Hadrian's Wall run

Last year's enforced staycationing saw me ponder the few places in the UK I had never visited. While I had been to Northumberland before (one of our first 'family' holidays as a group of four in 2004), this was centred on the coast and the Cheviot hills. I had never visited Hadrian's Wall or the wonderful country around it. This was only a micro break, or perhaps even a nano break, but after arriving the night before I was able to sample a fairly long stretch of the most interesting sections by taking a running approach. Sadly, the run coincided almost precisely with Storm Malik, which brought 60mph westerlies crashing down from the west. It was dry, however, and started to brighten up as I set off from the superb Sill youth hostel, heading past Vinolanda before turning west past Cranberry Brow. This was all to avoid the main road, and it worked, apart from a horrifying headwind that made progress impossible at times. I knew it was coming, however, and as soon as I turned north past Hill Top, it became a crosswind, and then a wonderful tailwind as I gained the wall proper east of Cawfields. My journey along the wall then became superb - the sun was out, the wind stayed strong - and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. A few rises lead over hilly country to a trig at 345m directly above my hostel (I could see this section from my room). From here, a glorious descent to Steel Rigg and the most scenic section along the rocks above Crag Lough. The path was closed through the woods due to storm damage but I took it anyway, and then climbed up to the incredible Roman fort of Housesteads. I took a short break to visit this, then a long climb led to another highpoint trig at Sewingshields. From here I descended to the Old Repeater and Grindon before finally having to face the headwind again for a long return down the Stanegate, a famous Roman road which was unhelpfully (but unsurprisingly) straight as a die alongside Grindon Lough. Eventually it dropped down to the Roman 'town' of Vinolanda, and then back to the hostel for a satisfying 28k loop, with a surprising 1550m of ascent. After a break in the cafe, I walked a few more sections of the wall further west.