Arrival
The journey began with the train to Newcastle and then taking the Metro to Tynemouth.
Same country, different language. Elishia said “Are these people American?”
We stayed at No 61 Front Street, a quaint old pre Victorian house. It listed many famous people who had stayed there including Charles Dickens and Lord Byron.
We arrived mid morning and spent the day ambling around the village. We explored the castle, the beach and the imposing statue of Admiral Collingwood who led the fleet at Trafalgar.
An Italian meal in the evening and bed before the Adventure began.
Day 1 Wallsend to Newburn
We caught the Metro the short distance to Wallsend. Then turned right from the tube station (wrong) and walked half a mile before we reached Sedgedunum, the Roman Fort where the wall begins – it was actually only a few hundred yards to the left, but the signs were in Latin!
Sedgedunum had an observation tower with great views of the Tyne, a list of people who had built the wall and and history of the great days of shipbuilding at Wallsend. We collected our passports here – they are stamped at various points on the journey – and began.
The journey for the first few miles is through the remnants of the old industrial suburbs of Newcastle until it eventually wanders down to the Tyne and you arrive at Newcastle itself.
The walk through Newcastle is awesome. The many bridges and buildings echo the history of a friendly Northern city. From the Tyne Bridge to the Millennium; from historical old to glistening new buildings.
The journey after eventually leaves the Tyne, alongside busy roads and parklands until we eventually reached our first stop at a place in Newburn called Keelman’s Lodge, tired and weary.