My ‘Poshtel’ mini break with mum

Isurfboard-slid across the mud, then got up and pretended it hadn’t happened. “Careful in those slippy trainers!” Mum yelled. “I’m fine,” I huffed, though inside I was cursing myself for forgetting my walking shoes. The next obstacle was an almost-vertical hill crowned with a fragmented wall, part-gobbled by thistles, polished by sun. Crawling up, I almost fell backwards when two young boys dashed past, tongues out and sniggering: “Too slow!”

I was at Hadrian’s Wall for an outdoorsy weekend. I’d been eager to visit since I studied the architecture-obsessed emperor in Year 5 at school. So what had finally persuaded me at the age of 29 to make the six-hour car journey from London? I could see the answer, shaped like a futuristic UFO base, just down the slope – a funky new youth hostel and visitor experience centre. Yep, a “poshtel” – convenience, luxury and budget-friendly all in one – had brought me to Hadrian’s Wall. How shamelessly millennial of me.

The Sill has a jaw-dropping location just down the road from one of the most dramatic Hadrian’s Wall trails. There’s a rooftop garden, en suite rooms, exhibition space and a trendy cafe. This is what I tried to explain to my mum en route to the place, in response to her glaring at me as if I’d just booked us a snorkelling holiday in Somalia. To be fair, it wasn’t until we were halfway up the A1 that I landed her with the fact that, for our motherdaughter weekend in Northumberland, we were staying in a YHA hostel.

I understood her concern after she confessed that the last time she’d stayed at a hostel was in 1971 in Worcestershire: “We brought our own sleeping bags cos ya’ day know where the sheets had been,” she said (her Black Country accent mysteriously Sherelle at Hadrian’s Wall, above, and with her mother, below. Top right: The Sill hostel

returned as we headed north of Watford). “You had to walk in the frost to t’shower block. And no Wi-Fi of course – fourpence to use the payphone in the refectory!”

But – to my relief – as we walked into The Sill with its assymetrical roof, pouffe-strewn hang-out space and Crayola colour scheme, she joyously announced: “My word, how things have moved on.” My mum and I particularly enjoyed walking around its whizzy exhibition space, with a design that seemed to draw inspiration from Jenga and the Facebook home page: think video installations,

iPad-style games, and d “interactive” wooden stations madede of stacked blocks with artefacts in drawers.

Upstairs, the rooftopop garden offered the best viewpoint,point, with the great winding ng grey neck of Hadrian’s Wall ll stretching for miles – and the hostel itself was wall-y too. Its walls are covered ered with giant pictures off the Wall. These in turn are re decorated with quotes es from poets such as Katrina a Porteous on the subject ect of walls. The adjoining experience centre also has bits of walls from around the country on loan from museums. I spotted a section from a Roman milestone dedication incised “Caesar Trajan Hadrian”.

Eating at The Sill’s hipsterish café was fabulous. The pomegranatequinoa salad with edible flowers picked from surrounding fields had the forceful colour contrasts of a Monet painting. This made it the perfect photo candidate for my Instagram. Mum ordered the ham and cheese sandwich. There was something for all.

The opening of The Sill and its hostel is timely. Let’s face it: thanks to Donald Trump and Game of Thrones, walls in general have never been so talked about. This year is also the 1,900th anniversary of Hadrian becoming emperor. Exactly 30 years ago, the Wall was pronounced a Unesco World Heritage site.

To celebrate, 10 attractions across the length of Hadrian’s Wall are taking part in the Hadrian’s Hadrians Cavalry exhibition until Sept September 10, showcasing rare arm army antiquities as well as interac interactive activities and family-frien family-friendly fun. Northu Northumberland’s cooles coolest new poshtel is well lo located for many of them them: Mum enjoyed the re remains of Roman army settler camp Vindolanda;Vind I liked the RomanR Army Muse Museum, probably on accou account of the 3D film about legionary life acted out by Jon Snow lookalikes. Afterwards, we headed back to base to chill. Our private room with en suite had bunk beds. The shower was hot. There was even liquid soap. But then disaster. No clean towels at reception. Luckily, the duty manager – who quickly read the irate twitch underneath Mum’s keep-calm grimace – tracked down two. Thus was averted the biggest potential upset at Hadrian’s Wall since the Barbarian Conspiracy.

The hostel is proving popular with young families, and the main hall felt a tad raucous in the evening. We found respite outside, lying on the ground stargazing.

Oh, and those views of Hadrian’s Wall – a bone-white snake under the moonlight – are worth 1,000 showers without a towel.

Even Mum agreed.

The Sill, at Hadrian’s Wall, offers luxuries at a price a legionary would die for, says

The Sill, Military Road, Once Brewed, Bardon Mill NE47 7AN (01629 592559; yha.org.uk/hostel/sill-hadrians-wall). Dorm beds from £15; private rooms from £29. Breakfast £6.25 per person.