WTWFD: Stage 6, Chesters to Brocolitia

Yesterday saw a return to the trail for my youngest son and me, continuing our Walking the Wall for Daina challenge. The weather forecast was fair, and it is half-term, so it seemed like a good way to get the holiday off to a fun start. We travelled by train and bus once again to reach our starting point of Chesters. This was to be a relatively short but undulating walk through a wild country with some good surviving sections of Wall.

An open landscape

Heading westward from Chesters, the route travels uphill to the hamlet of Walwick, where we turned off the main road to cross farmland which was populated by sheep, and some interesting abandoned farm buildings. Eventually, skirting a conifer plantation, we followed stepping stones and wooden ladders over some very muddy terrain, to arrive at Black Carts, where a good section of wall remains.

Black Carts and Turret 29a

Here on the Wall were the remains of Turret 29a. Turrets were placed along the Wall, two to every Roman mile, so that guards could keep watch all along the frontier. There was a sleeping space, hearth and storage area for the guards stationed in these turrets. I’m sure they would have been glad of the shelter on a windy day such as this! We continued to follow the line of the Wall, passing several good sections, which encouraged our progress up hill and down dale.

Brocolitia Fort and Mithraeum

Our destination was Brocolitia Mithraeum, a mere four miles west of Chesters. It was long enough in the freezing cold westerly wind! As we had an hour to wait for our bus, we took shelter in the foundations of the Temple of Mithras, with its reconstructed altar and statues. Mithraism was a Roman cult with Persian origins, shrouded in mystery (to the extent that it is not well understood by modern historians). Membership was confined to the elite of Roman society, and of course, women were excluded. Cult members rose through the ranks by undergoing a series of initiation trials. Local commanding officers would have worshipped here. Of the fort itself, little is visible but the earthworks, which are grazed by inquisitive sheep.

We were glad to return to the relative warmth of the bus after a chilly midday walk. Hopefully there will be more spring weather in evidence when we return to the trail!

Stage 6: Chesters to Brocolitia
Distance: 4.43 miles
Elevation gain: 727 ft
Time: 2 hours, 4 minutes
Total Distance: 45 miles

This is the halfway point!

A further 45 miles will take us to our destination, Bowness on Solway on the North West coast of England. Thank you to all those who have donated so far. Your money will go straight to the North and West Cumbria branch of the MND Association, to help those living with MND, just as they helped my aunt Daina when she was most in need. You can visit my fundraising page at Justiving.com to find out more.

Ingrid