Hadrian's Wall Path - day 1 [Newcastle to Wall]

This isn't a particularly well planned trip, since I have few days off in a row at work I decided to come over and walk the wall, interaries are typically for 6 days from start to finish (it's just over 80 miles in total plus the detours to castles and various ruins) I got 3 days so any side trips are out of the question. I've booked the bus ticket to Sunderland with National Express as it was cheap (25£) and went overnight so I've arrived here at 6:30am. Getting to Wallsend (the official start/end of the Hadrian's Wall) would take too long from here so I'm just taking a train to Newcastle which is just few miles away from it - if you are a purist you can stop reading this blog now and curse my very existence as I won't be covering every single inch of the path, hike your own hike I guess!

Now, 10 hours later the work for the day is over and I'm simultaneously happy and a bit disappointed with how it went. I've managed to cover 24 miles which is more than I planned. Weather has held up very well so no complains in this department. The hike itself was a gentle stroll among grazing cattle next to a fairly busy country road which has been build pretty much alongside Hadrian's Wall. The wall itself made an appearance only once just before mile 30. I'm camping tonight at the village called.. Wall, where city council allowed hikers to pitch tents on the village green. Its 6pm now and it's completely dark outside, I have to take it into consideration for the next two days unless I want to do a bit of night hiking which wouldn't be a bad idea as the moon is big and bright.

Starlings gave a brilliant aerial show once I've reached the village of Wall, my stop for the night. A huge group of birds zigzagging in perfect harmony across the sky, it was one of the better starling performances I've seen so far, I got it on camera as well but it probably come out a bit blurry.

Depending on how much ground I'll manage to cover tomorrow I might have enough time to go back and walk those few miles from Wallsend I initially skipped and then get a coach back home from Newcastle perhaps I would have few hours to walk around the city as well. But it all depends on my pace and weather, there's no point to get hopes too high. I've been also recording myself talking crap to the camera so I will probably end up putting a video from the trip up on YouTube, something new which should help with overcoming walking routine and spice up the trip a little.

Genuine bit of the Hadrian's Wall, the only stretch I've seen so far:
St Oswald's church:
Picturesque village of Harlow Hill:
Poetry is booming in the area:
Newcastle:

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