trail is walked – but when they pick us up they will drop us off at the same accommodations. Details as to where we’ll be staying… and the name of whatever pub you can find me in… will come with our final payment mid-February. It will likely be close to where we are staying.
The dates represent each night’s stay:
April 13: Bowness-on-Solway
April 14: Carlisle (2 nights)
April 16: Brampton
April 17: Gilsland
April 18: One Brewed (2 nights)
April 20: Simonburn
April 21: Corbridge
April 22: Newburn
April 23: Newcastle-upon-Tyne
We’ll be returning to Edinburgh for our flight back on the 26th!
If you can’t join me for part of the walk, I invite you to raise a glass in our direction each night of the walk!
The Quirky Calvin-isht 