What would you pack for a walk through history - a 135km hike through some of the most beautiful parts of England, coast to coast? If you are Robson Green, the answer is a tent, a sleeping bag - and a flask of tea.
“Travelling along Hadrian’s Wall, set against the back drop of some of the most beautiful countryside in the planet, mind you, it’s easier said than done. At 84 miles, that’s over three marathons. And I ain't getting any younger… So I've got a feeling it's not going to be easy. But when has anything worthwhile ever been easy?” says Green as he sets out.
If you've ever dreamed of hiking the , seeing it with Green as your guide - meeting locals, visiting nearby landmarks and taking in dramatic landscapes - is likely to make you even keener.
Three-part documentary Hadrian's Wall with Robson Green joins Green as he starts his trip at the eastern end of the trail, departing from Segendum. It's a place he knows well - Green lived in the area for five years in the 1980s. Along with the other things he has in his backpack, Green has his (a popular scheme that runs May to October every year, helping to raise money for maintenance of the Hadrian's Wall Path, with seven stamps available along the way).
Stopping for some tea along the way. Source: Firecracker Scotland
"Just put one foot in front of the other, and start walking," says a fellow trail walker as Green sets out. And that's exactly what he does, heading off on an adventure that takes in the path, some significant monuments, and even some tasty treats.
Constructed by the Emperor Hadrian in the second century AD, the wall is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The first part of Green's journey actually sees him heading towards home - he was born, and again lives, in Hexham. Over the multi-day journey, he walks along the parts of the wall that are still above ground, shares some history (it took 15,000 soldiers six years to build the wall), tries his hand at geocaching, visits the site of a once-bustling garrison town to learn about life in Roman times from a local guide and drops into nearby Corbridge where he runs into an old friend. His longstanding passion for fishing sees him take a detour to wade into the river to cast a line, before he rejoins the path by the wall. He'll also lend a hand to volunteers working on the path, climb to the highest point of the trail at Steel Rigg, try the famous Cumberland sausages, do some climbing to look at Roman inscriptions, and meet a baby owl (there is a connection - The Romans used trained owls for hunting). He'll encounter fog, rain and glorious sunshine along with way.
"The story of Hadrian’s Wall and everything it tells us of our past is one of the most beautiful and unique time capsules in the world and I love the fact that people from all over the world come to visit a place that I am still very proud to call home," he says at the end, where he takes a quiet walk along the beach. For those of us who can't make the trip along the way, joining Green for his adventure is fantastic armchair travel.
Three-part series Hadrian's Wall with Robson Green is for a imited time. Start with episode 1:
Andrew Pad from the National Trust gives Green a tour of the ruins of a Roman fort. Source: Firecracker Scotland
Green meets an owl during his educational adventure. Source: Firecracker Scotland
At the end of a very long walk. Source: Firecracker Scotland
