WTWFD: Stage 4, Heddon-on-the-Wall to Portgate

Another bright but frosty morning this Saturday, as my sons and I continue Walking the Wall for Daina 2025. We had a brutally early start, in order to ensure we would be able to catch the one bus which could pick us up from our destination in time to take the train home. As the fog started to clear from my head, the sun began to rise over the city of Newcastle in a spectacular display. Such are the rewards of getting up early:

Following the Wall

From Newcastle, we caught the bus to our previous end point: Heddon-on-the-Wall. Interestingly, the bus route follows the line of Hadrian’s Wall along the West Road. Occasional Wall foundations have been preserved at the roadside, which is quite something to see, in amongst the bus lanes and local shops! As the name suggests, the village of Heddon is indeed built on the site of the Roman Wall, and a good section of preserved wall remains here, which is where we began the day’s walk:

This section of wall is notable as it preserves the original ‘Broad Wall’ foundations: Hadrian had envisaged the wall as being 10 Roman feet wide, and work began on this design. This plan was soon abandoned in favour of a narrower wall, however, once the Romans realised how much labour, time and no doubt money this measure would save!

The walk continues

This was, in fact, the last we would see of Wall remains that day. The route to the junction of Portgate above Corbridge followed the vallum for most of the way: a flat-bottomed ditch dug on the south side of the Wall to mark out a military exclusion zone. We did pass the foundations of two Roman forts: Vindovala and Halton Chesters, which remain hidden beneath a layer of turf. I wonder what secrets could be sleeping below the grass…

The going was pretty tough, the route containing as it did an incessant series of ups and downs (the ups being, it would seem, far more frequent!) The endurance award for the day must go to my younger son, who kept going even with aching feet over a seemingly incessant series of stone steps and ladder stiles. He was duly rewarded with cake and hot chocolate when we reached our destination!

I have never been so pleased to see a road roundabout as I was when we arrived at Portgate! Here, the Errington Coffee House served up some delicious cakes, which were most welcome. Also welcome was the friendly advice from the staff that we were not standing in the right spot to catch the bus (there was no bus stop, we simply had to flag it down) meaning we made it with only seconds to spare! Having followed the sun throughout the course of the day, we were treated to another glorious display as it sank behind the hills of Hexham.

Stage 4: Heddon-on-the-Wall to Portgate
Distance: 10.6 miles
Elevation gain: 943 ft
Time: 4 hours, 22 minutes
Total Distance: 34 miles

A reminder that are walking the wall to raise vital funds for the North and West Cumbria branch of the MND Association, which helped my aunt Daina so much during her life with MND. You can visit my fundraising page at Justiving.com to find out more.

Ingrid