BOAC - Hadrian's Wall Circular - Northumberland -13/02/08

Date	13/02/08
Leader:	Russell S
Distance:	8.25 miles
Weather:	Sunny and bright - no wind.
Walkers	15
Parking:	Steel Rigg car park
Map:	Ordnance Survey OL43

Route Summary - Steel Rigg, Gibbs Farm, Greenlea Lough, Pennine Way, Hadrians Wall, Crag Lough, Steel Rigg.

From Steel Rigg Car Park we turned right at the road then took a track on our right signposted Gibbs Hill.

We were treated to a beautiful clear day giving us great views of Crag Lough in the distance. Unusually for Hadrian's Wall there was not a puff of wind and some of us were down to T-shirts before the end of the day - in the middle of February!

Near Gibbs Hill Farm we stopped to take photos of a solitary camera shy alpaca - we did have a discussion as to whether it was an alpaca or a small llama eventually deciding it was an alpaca.

Soon after at Allery Burn we stopped for a break before continuing on to Greenlea Plantation.

From here we joined a permissive path - a combination of boggy track and boardwalk- to a hide overlooking a flock of Canada Geese on Greenlea Lough Nature Reserve. It was too muddy here to stop for lunch but we found a good spot not too far away.

We continued on the Permissive path until rejoining the right of way through West Stonefolds, soon meeting up with the Pennine Way which took us uphill to meet up with Hadrian's Wall at turret 37A. The weather was still fantastic- clear blue sky and still hardly any wind and everyone agreed the views today were some of the best we've ever had from Hadrian's Wall .

At Milecastle 38 we left the wall, walking back to Steel Rigg passing Crag Lough then Sycamore Gap on our left.

Then we were off to The Three Tuns at Heddon-on-the Wall for our post walk "debriefing"!