Following Hadrian's Wall

 

Monday 12th June 2023

Another beautiful day, I do feel we're being very lucky with the weather on this trip. 

We first headed east today, leaving the lake district and towards Penrith where there is a small National Trust garden at Acorn Banks.

It is famous for its fruit orchard and herb garden. It's only quite small and compact and doesn't take long to walk around. 

It was too hot to leave Louis in the Ed and he wasn't allowed in the gardens, so we just had to make do with a quick squinted look at the gardens from where we could, took a photo and moved on.

To be honest, as nice as they were, they weren't anything to get too excited about, especially the orchard, lacking blossom or fruits at the moment.

We then went on the woodland walk down to the Watermill which was in much cooler surroundings with shade from the trees, unlike the gardens.

Volunteers still mill flour here and sell it locally.

There are red squirrels in the woods but we didn't see any, nor did we see the fairies.

They're definitely fairies around here because we saw the fairy doors on the trees.

Acorn Banks

Acorn Banks Orchard

Acorn Banks Gardens

Acorn Banks Gardens

Acorn Banks Gardens

Acorn Banks Gardens

Acorn Banks Woodland walk

 

Acorn Banks Fairey doors

Acorn Banks Watermill

After a bite of lunch we headed north towards Hadrian's Wall and stopped at Birdsoswald Roman Fort.

It's an English Heritage site and students from Newcastle university carry out summer excavations to reveal ever more information about this northern outpost of the Roman empire.

I love the odd place names here, Once Brewed, Twice Brewed which confusingly seems to be the same place depending on which direction you arrive from. We're heading that way tomorrow so we'll find out more.

Vindolanda is another one with a strange name.

With the continuing heat, I decided on another campsite for tonight so we could again have air conditioning. 

It's called Herding Hill Farm campsite .

It's another nice site, this one has lots of animals. Llamas, donkeys, ponies, pigs, rabbits, guinea pigs and goats.

There is also a lovely dog walk with mowed paths through a wild flower meadow. Lovely, but pollen central unfortunatly.

I must say the Northumberland countyside is very beautiful if a little parched at the moment.

We had a brief shower in Buttermere but apart from that we've seen no rain.

Hadrian's Wall

Hadrian's Wall

Herding Hill Farm campsite

Louis after a full body roll in sheep poop, oh no, it's a porker !

Herding Hill Farm campsite animals

Herding Hill Farm campsite wild flower meadow dog walk

Herding Hill Farm campsite wild flower meadow dog walk