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This section provides the walker with information on the following
topics.
- Walking Distances
- Walking Terrain
- Accommodation Locations
- Transport Options
- Refreshments
- Walking Kit
- Maps
- Route directional instructions
- Weather
- Communications
- Emergency Precautions
Refreshments
This is not a walk where you can rely on finding a corner shop of pub
to satisfy your lunchtime or break requirements. On almost every
section the walker should plan to a packed lunch and adequate liquids.
It is also necessary to plan ahead, as some start points have now
appropriate shops.
Section |
Start |
Along route |
End |
Wallsend - Hedden |
wide choice |
wide opportunity just off the Way |
several options |
Hedden - Chollerford |
several options |
garage shop at Harlow Hill then two to three pubs on route |
serveral options |
Chollerford - Steel Rigg |
several options |
not provision or shops until Housesteads |
only available 0.5 km off route at One Brewed and Twice Brewed |
Steel Rigg - Bellingham |
Limited off route |
no provisions |
several options |
Bellingham - Byrness |
several options |
no provisions |
limited provision |
Byrness - Crailinghall |
limited provision |
no provisions |
no provisions but good choice in Jedburgh |
Crailinghall - Melrose |
no provisions but good choice in Jedburgh |
opportunities at Harestanes(short diversion), St Boswells and Newtown St Boswells |
wide selection |
Bowness - Carlisle |
liimited provision |
limited to Glasson and Burgh by Sands |
wide selection |
Carlisle - Banks |
wide selection |
available at Crosby and Walton |
provision about 1Km at Lanercost |
Banks - Steel Rigg |
provision about 1Km at Lanercost |
shops at Gilsland and refreshments a Birdoswald, Gilsland and off route at Greenhead |
only available 0.5 km off route at One Brewed and Twice Brewed |
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Walking Kit
What the walker carries is to some extent a personal choice and a
compromise between essential - desirable and space - weight.
For many walkers the ideal is to have the overnight luggage
forwarded from place to place leaving you only with the need to carry
the kit for the days walk. We list below what we feel you need in such
circumstances.
Some of the kit relates to what you will be wearing, the balance
what you will take in the rucksack.
- The most important kit relates to walking boots and sock,
without this being correct and having walked then in your chances of
completion or of enjoying the Way are unlikely. This is a walk that
needs waterproof good quality boots for almost all of the sections.
-
Clothing that provides comfort, warmth and breaks the wind is vital,
along with waterproof jacket and leggings for the poorer weather.
-
Hat and gloves, there are thermal and waterproof varieties which we
recommend in autumn, winter and spring time.
-
A spare set of socks and boot laces are worth including in the
rucksack.
The next consideration is what needs to be carried.
-
Rucksack which is of sufficient size and comfortable to carry. A
waterproof cover is worth including or at least a bin liner or poly
bags to protect the contents from the rain.
- Sufficient water as well as other liquid refreshment.
- Adequate food to meet the time out walking as well as some high
energy foods like chocolate to give you energy and to sustain you if
delayed or forced to stop awaiting assistance.
- First aid kit including some blister pads
- Compass, maps and whistle
We believe the following are desirable items
- Walking poles
- Gaiters to protect your legs and trousers in muddy conditions.
- Insect repellent and sun block (dependent on time of year)
- Folding umbrella - to some this may seem unacceptable and we
would have fallen into this camp until walking with two very
experience international walkers. They used them to shed off the
worst of the downpours keeping the clothing on the upper body dry.
- Camera and binocular.
- Spare battery for mobile phone if you carry one.
This should be taken as a guide only, you should plan for the
unexpected weather, and the unexpected difficulty that might mean
you having to be in the open for longer than you anticipated. For
this reason also look at the Emergency
Precautions section.
Return to topic list by clicking here.
Maps
The walk is waymarked with the National Trails Acorn signs for all the
route to Dere Street then with Dere Street markers and St Cuthbert's
Way markers to Melrose.
We would not advocate that the walker navigates purely by the
waymarks but also carries up to date maps to a scale of atleast
1:50000 and the walker comes prepared with compass. The OS Landranger
maps relevant to the walk are:
- Wallsend to Melrose Nos.: 88, 87, 80, 74 & 73.
- Bowness to Melrose Nos.: 85, 86, 80, 74 & 73.
In additon to this we strongly recommend that a walker makes use of the Walking Support Roman Heritage Way route directions chart. This plots all the key points along the route using O/S Grid Reference numbers and defines the directional decision that needs to be taken at all these key points.
There is a nominal charge of £2.90 for this directional data which is ordered and paid for on-line and is sent to the walker as a word document attachment to their e-mail address.
This is a secure on-line payment process which is initiated by simply clicking on the Buy Now button below.
There are in addition specific maps and guide books for sections of the
route
- Hadrian's Wall Paths:-
Author: Anthony Burton ISBN 1-85410-893-x - £12.99
- Pennine Way North:-
Author: Tony Hopkins ISBN 85410 018 1 - £ Unknown
- St Cuthbert's Way:-
Trail Guide and Map - Mercat Press - £12.99
Trail Map - Harvey Maps - £6.95
Return to topic list by clicking here.
Weather
This can vary from day to day and area to area. Dependent on the route
selected you may be walking from the west coast where rain is more
prevolant. Much of the walk is on
open hills and high level moorlands, so mist and low cloud can make
visibility and navigation more difficult. The weather
may also be bright and in this circumstance there are long sections
where there are no trees to afford a break from sunlight.
For information on the weather forecast within the region you can call
Weathercall. (This is a premium rate telephone service run by the
Met Office.)
Relevant Regions and Dial Numbers:
Region | Walking Sections | Dial Number |
North East England |
Wallsend to Hedden
Hedden to Chollerford
Chollerford to Steel Rigg
Steel Rigg to Bellingham
Bellingham to Byrness |
09068 232 789 |
Cumbria & Lake District |
Bowness to Carlisle
Carlisle to Banks
Banks to Steel Rigg |
09068 232 789 |
Edinburgh, Fife, Lothians & Borders |
Byrness to Crailinghall
Crailinghall to Melrose |
09068 232 792 |
Alternatively access the
Met Office Website.
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Communications
Communications in the form of mobile phones cannot be relied upon
throughout the route but are generally available one the first five
days and the last. On days 5 & 6 the signal will be lost at several
point and cannot be relied upon over considerable stretches. There are
additionally variations between the various networks.
Section | Mobile Signal | Public/Emergency Telephone |
Wallsend to Hedden |
Good along the entire length. |
For the first 2/3rds they are always with a close distance
along with provision at end of section. |
Hedden to Chollerford |
Signal generally strong along this section. |
Available at start and end, however along the route emergency
use would demand access to private house or small business. |
Chollerford to Steel Rigg |
Signal generally strong along this section but there may be
some dead spots. |
Available at the start and Walwick. Any other access will be
very limited even in emergency and reliant on coming off the route to a
farmhouse. |
Bowness to Carlisle |
Good signal along the entire length |
Available in Bowness but not at the start at between the start
point and Glasson a unless deviating from the route. Also available at
a few points along the route and plenty provision at the section end.
|
Carlisle to Banks |
Generally good with only a few short dead spots |
Available at the start and end points with availability at most villages on route. |
Banks to Steel Rigg |
Generally good with only some dead spot. |
Available in Banks and Gilsland, otherwise it is necessary to
deviate from the path. In an emergency there are farms or communities
relatively close although this become more sparse walking east. |
Steel Rigg to Bellingham |
The signal is less reliable but generally it is not too far
before a signal is restored. |
No public phones till the end of section, and long stretches
where there is no housing. |
Bellingham to Byrness |
The signal is less reliable but generally it is not too far
before a signal is restored. |
No phones between Bellingham and Byrness, and only a very few
farms passed on the way. |
Byrness to Crailinghall |
The signal can be lost for significants section of the route
due to hills blocking the signal. |
Public phone at Byrness and Crailinghall but not at the point
where the walk passes. Very few points where even emergency access
could be got. |
Crailinghall to Melrose |
Signal is generally strong with only a few possible dead spots. |
Available first on the route at St Boswells then two further location before Melrose. |
Return to topic list by clicking here.
Emergency Precautions
The walk in the later stages takes you over hills, high moorland and
into remote forests where you are less likely to see many other
individuals. This may be one of the charms of this walk, but it is also
important to recognise that assistance in an emergency will not
necesarily be at hand. We also know that mobile telephone reception can
be poor or non existant in some of the remoter areas in the Cheviots,
sometimes being possible with one service provider and not with
another. It is therefore strongly recommended that walkers leave
word with someone on the route being taken and the expected time of
arrival at the days destination. We also recommend that each group has
one person carrying a loud whistle to attract attention, some
basic first aid kit, and that the group has water and some high energy
food in case of having to stop awaiting assistance. Proper outdoor
clothing is required as on inclement days a walker could become very
wet and cold without the right protection.
We also strongly recommend that in each walking group there is a person
proficient with the use of a compass and carries with then a set of
appropriate maps.
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