marleyonthewall

Tag: Outdoor Adventures

  • Gannin’ Along The Scotswood Road

    Leg 5: Scotswood to Denton Dene

    (Danny walking Marley and Marley’s buggy outside the KD stadium, home of Newcastle Blue Star FC)

    From Cul‑de‑Sac to Motorway

    Saturday 1 August 2026. There’s a particular kind of quiet that only exists at around 05:00 on a Saturday morning, and we found it on a non‑descript residential cul‑de‑sac somewhere near Denton, a district of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. We parked as discreetly as possible beside the trail marker, trying to close the car doors and unload Marley’s chariot (I mean buggy) without a sound, as if the entire street were asleep under glass. Marley, of course, shattered the illusion immediately — snorting, shaking his ears, and doing his full‑body stretch that sounds like someone dragging furniture across a wooden floor. Just kidding. He was as good as gold. By now, he was a seasoned dawn walker.

    Starting with a bang: crossing the A1

    (Danny and Marley before crossing over the A1 footbridge)

    It was another dry start, though not an especially warm one. Danny was wearing shorts while I set off in a woolly hat. Dawn in the North East isn’t always warm, even in August. Later, I swapped my Hadrian’s Wall woolly hat for the more seasonal cap.

    We began with drama: crossing the footbridge over the A1. It felt surreal. I’ve been in a car on that road more times than I can count, but crossing it on foot — at dawn, with a dog who is famously fearful of traffic — was something else entirely. The irony wasn’t lost on me. But at that hour on a Saturday, the A1 was manageable: a gentle hum rather than the roaring wall of noise it becomes at any reasonable time of day. We absolutely couldn’t have done it later.

    Once over the A1, the world softened. The hard edges of the road gave way to green space at Denton, and soon we were walking past the KD Stadium — home of Newcastle Blue Star, a football club I’ll admit I hadn’t heard of before this walk.

    They’re based right here in Scotswood and are known as one of the fastest‑growing football clubs in the North East, with multiple senior and junior teams. Founded in 1930, they famously won the FA Vase in 1978, were wound up in 2009, and were reborn in 2018. Today they play in Northern League Division One, the ninth tier of English football, calling the KD Stadium on Denton Road their home.

    Their slogan — “Gannin’ along the Scotswood Road” — is proudly emblazoned on the fences surrounding the ground.

    As an avid football fan, it was oddly charming to stumble across a stadium with such a long, winding history while walking Hadrian’s Wall at dawn. Marley didn’t care, of course — he was far more interested in a suspicious tuft of grass — but I liked the unexpectedness of it. And it’s those unexpected discoveries on the Hadrian’s Wall Path that keep you going when moments get tough.

    Denton Dene and the calm before the storm

    We continued through Denton Dene, a pleasant green space that no doubt provides recreation to many local residents, both human and dog. Marley’s tail was up as he sniffed and pootled along, proudly posing amongst grass and trees. I pushed the empty buggy behind us, ready for when he — and we — needed it.

    It would have been lovely if the walk had carried on like this the whole way, but we knew this would be a challenging leg. Not just because of our brief crossing of the A1, but because of Scotswood Road (more on that later).

    Yesterday, Today, Forever — Scotswood remembers

    The path emerged from the trees onto the A191 Denton Road: industry, complex roundabouts, and on one of the traffic islands, a striking sculpture. I left Danny and Marley safely on the pavement while I walked over for a closer look.

    “Yesterday, Today, Forever” — Fowberry Road, Scotswood. A sculpture of a pitman, pony, and two children stands on the small traffic island at the junction of Fowberry Road and Denton Road.

    A plaque explains it commemorates the 38 men and boys killed in the Montagu View Pit disaster on 30 March 1925, when an inrush of water from the abandoned Paradise Pit flooded the deep Brockwell Seam. Some bodies weren’t recovered until January 1926. The miners were buried at St John’s Cemetery, Elswick, where a more traditional memorial stands.

    The pit finally closed in 1959. This sculpture, created by Xceptional Designs and unveiled in 2012, involved local children and the community. It also features a frog, a tank, and a house — symbols chosen by the children. One said:

    “Scotswood is like a frog — it’s not very pretty on the outside but it’s beautiful on the inside.”

    The pitman, pony, and tank depict the past heritage, with the pitman leading the children toward the future. The girl is taking his photo with her mobile phone.

    Moving and sad. Like Dunston Staiths on the previous leg, the impact of mining in the northeast continues to be felt and shows itself on the Hadrian’s Wall Path. I suspect it won’t be the last reminder of the pit past we see.

    Into the trees — and out again

    After a moment of reflection, I crossed back to Danny and Marley. A few minutes more along the road and the path tucked back into an avenue of trees parallel to Scotswood Road. We were relieved to be away from the roadside but picked up the pace, wanting this leg to be over sooner rather than later.

    Before we did, the Hadrian’s Wall Path converged with the Blaydon Races Heritage Trail, where we paused to read the lyrics of verses two to four of George Ridley’s Blaydon Races. The famous Tyneside folk song recounts a chaotic day out on Whit Monday, 9 June 1862, as a group of passengers travelled by bus from Newcastle to Blaydon for the race meeting on Blaydon Island.

    We flew past Armstrong’s factory
    And up by the Robin Adair
    But gannin’ ower the Railway Bridge
    The bus wheel flew off there
    The lasses lost their crinolenes
    And veils that hide their faces
    I got two black eyes and a broken nose
    In gannin’ to Blaydon Races

    Now when we got the wheel back on
    Away we went again
    But them that had their noses broke
    They went back o’er hyem
    Some went to the dispensary
    And some to Doctor Gibbs’s
    And some to the infirmary
    To mend their broken ribs’s

    We flew across the Tyne Bridge
    And came to Blaydon Toon
    The barman he was calling then
    They called him Jackie Broon
    I saw him talking to some chaps
    And them he was persuadin’
    To gan and see Geordie Ridley’s show
    At the Mechanics’ Hall in Blaydon

    Soon enough, the path emerged onto the pavement at Scotswood Road. Like the A1, Scotswood is never completely still, even very early on a Saturday morning. There was something faintly surreal about walking it on foot at dawn. Danny drives along Scotswood regularly in the early hours on her way to Newcastle station, yet neither of us had ever imagined we would one day be walking it by choice as part of the Hadrian’s Wall Path. Much like crossing the A1 on foot earlier in our journey, seeing such a familiar route from ground level felt strangely disorientating.The path was flat and easy to navigate, if not exactly what you dream of when deciding to walk Hadrian’s Wall.

    We walked at speed, crossed a set of traffic lights, and pounded the pavements until we reached Lexus at Newcastle Business Park, where we’d ended the previous leg. Because we walk each section twice, this was the point where Marley went into the buggy — he was beginning to show signs of tiredness.

    A wise decision. No sooner had he settled in than a very early peloton appeared. Marley wasn’t keen, but safely zipped away in the buggy, he could let it go. You couldn’t help but admire their commitment.

    Gannin’ along the Scotswood Road — with a flat tyre

    Now it was time to push him back. We were gannin’ along the Scotswood Road alright — until the tyre started to feel flat. A substantial doggy buggy plus a 36kg dog up the hill toward the A1 footbridge quickly became an Olympic workout.
    A1 done, and the car in touching distance… or so we thought.

    A Slightly Chaotic Finish

    Towards the end, we had a stressful encounter with two loose, overenergetic dogs — including a golden retriever out for its morning run. They sprinted towards Marley’s chariot and continued to pursue us as we tried to move away. The owner eventually caught up, and we made a hasty exit.

    A few minutes later, we realised the stress had caused us to deviate from the path. We only noticed once we reached the bottom of another steep hill. It was a frustrating and demoralising end to the leg. We had to turn around and push Marley straight back up the hill, no mean feat with a flat tyre. The bum steer probably added about 15 minutes. We didn’t want the extra steps, but Marley didn’t mind being chauffeured for a bit longer.

    Finally, we reached the car. Marley was ready for a long snooze — but first, we had to meet the Wall.

    Benwell Temple & Benwell Crossing — Hadrian in the suburbs

    There were three sections of wall not technically on the Hadrian’s Wall Path, but only minutes from our end point. It would’ve been rude not to!

    1. Benwell Temple

    2. Benwell Crossing

    3. Denton Hall Turret

    What we loved was how these ruins sit quietly amongst ordinary housing estates. We took photos and particularly enjoyed a Hadrian bust perched on a resident’s fence. It wasn’t part of the official ruins, but it made us smile — someone embracing the theme, and no doubt many walkers stop to photograph this anonymous garden fence.

    (A sculpture of Hadrian sits proudly atop a resident’s fence)

    It felt important to see Hadrian, take stock, and remind ourselves why we’re doing this mad quest. And because we really must be mad — determined to finish the urban legs before summer commitments, moving house, and shortening daylight hours — we decided we’d do the next leg, our final dawn walk, not a week later, but the very next day.

    Same again, tomorrow.

    Let’s hope we would find the energy, especially Marley!

    (Marley sleeping in the car soon after the completion of leg 5)

    prileygowing@gmail.com

  • An Early Start, a Big Plan, and a Very Big Dog

    Leg 1: Segedunum Roman Fort (Wallsend) to Walker Riverside (and back!)

    (Marley pictured at the start of the Hadrian’s Wall Path, Segedunum Wallsend)

    A Brutal Alarm and a Very Early Start

    Saturday 4 July 2026, 03:30. The alarm goes off. It’s painful — brutally so — especially on a Saturday. But after a cuppa and a very early breakfast, the kit is packed, the car is loaded, and we’re about to begin one of the UK’s best‑known national trails: the Hadrian’s Wall Path. Eighty‑four miles (135km) stretching from Wallsend in Newcastle‑upon‑Tyne to Bowness‑on‑Solway in Cumbria.

    Plenty of people have walked it. Plenty of dogs have walked it too. But I’m not convinced anyone has done it quite like this.

    Why We’re Doing This

    If you’re reading this, you probably already know that Danny, myself, and our rather large rescue dog Marley relocated from the south east to Northumberland last year. During that time — and on previous holidays — we’d walked a few small sections of the Wall with Marley. We’d loved it. He’d loved it. He’s since become a frequent visitor to Chesters Roman Fort, trotting around with his nose in the air as if it were Marley’s Empire, not Hadrian’s.

    The Big Idea and The Dawn‑Walk Solution

    Following these happy encounters, Danny said she’d like to walk the entire length of Hadrian’s Wall with Marley. A lovely idea… except for one problem: the urban sections. Marley’s reactivity meant that navigating busy streets, traffic, and unpredictable encounters would be a recipe for disaster.

    My reply was that if we were going to do the urban sections, we’d have to do them at dawn — and being summer, the time was nigh. And that’s how the dawn‑walk idea was born…

    The Plan (and the Spreadsheet). 47 legs… Yes, Really

    Transport was the next challenge. We devised an Excel spreadsheet with 47 legs (or rather, Danny did — she’s an accountant after all), including start and end points, distances, car parking, facilities, and more. Forty‑seven legs which we hoped to reduce and combine as we went. For comparison, the typical itinerary suggests walking the Wall in six days, split into six neat sections. The standard version includes accommodation stops, luggage transfers, and transport.

    The Car Conundrum

    Our version? Let’s just say the car conundrum — where to park and how to get back to the car after each leg with a large rescue dog and only one driver — meant that not only were we walking the Wall… we were walking it twice.

    East to West: Our Chosen Direction Why We Didn’t Follow the Wind

    We opted to walk the route East to West — the direction the Wall was originally built. Many walkers choose West to East because of the prevailing wind, but for us, East to West was essential. It allowed us to tackle the most urban and challenging sections first, with the help of early sunrises and the quiet calm of pre‑dawn streets, before reaching the rural stretches.

    A More Inspiring Finish (If We Finish)

    There was another reason too: finishing at Wallsend didn’t feel very inspiring, and the idea of the path becoming more rural as we went along was far more appealing to us — and to Marley. And having now walked through Wallsend, I’m very glad we made that decision!

    But enough preamble. Time to walk.

    Arriving at ASDA (in Classic North East Drizzle)

    We parked up at the ASDA car park in Wallsend at 05:40, in the drizzle that felt entirely fitting for the dreary setting, and took a quick detour to Segedunum Roman Fort & Museum.

    A Glimpse of Sentius Tectonicus

    We sneaked a peek at the large and impressive Sentius Tectonicus — an eight‑and‑a‑half‑foot sculpture of a Roman centurion — through the railings. We planned to return another day during opening hours.

    The Official Start Line (and a Reluctant Dog)

    Then we made our way to the first waymarker, the official start, and took photos. Marley wasn’t keen at all (he’d felt the early start too), and it took a lot of treats to get him to pose.

    A Less‑Than‑Epic Beginning

    It’s a distinctly average beginning for such a famous trail, with its urban and industrial surroundings, broken glass, graffiti, and litter. Not exactly sweeping Roman vistas.

    Nevertheless, we followed the very well‑signposted path, treading mostly tarmac through the less‑than‑glamorous setting, and made our way to Walker Riverside Park.

    Walker Riverside Park: A Quick Break

    Walker Riverside is an industrial riverside park along the River Tyne, created in the 1980s on reclaimed industrial land formerly occupied by lead and tar works. Today it’s a popular recreational spot, but we were the only ones there and it was wonderfully tranquil. It’s only 2.3 miles from the start of the Wall and took us a little under an hour.

    We stopped there for a quick rest and water break and, naturally, a few photos. Then we turned around and walked back the same way.

    Cycle Route 72: Marley’s Nemesis

    Even though it was early on a Saturday morning, we still encountered a fair few keen cyclists on the route — Hadrian’s Wall Path runs alongside Cycle Route 72 for much of it, a well‑established cycle path — and cyclists, and the act of cycling itself, are unfortunately among Marley’s greatest fears. It was stressful and uncomfortable at times. There were a few instances of bear‑hugging Marley, pulling him out of “harm’s” (through his lens) way, covering his eyes, and presenting lots of treats.

    When Marley was anxious and a bit tired on the way back (and stubbornly refusing to move!), the appearance of a rottweiler — normally something we’d be hot‑footing away from — became a surprisingly helpful motivation to get him walking again. Soon he was padding enthusiastically behind the dog (even larger than him) along the path that so many before him have trodden.

    Back to ASDA: Job Done

    Shortly before 8AM, as the early birds were heading out for their morning exercise, weekly shops, work, and kids’ club drop‑offs, we arrived safely back at the ASDA car park.

    Relieved. Energised. (In Marley’s case: exhausted.) Job done.

    We did it.

    We actually did it.

    And Then… We Did It Again

    Despite our satisfaction and relief when we got back to the car, it was a tough leg, and we debated whether it was simply too difficult — too early, too urban, too much for Marley.

    But the Wall Has a Pull…

    And one week later, the alarm was sounding in the early hours again. Because once you start a journey like this, it draws you in and you plough on for some foolish reason.

    Marley, Ready for Round Two

    And Marley, in his own inimitable, determined way, was ready for more.

    And here are some photos of Danny and I revisiting Segedunum Roman Fort & Museum a fortnight later…during opening hours! We will be bringing Marley back at a later date.

    prileygowing@gmail.com