There were few places where it was more than 3-4 feet high, and for much of the 70 miles we walked, there was nothing remaining to be seen. Nevertheless, walking the length of Hadrian’s wall from Newcastle to Carlisle was an incredible experience, and for those Roman legions, slaves and paid labourers, 1900 years ago, building the wall was an incredible achievement.
The wall itself, 8-10 feet wide by 10-20 feet high, is just one part of the overall complex of defence and communication. The full structure consisted of a ditch, the wall, a military road, and the vallum – a ditch flanked by two large mounds. In many places it is the vallum that is the most prominent surviving feature. Along the length of the wall were milecastles and turrets and several forts and towns adjoining the wall. The surviving parts are impressive in their scale, the engineering involved, and a lingering beauty that blends with the wild open moors and crags of the Pennines, stretching away to North and South.
There is a sense of enduring history in the neatly aligned stones of the wall, and the once-ordered barracks, baths and storehouses of the forts we visited along the way. And that sense was carried forward in the glimpses into the way of life of these Roman soldiers and the citizens of Britannia. It was also carried forward in the snippets of Victorian industrial, archaeological, imperial and philanthropic history that we encountered walking through Newcastle and at other points along the way.
There was also a sense of timelessness in the wide blue skies, the stretching vistas, peat bogs and ancient woodlands that we wandered through along the way. And for us, stepping away from our ordinary lives, the activities of Breathing Space and my academic pursuits, we were able to put it all aside and simply enjoy being in the moment, shouldering our packs, and tramping each day’s miles.
(Not that it was all pure bliss, though. There were times when our shoulders ached from the weight of our packs, our feet were weary and confined in our boots; times when the path just seemed to stretch on and on with no prospect of a rest, or when we longed for a cool, refreshing drink or an indulgent, frothy coffee.)
Meanwhile, back at Breathing Space, time had not stood still. Our faithful team of builders, Mick, Ryan and Jack were beavering away at the next stage of our alterations. Over the previous weeks they had built their own walls. On a very different scale, but still impressive in the beauty of their craftsmanship. Far from being a statement of imperial pride (‘I’m going to build a wall…’), and a defence against unwanted intruders, the walls our team have built at Breathing Space are the retaining walls for our wonderful new access ramp – there to welcome people; walls that lead people in to this place of peace and beauty.
The ramp itself is now finished and already has made a huge difference to the ease of access. And work has now started on the next stage – to create two new flexible-use rooms in the loft and a new, open entrance hall.
We have been so blessed, through all this, by the generosity of so many people. To date we have received over £11,000 of the £16,000 we need in sponsorship, donations and pledges from individuals and churches. We have also been really blessed by some unexpected little gifts – a ‘jar of smiles’, a pot of flowers, several little notes and messages encouraging us in what we are seeking to provide through Breathing Space. Thank you so much to all of you who have contributed. If you would still like to contribute in any way, please click on the ‘donate’ button below, or get in touch with us at breathingspacecoventry@gmail.com
With the ongoing building work use of Breathing Space is limited at the moment, but we hope to be up and running again in September, with greater opportunities, particularly for those who might otherwise find it difficult to find spaces of peace and beauty in their lives – keep an eye on the Breathing Space website for details.