Day 13: Phase 2 begins

Start: Bowness-on-Soloway

End: Carlisle

Distance: 14.5 miles

Last night I slept peacefully in a bed, undisturbed by the elements. No wind, no rain, no fragile canvas - just a stable building with a roof. I'd had a relaxed evening, drinking endless cups of tea snuggled under a blanket and worked my way through various carbohydrate sources. I surrounded myself with 4 fluffy pillows and nestled down, appreciating the comfort and dozing off into a long restful sleep. With the Welsh hills behind me, I now look ahead to the next phase of this adventure - walking in an easterly direction across England. From Bowness-on-Soloway in the West to Newcastle in the East, following Hadrian's Wall route. This national trail is an 84 mile stretch passing through diverse landscapes of rugged moorland and rolling fields, following the world heritage site of Hadrian's Wall. There is very little challenge in terms of terrain, elevation gain and daily mileage and also walking in an easterly direction should allow the prevailing wind to assist me. Although I love the aspect of challenge on these adventures, it's not always about climbing the steepest hills, walking the longest distances. It's also about discovering new places and this whole stretch ahead of me was unfamiliar territory. So I was looking forward to making more memories.

The route I'll be following for the next 5 days offers a diverse mix of landscapes from rugged moorland to rolling fields, while following the UNESCO World Heritage site of Hadrian's Wall. Although I'm not a huge history enthusiast, my interests more lie with wildlife, nature and natural landforms, I read the history section of my guidebook to gain some background. The national trail was opened in 2003, after the idea of creating a coast to coast trail that followed this historical monument was put into action. Hadrian’s Wall was the north-west frontier of the Roman empire for nearly 300 years. At 73 miles long, it crossed northern Britain from Wallsend on the River Tyne in the east to Bowness-on-Solway in the west. The most famous of all the frontiers of the Roman empire, Hadrian’s Wall was made a World Heritage Site in 1987.

After I reluctantly left my bed and comfy accommodation, I walked into town in search of a bus to the coast where the trail began. Frustratingly my miles today would simply return me to Carlisle, but I couldn't justify skipping the first section. It was a warm day but a gentle coastal breeze helped make the conditions more favourable. The route began in the small coastal community of Bowness-on-Soloway, comprising of simply a church, a school, a village hall and a few houses. The route curved around the Soloway Coastal Area of Natural Beauty where a sign informed me Newcastle was 84 miles away and added "may good luck be with you".

As I pushed further inland the route followed farmer's fields and passed through small settlements. The trail remained flat and gentle, the day finished by following the River Eden heading back into the bustling Cumbrian city of Carlisle. The progress with the miles was remarkably faster than my days in the Welsh hills due to the flat ground and so far there had been no cows to contend with. All going to plan, I will follow this route for the next 5 days when I'll arrive in Newcastle where the trail concludes.