Walking Hadrian's Wall - Day Nine - Wylam to Newcastle

I woke in the morning, still with a painful ankle, and seriously thought about catching the train from Wylam to Newcastle and skipping the rest of the trail. I eventually came to the decision that I would try to walk as much as I could, but seeing as I was so close to Newcastle, then I could easily jump on a bus or train if it all got too much.

The first part of the trail I didn't really pay much attention to, which I now regret. I was just trying to get some distance in before things got too uncomfortable, so I didn't appreciate the fact that I was walking along the Wylam Waggonway. Called the "father of the railways" because really he was, George Stephenson grew up in the little white stone cottage, and was inspired from a young age to become and inventor & engineer. Inspired by the slow moving carts that trundled past the cottage, the idea of a steam railway was born. One of his engines the aptly named Locomotion travelled at 15mph while pulling a passenger train. Today we would almost laugh at that speed (although from the amount of delays and cancellations on the rail network today, you might actually get there faster on his Locomotion at 15mph!) but this was revolutionary, and spurred the industrial development of the country. I think we often overlook the fact at how much the railways changed the world. Rather than taking days, weeks or months to get places, you could now move people and goods from one side of the county to the others in the same day. It created development that was fast, innovative & bountiful, and without the railways, the industrial revolution would never have been able to spread at the pace and intensity that it did. Imagine if we were all still using horse & cart, your Amazon order would take weeks to arrive! 

The path follows the banks of the River Tyne, and the wall has vanished and almost feels a distant memory! You pass along through the Tyne Riverside Park, with some beautiful views over the river, and with lots of benches to stop and take a minute to rest.

What a view! There's also a steady stream of other walkers here too, I sat and chatted on a bench with one lady for a while when I needed a break. She had done the walk several times before, and each time loved it as much as the first.

There may not be much Roman history to see on this section, but there is other things to see. This cone is the chimney of the famous Lemington glass factory. It's next to a Lidl on the busy road, but I don't think you can go inside to see it properly.

The path joins this riverside embankment & path near the business park, and there's a very 90's feel to it. But there's these ful concrete ball sculptures as you're walking along, which I actually quite liked, They add a bit of texture as you walk along.

There was a cluster of them grouped together a little further up, and as you can see by the skyline across the water, it's starting to become more built up. I was approaching the city centre, it wasn't far to go! 

The steady stream of walkers had now become a torrent, and the path was feeling quite busy at points. But despite that, there was still moments of quiet on the path, quiet enough for these bunny rabbits to sit without a worry of us walking past.

This is the point where I again want to point out the detail of the Trailblazer guide I was using. The guide is fantastically designed, its very easy to follow, and points out everything you need en route. It points out places to eat, notable landmarks and handy little directional tips. It made the journey so much easier for me. I know there's quite a few different guides out there (I can vouch for the fact I spent nearly an hour in Waterstones back home going through each one to decide which is best) and this one really is. They have loads of different guides for many different walks, both here in the UK and abroad, so it's worth checking out their website @trailblazer-guides.com

As I approached the city centre, I made the executive decision to call it a day. My ankle was throbbing, I was a bit on the grumpy side, and I wanted to enjoy the final section to Wallsend. So as I reached the city centre, I headed for the Newcastle Central Train Station, and jumped on the Metro to the stop at Regency Centre. I then crossed the road, headed into M&S to pick up the replacement pair of chino's I had ordered, before walking up the road to the Great North Hotel. It was perhaps only a 15 minute walk, but it finished me off. It was funny really, I'd done 12.5 miles today, but I think being sat down on the metro then trying to walk again really aggravated it more.

The hotel was clean, comfortable and has a nice attached restaurant and bar, but it was the staff that really made effort to go out of their way to help. I checked in with the lady at the desk, and she asked if I was ok as I was walking a little off. I just mentioned my ankle was painful and a little swollen, and just needed the afternoon to rest. She asked me to give her a minute, before returning with a plastic bag with some ice on it, and offered to carry my rucksack to the room. I was very grateful for the ice, I hadn't thought about that as of yet, but I was fine to carry my rucksack in the lift. 

Little things like that are so powerful, because it shows the person has actually listened to you, and thought about your problem. Getting some ice for me was a small thing to do, but it was a lovely thing to do, and was an example of great service. So many thanks to her once again! If you're wanting somewhere nice to stay, then @greatnorthhotel.co.uk could be for you! 

I spent the afternoon laid on the bed, ankle propped up and iced, taking ibuprofen and watching the TV. it wasn't quite how I planned the afternoon, but I do think it was for the best! Here's hoping to finish the trail tomorrow!