Hiking club stage an invasion of their own
Our Lady of Lourdes trek along Hadrian’s Wall
An invasion of Hadrian’s Wall by East Kilbridians may well have missed the Romans by almost 1700 years but it didn’t dampen their celebratory mood.
Our Lady of Lourdes Hiking Club headed south to celebrate its 25th anniversary with a ‘club walk’ in which all members could take part.
For some members it was a case of reminiscing on the occasion they had walked the wall many years ago.
Starting near Greenhead, the hikers covered a reasonably taxing 12 kilometres to Once Brewed.
Following the footsteps of centurions long gone, the OLOL invaders didn’t need to get out the woad as they faced no opposition on their pleasant ramble past ancient milecastles and remains of roman forts.
A stop at a water-filled quarry – source of some of the stones for the wall – gave the hikers the chance of a rest for lunch.
A highlight for some was a final stop for photos at the ‘Robin Hour Tree’ made famous from its appearance in the film Robin Hood Prince of Thieves. It is not historic by any means but is still proving an attraction to many tourists. A welcome final stop at the Twice Brewed Inn, in Once Brewed, for a celebratory meal sent the invaders home in jubilant mood.
New members are welcomed into this thriving, friendly club.
To get a flavour of OLOL’s hikes, search for “Scotland’s Mighty Mountains” on YouTube .
Phone (01355) 222464 to book a place on the next day trip. See the club’s website www.ololhikingclub.co.uk for the walks calendar.