An Archaeological Guide to Walking Hadrian's Wall from Wallsend to Bowness-on-Solway (East to West)
Per Lineam Valli, no. 3
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- £2.99
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- £2.99
Publisher Description
This is an informative (yet informal) description of the route of Hadrian's Wall and all the remains that can still be seen. For most of the route from east to west, it follows the Hadrian's Wall National Trail Footpath, but with an important difference: where the path veers off the line of the Wall, this account stays with it and allows you to examine the remains most other walkers do not see (and most other guidebooks do not describe). Profusely illustrated with more than 100 photographs and plans, it is the perfect archaeological companion to your walk along Hadrian's Wall, regardless of whether you take it with you on your ebook reader or smartphone, or prefer to sit in the comfort of your favourite armchair and let others experience the rain and blisters whilst you enjoy the text and pictures. Written by an archaeologist who has walked, driven, cycled, flown, illustrated, photographed, and even excavated on Hadrian's Wall, this is the second of a new series of accessible guides to 'that famous wall'.
Customer Reviews
Outstanding guide to Hadrian's Wall
Having loaded this book, along with os maps onto my smartphone, I had all I needed for an entertaining and informative journey following the archaeology, rather than the recognised national trail, from Wallsend to Bowness On Solway.
As a keen walker with a general interest in history I was surprised with the amount of evidence I would encounter along the way. The excellent detail of the route (mile by mile & stile by flamboyant stile) means you always have reference points close at hand to help spot the clues around you. From the obvious stretches of reconstructed curtain wall to mysterious lumps in the grass, the archaeological detail (or lack of it) is clearly described. More subtle evidence such as inscriptions, hedge lines and construction techniques provide extra challenges and are fun to track down.
The author's style is entertaining and relaxed and although he points out that you may wish to have additional material with you, I suspect that this is for the benefit of historians, as I found the guide comprehensive. In some areas, where the archaeology abounds, you may even find yourself pausing to let the guidebook catch up.
I know I would have enjoyed the trek on its own but this guide (not forgetting the substantial contribution of the Romans) made the walk for me. Don't leave home without it.
PS If you do plan to use your smartphone as guide and map it may be worth investing in a backup battery to avoid disappointment or straying of course. Some of the ditches look rather deep.