From the North Sea to the Irish Sea

We finished our hike along Hadrian’s Wall Path today walking the 16.3 miles from Carlisle to Bowness-on-Solway!

The best part of today’s walk was the encouragement and congratulations from people we met along the way.

“Are you finishing today? Congratulations!” from a guy walking near us in a Carlisle city park. We walked with him a bit and learned that he has often traveled to the US, most recently to see several World Cup matches. Siesta Key is a favorite.

“Go that way!” he shouted from high up a ladder. We had we missed our turn and he redirected us and congratulated us on completing the hike. We learned that he maintains his historic circa 1830 house and there’s always something to do. Today was his day to clean the moss from the roof tiles and clear the gutters.

“Hi! We were hoping we’d see you today!” from 11-year-old Emma from Wales who is hiking with her stepdad, David. We have visited with them several times this past week. Emma keeps us informed about the best snack shacks, and David fills us in on interesting historical sites. We learned that when you are 11 in Emma’s family, you get to hike Hadrian’s Wall (as per Emma, “When you’re 11 you’re not too grumpy yet and you still have a lot of energy.”). She was proud to be carrying her older brother’s pack.

Today we stumbled upon Emma and David on the grounds of the historic St. Michael’s church in the village of Burgh by Sands. David had suggested we see this the day before.

David and Emma came to see us at the end of our walk, along with Emma’s younger brother and their mum, who took the photo.

“The finish is about 130 feet on your right! Congratulations!” from a guy in Bowness-on-Solway pulling weeds at his old house. We learned that the house across the street used to be a mill and that the water for the mill ran along his house and under the road we were standing on. He said that area is still a favorite place for weeds to grow.

The Hadrian’s Wall Path hike has been such an interesting and satisfying experience. Each day was remarkably different in terms of hiking experience, but the people we have met along the way, from hikers to local folks, have been friendly, kind, and helpful.

Sweet example: We thought we had lost track of David and Emma this afternoon and had neglected to trade phone numbers with David. As we were waiting for our bus back to Carlisle, Emma, David, and her mom and 7-year old brother turned up to say goodbye! We were so touched!

A brief update on yesterday’s hike from Haytongate to Carlisle. I (Sharon) hiked the first 9 miles to a village called Low Crosby. My toe was pretty tender, so I taxied from there to the B&B. Barry walked the rest of the way, a total of 15.3 miles for the day!

The weather that day was sunny, hot and still, not great hiking weather. By contrast, today was overcast with a breeze. Perfect. Here are some of the settings:

Historic St. Michael’s Church in Burgh by Sands. After King Edward I died in battle nearby, his body laid in state there before being buried in Westminster Abbey.