Written April 5, 2023, at Hexham, England.

The rain is back. It’s predicted to continue tomorrow as I resume the trail but to then gift us with dry and partially sunny skies for the final two walking days. If all goes according to plan, I will reach Wallsend in Newcastle Saturday afternoon. No worries, we have come to appreciate the weather forecasts which are incredibly accurate… for about 20 minutes.

There were two sites that we had hoped to visit today. One was the Old Gaol (jail), and the other Hexham Abbey.

The Gaol was open yesterday and scheduled to be open today. However, with accuracy second only to the weather forecasts it was closed for routine elevator maintenance.

Fortunately, Hexham Abbey was open.

The Abbey was founded in 674CE, And is one of the earliest sites of Christian worship in the United Kingdom.

Vikings pillaged and burned the Abbey to the ground in 875. The Abbey was rebuilt in 1050, with the current edifice actually dating to the early 12th-century.

Evidence of its ancient past remains evident. Upon entering there is a large Roman burial marker on display. It is dedicated to Flavinus, a 25 year old cavalry soldier who died sometime during the first century.

The stone was found in the foundations of the Abbey, along with other stones from the Roman era, many which were originally part of the huge Roman bridge to the north.

There is an eighth century “bishops chair“,

Dark wood panels and a pulpit are from the 1500s,

Most notable is the ancient crypt that was constructed in year 674. It contains a small chapel where relics of saints were once secured and venerated.

As with many very old cathedrals, there were funeral effigies and the stones on the floor literally cover the graves of people who were important in their time.

It was a relaxing day during which we wandered many of the old serpentine streets and alleys. There was some window, and real, shopping.

We decided that for dinner this evening we would search out a classic British pub. “The Heart of Northumberland” checked all of the boxes. Excellent ales from hand pumps (very low carbonation and served “warm” according to most American’s tastes), fish and chips, and an amazing salmon cake dinner left us more than satisfied.

Tomorrow morning I will catch a 9 AM taxi that will deposit me at the point where I left the Hadrian’s Wall trail on Tuesday. Christine will taxi at 10:30 AM to our next accommodation, the well regarded Robin Hood Inn, located about 10 miles from here on the Hadrian’s Wall path.

I sense the end to this portion of our journey is nearing. How I feel about that is both complex and uncertain.

Peace Everyone. Pete

Written April 3, 2023, at Chollerford, England.

Today: Spectacular sunny weather (a bit cold at 30° in the morning),

a spectacular hike (seven relatively flat miles),

spectacular scenery,

a spectacular preserved Roman fortress and museum,

and I was able to enjoy part of this with my spectacular wife, Christine. It doesn’t get much better than that!

Ok… our accommodations here at the George Hotel are less than spectacular but then almost anything pales in comparison to our stay at Langley Castle. Our room is marginally serviceable.

Perhaps the highlight of the day was not “spectacular”, just the most delightful 10 minute conversation at a coffee van located in the countryside along the hike. This is Jimmy.

Jimmy manages a coffee and snack van. Jimmy is managed by his wife of 36 years, Lorraine. Jimmy is originally from Glasgow, Scotland and he has traveled the world over. But his current 6 year mission is to troll a free pint of ale at the Crown Pub and Inn, located just up the road from the George Hotel.

Jimmy told me that he recently secured a promise from the proprietor of the pub that if he sent her 50 customers he would get his free pint. I promised Jimmy that we would visit the pub and say, “Jimmy sent us“. Jimmy would only need to find 48 more “customers”.

I bought a cup of coffee from Jimmy and upon learning of my recent birthday Jimmy gave me a free muffin, only regretting that he didn’t have a candle to stick on the top.

This is the Crown Pub and Inn and two interesting vehicles on display in front. Christine is doing her best “Let’s Make a Deal“ hostess impression.

This is Amy. Amy is the proprietress of the Crown Pub.

She immediately rolled her eyes skyward and shook her head when I said, “Jimmy sent us!“ I didn’t need to explain any further. Amy knew that we were part of Jimmy’s scheme to troll a free pint. Jimmy is a Friday regular at the pub which serves excellent fare. Seen here is my baked cod and Christine‘s Pasta Bolognese.

I don’t know if Jimmy is going to find 48 other folks willing to play along, but I so enjoyed being a part of this story that I paid Amy for Jimmy’s 1st pint when he stops in this coming Friday. My best wishes to both Jimmy and Amy!.

Chesters Roman Fort and Museum is only a half mile from the George Hotel.

I stopped at the Fort to tour the extensive grounds and museum. First, however, I sent Christine a text message telling her of my plan. She replied that she was walking up the road to meet me at the site.

This is one of the 16 major garrisons located along Hadrian’s Wall. It is also the best preserved and excavated.

I estimate the partially excavated grounds of this Roman cavalry fort to cover over 15 acres, plus sprawling civilian encampments outside the fort. Most of these fortresses garrisoned up to 1000 men. However, this one was dedicated to cavalry troop so it garrisoned 500 soldiers and a like number of horses as the standard complement.

The grounds included barracks. Each room was designed to house 32 soldiers and their horses…

…storage facilities…

the commandant’s villa…

…the command headquarters…

and some “interesting carvings” to ward off “evil spirits”.

Most noteworthy were the extensive Roman baths located near the river.

These are the best preserved examples in the United Kingdom. The small vaulted stalls are “lockers” in the changing room.

The baths include three chambers, a caldarium, tepidarium, and frigidarium.

The names refer to the temperatures of those chambers. The hottest room, the caldarium, has a stone floor heated by fires stoked from a cellar below. The tepidarium maintained a moderate temperature, and the frigidarium had cold bathing water.

There were more hikers on the trail today than previously seen by me. It’s probable that this is because of Easter break.

This white pylon, the third that I have encountered to date, may mark the highest geographic point within the district.

The pylon that I saw a few days ago marked the highest point along Hadrian’s Wall.

Early on today’s hike I came upon an excavated site of an ancient Mithraic temple. This area is rich in buried ancient history!

Tomorrow I hike into the city of Hexham where we will be staying for two nights. There are only three more hiking days after that. More glorious weather is predicted… fingers crossed!

Peace Everyone. Pete

P.S. Not exactly a “Go Fund Me”, but if you are ever by the Crown Inn and Pub be sure to tell Amy that Jimmy sent you. Let’s all give Jimmy a hand on his quest for a free pint!

Written April 2, 2023, at Langley castle, England.

As I promised yesterday, here is a pictorial tour of Langley Castle. I have supplemented it with historical information from the Langley Castle website, and included a link to their own online “self guided virtual 3D tour“.

My own narrative will be presented mostly in the form of captions on my photographs.

We arrived at Langley Castle yesterday and reserved two nights in the Radcliffe Suite, departing Monday morning, April 3. I will continue walking east along Hadrian’s Wall and Christine will transport to our next accommodation, the George Hotel near the city of Hexham.

Here are pictures of our room:

(From the Langley Castle website) Built in 1350, during the reign of Edward III, the castle has retained its architectural integrity and is regarded as one of the few medieval fortified Castle Hotels in England. Over the past 600 years, the Castle has been owned, together with its estate, by Lords and Ladies whose names were frequently associated with the turbulent history of the Kingdom. During the 17th century the Langley estates became the property of the Earls of Derwentwater; Viscounts Langley. James , the third Earl and Charles his brother, took part in the Jacobite risings of 1715. They were subsequently executed at the Tower of London. A cross stands by the road from the Castle to Haydon Bridge commemorating their loyalty to the King of Scotland (their Lawful Sovereign), which reads: In memory of James and Charles Viscounts Langley Beheaded on Tower Hill 24th Feb 1716 and 8th Dec 1746 For Loyalty to their Lawful Sovereign

The property was confiscated by the Crown and its administration passed to the Royal Naval Hospital at Greenwich in London. Signs of the Admiralty’s influence can still be seen in the area. For example the anchor motif on the front of a house at Langley and the naming of a pub in Haydon Bridge as The Anchor.

In 1882 a local historian, Cadwallader Bates, purchased the property. The restoration of the Castle to its original 14th Century structure became a life’s work not only for Cadwallader, but also for his wife Josephine, who continued his work after Cadwalladers death in 1902. Josephine rebuilt the original chapel on the castle roof in memory of her husband and worked tirelessly until her own death in 1933. She is buried alongside her husband in the castle grounds.

The restored castle has subsequently served as a private girls school. In 1986, it was purchased by Dr Stuart Madnick, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who converted it into a hotel. Langley Castle is set in a woodland estate of 10 acres (40,000 m2). One of the more remarkable features of the building is the south-west tower, which is occupied by no fewer than 12 garderobes (medieval toilets), four to each floor.

Online 3D Virtual Tour: https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=afeqqAzTkA7&back=1

Langley Castle Website: https://www.langleycastle.co.uk/en/

Peace Everyone. Pete