20th August 2012. Green Cart Farm (nr.Walwick) to Slack Hse Farm (nr.Gilsland)

Woke about 5.45 and lay there listening to the Radio 4 shipping forecast on the barn radio. I felt good and revived. I did not get up and peed in the bottle I keep for such purposes. A pee pot is an essential piece of kit,  any bottle , usually 500ml,with a wide top will accomodate most men. Having got the general gist of what was going on in the world I got up and put the kettle on then returned to bed for twenty mins while I rotated my feet/ankles sipping tea as I did so. On climbing out my sleeping bag I started gathering my gear together on a table while my porridge soaked. Its so much easier than the confinds of the tent. In fact the tent was dry now and I rolled it up.
Packing up was easy,  the small amount of hand wash things were still damp so I hung them on the outside of the pack to hopefully air dry. I probably looked like a mobile clothes horse.
At 8.10 I said good bye to the cheery and helpful hostess and made my way back to the Wall less than ten minutes away. It was a joy to stay there. Facilities that were excellent with kettle ,bunks/beds , tv which I did not use , microwave and above all a radio.
The day was overcast as I climbed the first of many stiles and began again.
I was walking next to a fairly good section of wall.  I was amazed how well squared each block was, and amazed that it still existed as a wall and was not plundered more for stone walling and dwellings. I suppose it was like a natural shelter for farm animals. Talking of which most of the paths erosion was due to beasts of the cloved hoof variety and not human made. At times through out the days walking I slipped hop and skipped through mud paths doing my best to keep boot and therefore feet dry.
I put the gps VIEWRANGER on route tracker to see how I would do speed wise and distance wise. I would use this excellent tool more but because my solar charger failed on the first week I have to economise as it is battery hungry. I am hoping Josh will have the new the new one as the Powerbee was pathetic and not robust and have not answered and my email so customer services are equally as bad.
After an hours walking. I reached a farm house I think called Carrew house who did b and b. Just as I passed five folk left there and started walking slightly in front.I soon caught up and a very brief exchange of how was the b and b and and almost superior I stated I had an excellent night in a farm bunkhouse. Apparently there accomadation was luxurious.  I felt a little guilty I did not make more conversation and walked ahead and never saw them again.
Muddy ground dominated with hooves of bovine variety poaching the path badly eithe that or mythical creatures. I wished I had put my gaiters on but now it was to late as my trouser bottoms were soaked with mud.
At 10.20 in 2 hours I had walked 5 miles. I turned off the gps.The path/wall was moving away from the accompanying B6318 road. But the scenary was making the Hadrians wall path glorious. The vista of moody sky and dramatic wall and escarpment, throw in the Roman history made it near perfect photo opportunity.
At 11.15 I climbed the wall when I noticed a load of tourists milling about but could not see. It was Vercovicium Roman fort an English Heritage site. An american encouraged me up the wall saying the shop had a coffee machine,so I blame her. What I did not realise is that I was missing the £6 entrance fee,  oh well it was only a brief look before coffee and flatjack. The shop was buzzing with tourists,  alot American. To many folk for my liking in one little spot. I drank up and continued.
As I made my way from crag to crag,  up and down to up and down this was the hardest walking on the wall but the most enjoyable.
I felt abit peeved that I have walked all this way for this and folk are just jumping out of coaches and cars for the same view. Just about a mile from the fort i met the Pennine Way and got a chap to take my photo next to the post where it goes north, I would not be back here for another 7 months, I hoped!
I reached steel Rigg and walked awhile with an Austrian couple they said although they have great scenary back home they had nothing like this - a fairly special place!
I must admit it was special the wall ,weaving its way ahead and behind me through the landscape like a mini chinese wall. Industrious clever Romans.
At 3.20 I reached a tourist haven of car park Roman Fort and apparently the Roman Army museum,  but I did not leave my route to explore. I stopped at a car park shop which sold tea so thankfully I stopped. My feet were wet and the right sole was again rubbing. Luckily they sold compeed plasters so I able to tend to my smelly feet before blisters appeared on blisters. My sole is very thin now in areas so i cannot afford more foot damage. I stayed there for an hour exchanging walk details with eastward travellers. It also gave me a chance to dry my feet and sit there sock and bootless.
At 4.25 I plodded on with fresh socks on down to a more rural farm wall walk.  The dramatic had passed and I was back to farm land. I met the Italian couple I met walking out of Newcastle. They had opted for the bus and were staying at the hostel in Greenhead nearby.
I was now heading toward Gilsland but the route skirted most and I avoided the temptation of the pubs there. I was fairly short of money and needed all I had for a possible pitch or bunkbarn.
I felt now I was winding down for the evening,  it was almost 6.30 and I was thinking about stopping.
I asked at Willowford farm with their excellent Wall drive enterance with drive in the Vallum. Sadly I was refused as they only do b and b. Could of let me pitch though.
Just before the metal bridge crossing the River Irthing there was a sign for a bunk house at Slack house organic farm about 10 mins off route. This time I phoned the number on the sign and opted for the ££8.50 bunkhouse.Again a bargain and maybe not as rustic as Greencart farm but well equiped. Coffee and a pint of real unpasturised milk provided. I soon settled in having tea after coffee at will. A decent shower also helped.
Bed on a floor mattress was cosy and I did not go there until after 11.

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