Walking Forum
Main Boards => Long Distance Walks => Topic started by: Confussed on 20:18:52, 19/07/17
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Thinking of walking Hadrian's Wall in late August or early September.
Any opinions on which is best: east-west or west-east?
Also, how social is it? Going to be walking on my own which I like but don't want to be on my own all the time, do the walkers hang out and compare blisters when the day is done?
Thanks
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Hopefully I'm not wasting my time.....
In my opinion it's better to start at Walksend as the first day is mainly on tarmac and noise. At the other end, the scenery isn't tremendous, it's flat but at least the finish has a nice little shelter.
It's usually a busy walk, and plenty of tourists will be around the more popular parts of the wall.
I wouldn't imagine you would see many fellow walkers at the end of the day unless you share accommodation and there's only 1 youth hostel along the way and a bunkhouse where ither walkers might be.
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I tend to agree with bricam. The middle part of the walk when actually walking along the wall is best and I think finishing in Bowness is preferable. Walking E to W, the first day is mostly through Newcastle. Some of it walking along the Tyne under the bridges Was better than expected, but it is nearly all on tarmac and there are stretches along busy road. We passed quite a few walkers and tourists but I think most were not walking the whole wall. Over the 6 nights we only ever stayed once with other Wall walkers (this was in B&Bs).
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East to West is the way to go, historically, scenically and socially. The wall was started in Wallsend and built in a westerly direction, the milecastles and turrets are numbered from east to west. The scenery gets better the further you progress Westerly, as has already been said the first 15 or so miles of the wlk are through Wallsend/Newcastle, although some interesting views to be had not really the most scenic of places. Most people start from Wallsend so you're bound to find people heading your way along your journey.
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Thanks for your help. East-west it is then
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Walk it west to east, the prevailing wind and weather will be on your back. Unless you like it in your dish! It's called Wallsend so end your walk there, and celebrate your achievement in the Toon. Newcastle, one of the top 10 party cities in the world!!
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I'd agree with E to W, having just done it that way. If you are using an organizing company such as Contours or Mickledore you will tend to meet up with the same walkers at B&Bs along the way.
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You know this was built without planning permission? ???
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You know this was built without planning permission? (http://walkingforum.co.uk/Smileys/alive/huh.gif)[\quote]
Public Works Department of the Roman Empire answerable directly to the Emperor , quick route needed from the West to the nightlife of Newcastle. :2funny:
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My first post on the forum :-).
Me and a friend started walking the Hadrians Wall path completely un-researched (our fault) and ended up sacking it off. We started in Newcastle and by the 3rd day we were completely fed up of seeing/walking on the tarmac military road that it follows. By the 3rd day we had a good old look at the maps and saw that god forsaken road was going to curse us for the majority of the way so decided it was not for us.
As I say, it was completely our fault for not properly researching the walk, but we found it very underwhelming indeed.....then again, we are used to more challenging, higher walks.
Would be nice to see others opinions of this.
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You packed in just before you got to the good bits :)
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We did wonder if that was going to be the case ;) . Perhaps one day I will go back and finish it off, but many more places are calling first. Just done the Herriot way this wknd just gone and that was a fantastic little walk.
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You packed in just before you got to the good bits :)
Exactly what I was going to say! :)
We walked it over 6 days and the middle two were definitely the best. We did enjoy it but like you say not as much as more challenging walks. Not one I would necessarily repeat, although we did then do the Pannine Way the following year which included the middle bit!