Simon Bradshaw (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
major_clanger) wrote2009-07-14 11:09 pm
major_clanger) wrote2009-07-14 11:09 pm
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Walls, hills, dungeons and crypts - a fun weekend away!
Various other minor distractions in life have meant that I've taken a little longer than I'd hoped to post pictures from the trip to Hadrian's Wall organised a few weeks ago by ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
swisstone and ladymoonray. Unfortunately, part of one of those distractions meant that I had to miss the day that featured most of the actual Wall, but I did make it both for the walk around Alston and its surrounds and the trip to Hexham.
(For all of these, if you click on the picture then select 'all sizes' and 'original' you should get a full-size view.)
Firstly, this was the view from my window. I had a room in a nice B&B on the outskirts of Haltwhistle, and however much I like London it was nice to look out on this for a change.
On the Saturday we headed out to Alston, a place which has the remarkable distinction of making both Guildford and Edinburgh look flat. We headed out via the narrow-gauge steam railway and set off for a walk that soon took us to the remains of the Roman Fort at Whitley Castle. Here, Tony explains the context;
The fort itself is little more than a row of hummocks from the ground.
It's rather more impressive from the air; we were near the wall intersection at the top right of that picture.
The walk back to Alston featured very typical local landscape: steep hills, small brooks and zig-zagging stone walls.
The following day I toured the Roman Army museum at Greenhead, then walked around the adjacent former quarry site at Walltown. As the name suggests, it's next to an impressive section of wall, hugging the top of the local crags.
Rather more recent wall atop one of the lower sections:
You get a better view of the wall by looking at the large version of this one:
Believe it or not, I've hardly done anything to clean up this picture at all. The day just was that nice!
Then off to Hexham, and to meet up with the rest of the group at the Old Gaol. Unprepossessing from the outside, inside it is features a range of rooms from fairly decent quarters for important prisoners at the top to a grim dungeon in the cellar.
Even more impressive was the interior of Hexham Abbey.
We were particularly fortunate in thatswisstone got us into the Saxon-era crypt; although it was a little too dark and cramped for me to get any decent pictures, it was definitely a memorable experience.
It's a pity I could only make the middle couple of days, as it was an invigorating and educational trip with very good company! If another is in the offing, I shall definitely do my best to be along.
swisstone and ladymoonray. Unfortunately, part of one of those distractions meant that I had to miss the day that featured most of the actual Wall, but I did make it both for the walk around Alston and its surrounds and the trip to Hexham.(For all of these, if you click on the picture then select 'all sizes' and 'original' you should get a full-size view.)
Firstly, this was the view from my window. I had a room in a nice B&B on the outskirts of Haltwhistle, and however much I like London it was nice to look out on this for a change.
On the Saturday we headed out to Alston, a place which has the remarkable distinction of making both Guildford and Edinburgh look flat. We headed out via the narrow-gauge steam railway and set off for a walk that soon took us to the remains of the Roman Fort at Whitley Castle. Here, Tony explains the context;
The fort itself is little more than a row of hummocks from the ground.
It's rather more impressive from the air; we were near the wall intersection at the top right of that picture.
The walk back to Alston featured very typical local landscape: steep hills, small brooks and zig-zagging stone walls.
The following day I toured the Roman Army museum at Greenhead, then walked around the adjacent former quarry site at Walltown. As the name suggests, it's next to an impressive section of wall, hugging the top of the local crags.
Rather more recent wall atop one of the lower sections:
You get a better view of the wall by looking at the large version of this one:
Believe it or not, I've hardly done anything to clean up this picture at all. The day just was that nice!
Then off to Hexham, and to meet up with the rest of the group at the Old Gaol. Unprepossessing from the outside, inside it is features a range of rooms from fairly decent quarters for important prisoners at the top to a grim dungeon in the cellar.
Even more impressive was the interior of Hexham Abbey.
We were particularly fortunate in that
swisstone got us into the Saxon-era crypt; although it was a little too dark and cramped for me to get any decent pictures, it was definitely a memorable experience.It's a pity I could only make the middle couple of days, as it was an invigorating and educational trip with very good company! If another is in the offing, I shall definitely do my best to be along.