In this episode of the Anglotopia podcast, host Jonathan Thomas welcomes back photographer and adventurer Quintin Lake to discuss the Hadrian’s Wall National Trail. They explore Quintin’s experiences walking the trail, its historical significance, the unique landscapes, and the challenges of photography along the route. The conversation also touches on memorable moments, iconic sites, and practical advice for those planning to walk the trail themselves.

Links

Quintin Lake:

• Website: quintinlake.com
• The Perimeter Project: theperimeter.uk
• Instagram: @quintinlake
• The Perimeter book (Hutchinson Heinemann)
• Quintin’s Article on Walking Hadrian’s Wall
• Quintin Hadrian’s Wall Pictures he shared with us

⠀Hadrian’s Wall Resources:

• Walk the Wall with Macs Adventure
• Hadrian’s Wall Path National Trail
• Vindolanda Roman Fort

Takeaways

• Quintin Lake has walked all 16 of Britain’s national trails.
• Hadrian’s Wall is a unique trail steeped in Roman history.
• The trail offers a rich experience with museums and historical sites.
• Walking the trail can be both contemplative and physically challenging.
• The landscape varies from flat agricultural land to rugged moorland.
• Photography along the wall requires attention to light and distance.
• The best time for photography is during golden hours.
• Planning for resupply is crucial when walking the trail.
• Memorable moments often come from unexpected encounters with history.
• The experience of walking connects you to the past in profound ways.

Soundbites

• “It’s more like walking an idea than walking a trail. You’re in the Roman world from beginning to end and that’s really exciting.” — Quintin on what makes Hadrian’s Wall unique among all 16 national trails.
• “I kind of thought it’d be a bunch of old stones and after half a day I would have had enough. But actually it was so rich and deep and they’re all different. It’s way more fascinating than I thought.” — Quintin on being surprised by the wall’s depth.
• “There were these huge blocks of stone with Roman drill holes where they’ve tried to wedge them apart. And they’ve clearly given up. That was the moment I felt most connected to history on the journey.” — Quintin on finding abandoned Roman quarrying at Limestone Corner.
• “The notes they’re writing home were things like, ‘Please send me new socks.’ It’s very domestic stuff — saying how boring it is, how wet it is. They’re looking forward to seeing their wives.” — Quintin on the Vindolanda tablets.
• “I remember as a young man seeing it as quite a small tree and then seeing it again as a full tree. It’s like a measure of one’s own life, and then to see it so senselessly cut down.” — Quintin on the Sycamore Gap tree.
• “Newcastle is such an extraordinary fantastic city. It’s a better place to celebrate at the end — amazing restaurants, the Tyne, the bridges.” — Quintin on why to walk west to east.
• “If you think you can wing it and buy food and provisions along the way, you won’t. It’s really difficult for resupply.” — Quintin’s practical warning for walkers.
• “I slept in the ditch itself just to get out of the wind. It was a bit stealthy, sneaky, beaky, but it kind of added to the sense of mischief — the history of raiding Scots and border reavers.” — Quintin on wild camping along the wall.
• “The biggest unexpected thrill was the views. You can see the Lake District mountains, the North Pennines, the hills of southern Scotland. It’s like a pivot point between separate worlds.” — Quintin on the panoramic surprise of the central section.
• “You imagine seeing a famous monument and you wonder, is it going to be as amazing as the postcards? And when it is, that was truly tremendous.” — Quintin on first seeing the iconic wall winding across the Whin Sill.

Chapters

• 00:00 Revisiting the Journey
• 01:42 Exploring Hadrian’s Wall National Trail
• 04:35 Walking Experience and Contemplation
• 07:28 Logistics and Planning for the Walk
• 10:40 Historical Significance of Hadrian’s Wall
• 13:44 Landscape and Weather on the Trail
• 16:36 Unexpected Discoveries Along the Wall
• 19:59 Connecting Through Mundanity
• 20:19 Memorable Moments on Hadrian’s Wall
• 23:31 The Impact of Nature and Change
• 24:10 Challenges of Photography on the Trail
• 27:32 Capturing Iconic Landscapes
• 29:00 The Experience of Wild Camping
• 30:34 The Hardest Days on the Trail
• 31:48 Post-Walk Recovery and Exploration
• 34:02 Impressions of Roman Sites
• 35:56 Unexpected Historical Richness
• 38:30 Planning for Provisions
• 42:14 Future Adventures in the Mountains
• 44:08 anglotopia-podcast-outro.mp4

Video Version