Hadrian's Wall, Vindobala to Chollerford

 Hadrian's Wall, Vindobala (Rudchester Fort) to Chollerford

There isn't much accommodation available en route and even more of a problem at popular times of the year on the trail and moving by car was always going to be a problem as at the end of the days walking, I would have to use public transport to get back to the car and move it on to the next location. 

I had learnt that Wylam was a poorly served station halt so I had parked the car in Prudhoe with more train services and caught a taxi up to Vindobala to restart my walk.

Unlike yesterday, it was cold even for midsummer with a strong wind blowing and wet, sometimes just light drizzle and  occasionally heavy and everything in between. The route follows the Military Road, a dead straight Roman road that follows the line of the wall although there is little wall to see on the first section. The route switches from side to side and sometimes on top of the former bank that supported the wall and sometimes in the bottom of the protective ditch which at least meant that I was out of the wind.

In the car park of the Robin Hood Inn is a plaque to a trekker killed by a car. Most of the route is on footpaths but only a few on the road. Its a straight road and traffic moves quickly so pedestrians have to be alert.

                                           

Memorial to Rob Mills.

                                      

A tall section of wall which doesn't look like much from the road side but the land falls away on the other side and a man on a horse can't see over the top from this side.

A section of wall which continues to the left but as n=bee replaced by a fence to protect people from walking through the woods and falling into the quarry which has undercut the wall.

Then it was a long slog to Chollerton on the North Tyne River. The route used to cross a Roman bridge to reach the fort of Chesters but that bridge has been washed away and the route takes a diversion to cross the arched 18th century bridge over the river. before returning to teh original route and Chesters Fort.

                                           

The bath house down by the river. T

Some pillars supporting the floor for the underfloor heating.

Some bits are well preserved such as these walls standing at two metres high...

...some bits such as these barracks only have a few courses of stonework...

...and some parts are just the foundations.

Then I walked back to Chollerton to get a taxi to the railway station to wait for a train to take me back to Prudhoe where I had parked the car.