Christian Aid at 80 The Walk Part 12 - Housteads to Chollerford

As I left Housesteads I was aware that I had only covered five miles of the fifteen it would take that day to reach the sanctuary of The George Hotel at Chollerford. A further ten miles of crags and heat seemed an  impossible task, so it was a case of dig deep and just complete another mile and another……….
That day was spectacular and as the afternoon wore on the view ahead changed from the relentless undulating crags to a longer distance panorama of low lands drawing the eye to the coast.
I recalled that the guidebook had stated that the middle days of the walk would be the hardest and recommended only doing about twelve miles each day. It had proved impossible to secure accommodation on the trail without walking at least fifteen miles each day.
As I made my way slowly East I was leapfrogging with a lovely German couple, who despite walking faster than me seemed to take a lot of rest and snack stops.
The arrival at Brocolitia was a good place for a rest stop, especially as there was a man serving tea and coffee from a van there. He did however turn out to be the grumpiest person I encountered on the whole trip!
As I sat enjoying my mug of tea a voice behind me said a cheery “hello” and I turned to see all three of the young people from days 2 and 3, still carrying their huge backpacks and all fit and well.
No sooner had they passed through then the two ladies from Saturday at Gilsland and lunchtime at Housesteads turned up. Their walking finished for that weekend, they were back at the car and would return another time to do more sections of the trail.
There was little time to hang around before I was back on the track for the final five miles to Chollerford.
The route from Brocolitia to Chollerford followed the Military Road for most of the way, mainly field walking alongside low ruins of the Wall with a couple of deviations around private properties.
After two exhausting days on the in the heat and on the crags they slow and tedious miles but eventually I was on the long decent into Chollerford, passing, on my left, the grand facade of the Chesters Stables Holiday Apartments, then, on my right, the entrance to Chesters Fort.
As The George Hotel in Chollerford came into view I congratulated myself on having the foresight to book such luxury accommodation and the comfort to come!
I noted on Strava 15.5 miles walked, shorter than the previous day but 10 times harder!