The first weekend walk Saturday 8th August

Picked up Lucy from outside Speaks at 7.45am this morning and set straight off to Crosby on Eden. Unfortunately we were not going to get there in time for a bus. Lucy had no shorts with her and we had no lunch so we had a change of plan and stopped at Tescos in Carlisle to shop for both. We decided we would leave the car in the Walltown Crags car park and walk from there. Arrived about 10.30am and got kitted up. It cost £8 for a parking ticket but it lasts for a week so we could leave the car without worrying about getting a fine. Set off at 11am. Planned to walk about 10 miles. First stop Thirlwall Castle, it was built from the stones taken from Hadrian's Wall in the 14th century. Took some pics and had a bit of a play in the ruins.

More of a fortified house than a castle but good fun. From there through a few houses over a footbridge next to a ford. We investigated but it was too deep to cross on foot. Soon left the road again and through a kissing gate on to a path through a field. Not in the field long either, on to the railway line, over the other side and walked along the roman ditch for a while. It was full of wild flowers and looked beautiful.

This photo really doesn't do it justice. Then we were on to a section we had walked before. Through someone's front garden and up a field and then walked actually in the ditch. It was deep and full of sheep.We were in Gilsland again and before long at Poltross Burn. Took a couple of good photos of the milecastle before crossing the railway. There was a good view of a longish stretch of wall down to the right but inaccessible. It runs through a private garden,

but just around the corner and across the road the paths picks it up and runs along side it towards Willowford Bridge. It was nice seeing it from a different direction. However we didn't stop long, walking a short way further to the banks of the river Irthing we stopped near the new bridge and ate our lunch. I explored the river a bit. There seems to be a lot of worked stone in it. I couldn't tell how deep the water is because it is the colour of strong tea.

There was a steep walk up up to Birdoswald- definitely a part of the walk I prefered when we did it the other way (downwards!) Then the path rejoins the wall and we were back at the fort. We walked past it and continued alongside the wall for a couple of hundred yards and past turret 49b, then the stone wall disappears and the path takes a turn up a field and on to the turf wall, site of (nothing to see). And for the next mile it stays the same, a bit lumpy off to one side and very flat and not much of a view. Saw some more wall and turrets on the way. The turf was replaced by stone at a later date, but there isn't much of it left.

The walk continues to be fairly flat all the way to Banks, when it suddenly goes down a steep hill. We must have been climbing gradually. Stopped on a handy bench on the green to have a snack and a drink and admire the view. Whilst we were there we saw two chaps coming up the hill, one on a bicycle and the other pushing his bike further down. The cycler stopped near us and got off his bike to wait for the other guy. When he had reached the top and had a breather, they both got on their bikes and went down again. Bit like the Grand Old Duke of York. We sat for about 10 minutes and then put the baby elephant back on my back and set off down the road. We turned off to the right to Hare Hill. Lucy took this photo of us on the junction.