Hadrian's Wall Path Day 6: Gilsland to Newtown

Saturday, 5th June 2021

Weather: 20⁰C, sunny
Distance: 20km
Time: 8h (5h 38min walking time)

Average moving speed: 3.7km/h

Max elevation: 167m

Min elevation: 42m

Elevation gain: 300m

We left Brookside Villa B&B with sunny dispositions after a very good sleep, a delicious breakfast and ready with a packed lunch from the accommodation which can be ordered in advance for £6.5 per person.

Just on the outside of Gilsland, on the west bank of Poltross Burn, sits Milecastle 48. Although this milecastle is supposed to be larger than most, it is still difficult to believe that a garrison of 30 soldiers lived in it. It looks so small! 

It was modified many times and it's most distinct characteristic are the stairs that went up to the wall-top walkway estimated to have been 3.66m high. Only the bottom steps of the stairs remain.

At Willowford, well-preserved lengths of Hadrian's Wall, its ditch and turrets can be seen.

Hadrian's Wall crossed the river Irthing in three successive bridges. The first bridge was damaged by a flood, repaired and then destroyed by another flood. The second bridge had a narrow sentry walk like the first so it was replaced by a third wider bridge with a broad roadway. The river changed course no longer passing through the bridges site and the few remains represent the abutments of the bridges. Unlike the bridge at Chesters, there are no remains of the bridge on the opposite bank of the river.

The modern footbridge across the river Irthing is rather stylish and clearly demonstrate the fact that the two riverbanks are not at the same level.

Although the Wall is 1900 years old, there are still carvings and inscriptions that the trained eye can spot. Alas, we have been enable to spot a single one! However, our bad luck was soon to end. After crossing the river and leaving Milecastle 49 behind, there is a long stretch of the Wall up to Birdoswald Roman Fort. Slightly more than halfway along this stretch, near a large brownish coloured stone, there is a well-defined carving of a phallus. We managed to find it with these instructions and so should you! The phallus is a charm to keep the evil eye away and not some kind of rude ancient graffiti.

Birdoswald Roman Fort (Banna)

A large community lived at this location. The fort housed a legion of 1000 soldiers, who protected the bridge, patrolled the landscape and responded to threats from raiders. Civilians lived in settlements outside the gates (vici). These settlements were made up of merchants and craftspeople and families of serving and retired soldiers.

Unlike the other forts, this was occupied up to the 19th century.

A Hall was built in the Middle Ages. A pele tower (small fortified tower house) was raised near the west gate to protect against raiders, which then became a fortified farm and, in peace time, a comfortable home. In the 19th century the house was improved and a tower imitating an older tower was added and this is the building one can still see today.

The stamp for the passport can either be requested at the shop or there is another one located in a box outside the shop. The next stamp is in Carlisle, at the Sands Centre, but it's only available inside the Centre during normal opening hours. As we are not sure what time we'll get to Carlisle tomorrow, and there was already a Carlisle stamp at Birdoswald, I decided to stamp the passport in advance.

Locals providing cold drinks, paid in a honesty box. A wonderful sight in a hot day!

Different types of signs and gates on the way. In this stretch, even the smallest of gaps on the farm walls have a gate. I wonder how resourceful the Cumbrian sheep are?!?

There are wide views in all directions from Pike Hill which makes it an ideal place for a watch tower. Pike Hill Signal Tower is one of the few visible Roman defence elements that pre-date the construction of the Hadrian's Wall by 30 years. The soldiers posted here communicated by signalling with fire and smoke to the Stanegate, the road that run east to west south of the location of the future Hadrian's Wall. It is not aligned square with the Wall as all the other turrets built at the same time as the Wall, and as a result it has a distinct kink in it as it was incorporated into the Wall. Troops at this tower could signal to forts on the Stanegate, at Nether Denton (2km) and at Castle Hill, Boothby (4km).

At Hare Hill we stopped for rest and to eat our packed lunch under the shade of trees, by the remains of the Wall.

Ups! Forgot the crisps!

On the way to Walton.

Between Walton and our stop for the day, Newtown, we met an old gentleman who was walking the Hadrian's Wall by himself. Like us, he was walking leisurely and also stopping at the forts. He was however travelling light and planning for 7 days. He was very talkative and we spent some time talking to him. He told us that this was the third time he was doing this walk. The previous two he had done it with his partner who, he tells us, is a walking & running addict. They have done the walk in as short as 4 days who, for someone who looks to be in his seventies, is indeed a feat! This time he did not bring his partner as he wants to enjoy the scenery and the historical side of the walk.

We are again very tired when we reach Newtown and our accommodation for the night: Hadrian's Wall Studio. A small but nicely decorated and very comfortable studio built where once was a family garage by the side of a bungalow. It has a fridge and the ingredients for a continental breakfast are in situ already so we'll be able to eat and leave at will. At £63.75 it is very good value for money.

We asked our hosts in advance and we knew that there were no shops or restaurants nearby to get dinner from. They offered to buy it for us and we had a satisfying lasagne with salad from Asda and apples for dessert for an amazing £10. The beer was in the room's fridge and Jorge took full advantage of it!