Original subtitles

Stretching over 8O miles,

running through hills, dales, rivers and mountains,

Hadrian's Wall is a wonder of the ancient world.

You get an idea of the sheer size and scale

of this gargantuan achievement.

It signalled the edge of one of the greatest empires

the world has ever known.

Here we've got the second-in-command of a Roman century of 80 men.

Armed with my trusty walking boots,

I'm going to travel along the entire length

of this iconic monument.

Now, this section here is known as the heart of Hadrian's Wall.

Through rain...

Absolutely chucking it down!

...and shine...

If someone painted that view and showed you it you wouldn't believe them.

...l'll learn the secrets of the Roman Empire...

If you needed a number two, this is where you came.

...to the best-kept secrets of the Great British countryside...

WQW!

Whoo- hoo- hoo- hoo- hoo- hoooo!

...meeting many folk along the way.

Keep up, Robson. Sorry, mate.

That's amazing!

Hello!

It'll be an epic journey to take your breath away.

Oh, wow! I'm not a religious person

but there is something spiritual about this part of the world.

So pack your corn plasters, fill your Thermos

and join me for the walk of a lifetime.

The Romans, they gave us it all.

I'm beginning my epic journey in the northeast of England.

Born and bred a Northumberland lad,

this is literally my favourite place in the world.

I mean, just look at it.

The Northeast, like the River Tyne, runs through my veins

and I'm very proud still to call it home.

It's had so many stories to tell in its past

and there is one world-famous tale about a world-famous creation

that never ceases to amaze me.

No, it's not Gazza. It is, of course, Hadrian's Wall.

One of the greatest feats in construction history,

for me, this wonder wall is up there with the Great Pyramids

and the Panama Canal.

Almost 2,000 years old

the wall is one of Britain's most awe-inspiring historic landmarks

and remains a lasting testament to the skill and ambition

of the Roman Empire.

You know, I was never a fan of history at school

but my lovely English teacher reminded me

of the importance of telling stories because that's all history is -

it's stories from the past.

And I couldn't think of anything better

than travelling along Hadrian's Wall

set against the backdrop of some of the most beautiful countryside

on the planet.

Mind you, it's easier said than done.

84 miles. That's over three marathons

and I ain't getting any younger.

So I've got a feeling it's not going to be easy.

But when has anything worthwhile ever been easy?

Just ask the Romans.

My adventure starts at the most easterly end of the wall

or Wallsend, as it's known round these parts.

Here lies Segedunum, meaning "strong fort".

Believe it or not, it's an area I know pretty well.

In the '80s, I lived over there for five years.

I was a draughtsman for Swan Hunter's shipbuilders

as part of their design team.

I mean, this was a hive of activity.

It used to employ 25,000 men and women.

And during my time over there,

there was a bit of a commotion going on over here.

So one day I wandered over to see what all the fuss was about.

And what they'd discovered was one of the most famous frontiers

in the entire Roman Empire.

Built as a bastion against barbarian attack,

Segedunum stood for almost 300 years as a symbol for Roman rule

and little did I know I'd be back here 34 years later

to begin my journey along the wall.

So, come on - time to pack.

Tent.

Sleeping b39-

Flask - check. Tea - check.

Right, just one more thing to do before I set off

and then we're away.

So to prove to the world and myself

that I have completed the Hadrian's Walljourney,

I have a Hadrian's Wall passport

and it needs stamping at this stamping station

at Segedunum.

So this is the stamping box right here.

Oh! Hello, lads.

Hi. How are you doing? All right? Are you starting off as well?

No, we're just finishing. Seriously? You've just finished? Yeah.

How was it? Awesome. It was. Absolutely awesome.

Yeah, it really was. Yeah. But it was hard work.

Right, well, you've just finished and I'm about to start,

so let's get the passport stamped.

'These guys did it in six days. I'm not sure I can match that

'but I'll give it a good go.'

Thank you.

It was lovely to meet you. And you. Maybe I'll see you some sunny day.

Good luck. Take care.

Luck? I need all the luck I can eat.

I don't even know if I'm going in the right direction. Yeah, you are.

I've done a calculation. Over 88,000 paces to go.

Just put one foot in front of the other and start walking.

When you think you can't do any more, do another one.

I'll be travelling from east to west,

collecting my passport stamps as I go

and I'll end my journey - I hope - at Bowness-on-Solway.

On the first leg of my expedition, I'm heading to my hometown of Hexham.

Time to leave behind the city of Newcastle

and with any luck leave these roads

and make my way out into the beautiful countryside.

Every year, around 100,000 people visit Hadrian's Wall...

...and completing the journey along the length of it

is on many hikers' bucket lists,

whereas it's on my "just hope I can survive this" list.

Hopefully, bits of bants with other walkers

will help keep the old spirits up.

The other half of the family is from right up north.

That's where you get depressed sheep, up north...

ROBSON LAUGHS

...in Scotland.

Cows up north attack you for entertainment.

Here they welcome you.

SHEEP BLEATS

Now, many walkers aren't from around these parts,

so the local accent can be a tad challenging.

A woman said something to me and I just laughed

because I wasn't sure what language they were talking.

HE IMITATES LOCAL ACCENT The Northumbrian accent is like this.

My father used to all talk like that.

Me dad... If I wore aftershave me dad would go,

"That's a nice perfume you've got on there. That's a nice perfume."

And I went, "Dad, I don't know what you're saying and you're my clad."

Since leaving Wallsend I haven't seen much wall,

which is no surprise.

Since it was built, less than 10% of it remains in place.

Now, where the heck it's gone I have no idea.

However, stick with me, as I'm going to make sure I find out.

I'm on an epic adventure along the illustrious Hadrian's Wall.

Day one, Robson's log.

After starting in Wallsend, I've travelled 17 miles.

Wall witnessed so far - hardly a blooming brick, to be honest.

But it's been a pretty trek nonetheless

and I'm about to be rewarded with a whopping bit of wall.

Whoo! There you go. That's more like it.

This is Heddon-on-the-Wall.

This is the longest, unbroken section of Hadrian's Wall

that's at its original width.

The amount of material that's required

to build a wall that's ten-foot wide, 15-foot high and 80-odd miles long,

the material has to be staggering

and it's mind-boggling.

It took 15,000 soldiers six years to build,

so not only was the Roman army a formidable fighting force,

they were highly skilled craftsmen,

specialising in masonry, engineering, architecture.

Now, like most people, I've always thought

the Romans built the wall to stop the barbaric Scots from attacking.

But I've heard there are those who reckon the wall was created

for economic reasons,

believing that the small forts along the wall, known as milecastles,

acted as customs posts.

Alex. How are you?

It's a theory that's supported by local tour guide Alex.

In my opinion, I think Hadrian was a narcissist.

I personally think he built this wall solely to put the fear of God

into the people who surrounded it and lived alongside of it.

I think it was pure psychological warfare

and I think it scared people for 300 years.

The wall is here, it's to control the area

and the economics can actually be seen in the wall itself

and some milecastles only had eight guys stationed there.

Some had 32.

So the ones with 32 are trading posts.

When the natives are coming through the wall

what you're wanting to do is to tax them.

What sort of things would they be bringing through?

So we're likely seeing lots of foodstuffs. Yeah.

And we're seeing lots of cattle. Uh-huh.

And we know in the post-Roman period,

the economy of northern Britain is entirely based on cattle.

We'd lose a coin-based economy and it becomes a cattle-based economy.

And all these things would be taxed? Yeah.

There's evidence to suggest a 25% tax... Really? ..on things coming through the wall.

Nothing's changed, Alex. Yes!

So if I had four cows and I was travelling south,

and by the time I passed the wall I'd only have three. Yeah.

Really? Yeah.

I love your knowledge and lovely to be alongside. Take care.

I've got about 84,000 paces to go. 84,000?

Yeah, before I get to my destination.

If Alex is right,

then that challenges everything we think we know about the wall.

Now, I know I'm no scholar or anything

but I still think it was a big old vanity vehicle for Hadrian.

I mean, talk about overcompensating. Come on.

I think it's time for a nice, long soak.

Sadly, I don't have a shower.

I certainly don't have a hot tub.

But what I do have is Northumberland's largest bath.

Considered the best salmon river in England,

the beautiful River Tyne has always played an important role in my past.

You know, Mum and Dad used to bring us here so many times as a family.

It's where me and my brother were taught to swim.

My dad had a really interesting method.

He'd just throw us both in.

And it was either sink or swim.

And I tell you what - a slight hypothermic shock really focuses the mind.

Me and my brother used to come out the water like Polaris missiles,

like motorboats.

It certainly was a method that worked.

Phew! Did you see the dust come off my sock?

I still go for a spot of cold-water swimming in the Tyne

but be warned - it's not for the faint-hearted.

You know what they say - best of British and all that.

Whoa!

Whoo! I tell you what.

This is just what you need after a long, hot day.

It's a well-known fact that doing something like this reduces stress.

Do you know, a lot of people keep asking me, "Why do you live up north?

"What is it about Northumberland?"

Take a wild guess.

And I'll give you a clue. It's not me in my pants.

Whoo! Ha-ha!

The next morning I'm up and at 'em early

as I hurtle ten miles along the wall

and let me tell you, it was quite a journey.

Oh, hello.

First off I bumped into a couple of Kiwi walkers who were clearly big fans.

I'm Robson, by the way. Robson Green. Of course!

How are you doing? Sorry, I'm none the wiser.

How rude. I then fell in line with some local soldiers

who were out training.

Keep up, Robson. Sorry, mate, sorry.

Unfortunately, they couldn't quite keep up with my pace

so I ditched them.

Oh, stop running, Robson. Just amble.

I can't feel my legs.

Feet fatigued, I hopped on a bike to speed things along,

impressing the locals with my cycling skills.

Jerry, buckle up. I'm about to hit warp speed.

Saddle sore, I sacked off the bike and back to the hike.

The crew were delighted but sadly not everyone was pleased to see me.

Steady. I come in peace.

DOG BARKS I come in peace. Steady.

Dogs don't like me.

I think they've seen some of my shows.

And that's brought you up to speed. Shall we proceed?

Back when the wall was built,

Romans would navigate using the lay of the land and nature.

Simple things like moss could help guide them

as it grows where the sun doesn't shine.

So in the northern hemisphere, moss lives on the north side of trees,

revealing which way is north and which is south.

Of course, nowadays navigation has moved on somewhat

and I've heard some people use GPS to hunt for treasure along the wall.

Paul! Robson! How are you doing? I'm fine.

How are you doing on this overcast day in Northumberland? I'm doing very well.

How are you enjoying your walk? Oh, you know - fair to miserable.

No, it's fine, it's gorgeous. Excellent.

So are you going to help me find buried treasure so I can be rich beyond my wildest dreams?

I'll certainly try and help you find the buried treasure

but being rich is another matter.

So, geocaching. Indeed.

You're going to have to excuse my ignorance.

Never heard of it, don't know it is.

It originated in the States, oh, about 20 years ago in 2000.

Really? Yeah, yeah.

Where a guy decided well, you know, a GPS is becoming popular these days.

Let's see... Let's test them.

So there's a Tupperware container with a few sort of trinkets in,

give out the coordinates for it, the grid reference,

and people started finding it.

To get to the actual geocache we're going to use an app.

So do I just tap on it? So we'll tap on the geocaching app. Yep.

What, are they all geocaches, all those little dots?

There's thousands of them. There's absolutely millions worldwide.

So, as luck would have it, there's one very close to us.

There certainly is.

We can see it's beside the church,

so if we just turn round, we know the church is right behind us.

Yeah, yeah. That arrow should be pointing in the direction we need to go in...

It certainly is. ..and let's just head off.

Come on. It tells us that it's 113 metres.

This app will only get you to within a few metres of it. Right.

You then have to do a little bit of work.

What, just a little bit of detective work? Pretend you're a detective.

I've played many a detective in my time.

Ah, yes. I'm playing Geordie Keating in Grantchester.

I played Creegan in Touching Evil.

I was a forensic detective in Wire In The Blood.

So this should be... This should be a cinch.

As you can see, we're closing in on it and...

Just like an Easter egg hunt, isn't it? Yes, exactly.

Just another version of that.

So we're now looking for something out of place.

Well, there's a huge rock there. That's potentially what we're looking for.

Hang on, there's something behind it.

Yes! HE LAUGHS

Oh, well done. That's it! Well done.

That's great. Your very first geocache.

That's amazing.

It just brings the kid out in you, doesn't it?

What have we got here?

There is money in it. Money, money.

Oh, is this a Roman silver coin?

That's an old French franc. Because it's euros now.

Here was me hoping for Roman coins and ancient trinkets.

I feel a little foolish.

So what else have we got in here?

Somewhere there should be something you can sign and date. Really?

Well, what do you know?

Oh, I see - people who've found it, they sign it and they date it.

I love it!

Imogen's been here. Jess has been here.

And Hopper's been here. Hopper's found it.

That's great.

Robson was here.

Er...20.

So, that's everything put back in there

and we'll put it back ready for the next people. Got you.

But let's be honest, it's not what you call a treasure, is it, Paul?

It's not treasure. You know - economically, it's not life-changing.

In monetary terms it's not treasure. Let's see what the next one brings.

We'll see if we can find another one.

I'm trying to get my bearings here. It's moving from left to right.

We've got an extra clue on this one. We've got a hint.

So if we click on hint... Yeah.

And the hint here is that the cache is wedged between

an ash tree and a hawthorn.

Ah, I know what an ash tree looks like and a hawthorn. Good man.

We're getting warm, Paul. We're getting warm. Yeah.

We're on a treasure hunt. Good. How are you going?

I'm travelling along Hadrian's Wall. Yeah, we're going the other way.

Have you heard about geocaching? Yes!

Oh, mate, isn't it great? We've done it. I love it.

Paul's just introduced me to it.

We've just found a hundred quid. Yeah, right(!)

I wish! No, we found a note with loads of names on it

but Paul promises me the next treasure we find's going to be of more value.

Lovely to meet you! Take care. Enjoy your trip. Bye-bye. Bye. Bye.

We're very close. Less than 50 metres. Right.

Well, that's a giant ash, there.

It says it's jammed in between the two.

Jammed in between the two.

And... Oh, hello. There's stones there.

There's one or two stones, yeah.

Yes! A-ha! Ha-ha-ha! Well done!

ROBSON CHORTLES Second one of the day.

Let me have a look.

And the book... There's a book. ..with people's names in.

Somebody called Blue Flash has been here.

So this was all filled in years ago.

I love it! It's good fun.

Good stuff, Paul. You're very welcome.

I'll put it back for them.

Oh, I love it, Paul. Great. I'm in.

Hook, line and sinker. Good man. I knew you'd enjoy it.

I am now a geocacher. Indeed you are.

It's been a hell of a day.

I reckon wee teatime treat is in order

and I know the perfect picnic spot.

Let's just hope I can find it.

It's like being in the movie The Fog

and I'm ascending into the abyss,

never to be seen again.

Oh, great. It's started raining as well.

God!

Do you know what it is? I think Northumberland's got its own microclimate.

Honest! There were views this morning as far as the eye could see.

Now you can't see 40 feet in front of you.

JLISt fog!

Now, you're going to have to trust me when I say

there are, usually, views to die for here.

Mind you... HE GROANS

...did I take a wrong turning somewhere and end up in Norway?

I packed myself a ham sandwich. I just need to add something to it.

When you've got something like this

you have to have Northumberland's equivalent

to hummus.

Pease pudding.

Or as me mum and dad always correct me -

"lt's pease puddin', it's pease puddin'.

"What's happened to your accent, man?"

"lt's pease puddin', man. Put it on your bread, put some butter on

"and then put your pease puddin' on, you daft knacker."

He loved me, my dad. He really did.

Lots of, er, chickpeas boiled in ham stock.

But this stuff, I assure you, is stunning.

Mm!

I tell you,

my mum and dad used to say when they were giving me this,

"lt's like eating Christmas."

It really is.

TRAFFIC NOISE

I came here for peace and quiet.

It's like being at Piccadilly Circus...

in the fog.

Where am I?

I've come to celebrate the views of Northumberland.

I can't see a thing.

Mm.

I used to do this loads with Mum and Dad

and my brother and my sisters.

Topics of conversation were never stressful.

It was never about work or money worries.

Ooh-ahh!

Oh, that'll keep me going for another few hours.

Ham and pease puddin'.

You can't beat it.

Well, you can, actually. Eaton mess is nice. I've had that.

I like meringues.

I'm taking a trip along Hadrian's Wall,

a mission I've been meaning to make for years

and I'm not the only one.

Visitors from all over the world come

to soak up the Wall's historic mystique.

Back in the early '80s,

a chance visit to the wall inspired authorjRR Martin

to write Game Of Thrones.

So who knows what the wall will inspire me to do.

Since leaving Segedunum, I've journeyed 21 miles.

I've walked, swam, ran and cycled

and now en route to an old Roman garrison town.

History is everywhere in the villages and towns around here

and especially the place I'm heading for now - Corbridge.

Not so long ago there was something discovered there

that was a real game-changer.

Half a mile west of the beautiful village of Corbridge

lies Corbridge Roman town.

Dating back to AD79,

it was also known as the Roman settlement of Corstopitum.

Local tour guide Paul is an expert on this amazing ancient site.

Go on, then, Paul.

Paint me a picture of what life was like nearly 2,000 years ago

in this centre of Corbridge.

This what you're seeing here is

the bustle, hustle of the town, really.

It was a cosmopolitan town in that particular period

and there was lots of shops and various businesses all over the place.

This would have been teeming with people.

What's interesting is that before the town was built in 160,

the road heading up to Edinburgh used to miss the town out,

or the forts out, and go straight up.

About 160, 170, when this became a town

where it was a commercial operation,

that road was re-routed through the middle of the town.

Right. So they wanted the travellers

to make sure they came through these commercial units to buy their goods.

So really, this is... It's a bit like airports today, isn't it?

I suppose it is. They're forcing you through there for the duty free.

Going through the duty free - that's a good way of describing it.

That's exactly what they're doing.

They're sending you through this road

because then you can see the goods and the wares.

And these are Roman military granaries.

This is where the food stores would be.

So these are some of the best preserved in the world

because of the fact that you can see a lot of the stone flooring.

If you look, you see you've got the aeration holes underneath.

So this is where the air comes through.

You can see some holes through the sides of the wall there.

So the air comes through and then under the floors.

That's to keep the foodstuffs dry. Right.

If it's on the floor it's going to get pretty damp.

So here I am, 2,000 years ago, I come shopping in Corbridge.

I've got my bag of grain and I'm after some fruit

and some veg... Yeah. ..a bit of meat.

I fancy a bit of beef and chicken, maybes a duck. Yeah.

Would that all have been here? Absolutely, and more besides.

You know, there would be all sorts.

There would be pottery, herbs, spices, beer.

There would be taverns. Imagine this in the middle of the day.

There would be shops and wares selling their goods,

there would be shouting,

there would be people milling around... Got you. ..buying things.

It's just another version of you and I walking down Eldon Square in Newcastle.

It is. It's a shopping centre.

So these are shops all the way along here,

some of them selling foodstuffs, some selling cloth and materials.

I heard a vicious rumour that carrots came from the Romans.

I don't believe it. Well, they were introduced to Britain by the Romans.

They were? Absolutely. They were not here.

They introduced rabbits, which is commonly known as well.

Was it a place of rest and relaxation?

Yeah, there's... Well... Did people come here to let their hair down?

Roman soldiers we don't think got regular leave

but they could apply for leave.

But they would be coming through here quite often.

They would be keen to come here. I'm sure they were

because they weren't allowed to marry, were they? They weren't.

So they would have come here for not only, you know, a few carrots

and a few apples and oranges but something else.

I'm not going to say any more. There's places of ill repute here.

You're absolutely right. There was? Sorry! There was?

So, basically, in the daytime, it's like Newcastle is.

It's like Bigg Market in Newcastle.

But it's like the Bigg Market in the evening. Absolutely.

Even in the daytime it could be quite noisy and raucous.

Were they gambling and stuff? Yeah, a lot of gambling.

They didn't play cards - cards didn't really exist in Roman times.

It was more dice and board games, quite elaborate.

But they would bet on this.

Possibly sometimes boxing and wrestling matches,

which would be bet on as well.

It was the Roman equivalent of Las Vegas.

I guess it is with the... Yeah. The boxing and the gambling

that still goes on there today. Absolutely.

And talking of striking it lucky,

back in the 1960s and '70s,

this site was an archaeological training location

for students at Durham and Newcastle University.

Every summer trainee archaeologists would come here to dig

and in 1964 one student hit the jackpot,

making an amazing discovery...

...a well-preserved leather and metal-clad wooden box

full of everyday Roman artefacts.

The most important thing really, from a historical point of view, is

the segmented armour which you can see here.

So that's the... The old rusty stuff there is what they found in the box

and on the left-hand side you can see the reconstruction.

But that's massively important

because prior to this being discovered in 1964

historians knew that this type of armour existed

but they didn't know specifically what it looked like, how it was made,

how it was held together, how it was worn.

And by finding these six elements that they have here

they can now accurately reconstruct that

and when you see modern legionary armour

in modern films today like Gladiator or many other modern films,

then it would have been based on this find.

Without this find being here, they would've been guessing.

Just looking at it, it's such an eclectic mix of things.

You know, you think if it all belonged to a soldier,

yes, you've got the armaments there and you've got the weaponry here

but it looks like there's kind of practical digging tools here

and there's a container for carrying water.

When you say carrying water, that was probably a beer tankard.

It looks rather big but actually beer tankards were in fact...

Some of the beer tankards were collective.

All the men would drink out of one big cup.

This man was either a soldier or a skilled craftsman attached to the army.

He's left this behind, which at that time would have been really unusual.

He's had to do it for a particular reason,

either because it was too difficult to carry and he never came back

or there was an impending attack

and he was worried about the security of it

and, of course, he may well have been killed - we'll never know

but this person, this was his life in a box.

Most hoards are quite glamourous things

like a big pile of coins

and to have this sort of stuff particularly is incredibly rare

and the person, this trainee archaeologist who found this,

this is the find of a lifetime.

Now you've given me an idea.

You know, doing this journey, I think I might bury my own time capsule...

Well, why not? ..hoping, you know, someone,

maybe in 2,000 years' time, might find it.

Absolutely. And then it could be in a case in a museum somewhere

and they're going, "l wonder who put those items in that box?"

"Robson Green? Who was he?"

In order to pick up some treasures to put in my time capsule,

I popped along to modern-day Corbridge.

And while I'm mooching around the shops,

I make my own amazing discovery.

How are you doing? Yeah, I'm well. You haven't changed a bit.

My very dear old work colleague Ray.

I bet you're pleased you didn't stay in that old place.

Yeah, it kind of worked out OK. How are you doing?

Fine, fine. My God. Ray.

So we worked in the drawing office from, what, '82 to '86, was it?

At Swan's? I can't... I can't remember now.

Oh, I can!

Yeah. My goodness! How have you been? It just caught my eye...

Well, my daughter said, "Here, there's Robson Green,"

because she worked in the shop in Swan's as well.

I'm travelling along the full length of Hadrian's Wall

and we started at Segedunum. Yeah.

Do you remember when they were unearthing that when we were in the shipyard?

My God, it's so good to see you, man. Yeah. Oh, aye.

It's so good to see you. I'm pleased we've had a word.

ROBSON LAUGHS

Yeah, I remember you saying, "Ship-building's a job for life."

Oh, dear me. What happened to the shipyard, eh?

It's a car park now. Yeah, yeah.

Where have all those men gone? I know.

But the skills are still there and, you know, it'll come back.

Oh, well. It will come back.

And there's fabrication going on further down the Tyne,

so there's always hope, isn't there? Yeah. Yeah.

Soon after I left the shipyard closed, didn't it? Yeah, yeah.

But, you know, if this all falls apart, this game, I'll be back...

I'll be back being a naval architect, hopefully.

Anyway, it's lovely seeing you. You, too. Good to see you.

Oh, my God.

He was lovely. He was my...

Oh, man.

That's Ray. I worked with him in '82 to '86.

He was such a lovely man.

He was very, very kind to me in the shipyard

and when I said I wanted to be an actor

he said, "Just do what makes you happy, Robson."

Oh! That really got me.

Well, I really wasn't expecting that.

This journey really is becoming an experience that's good for the soul

and the old calf muscles.

As you travel around this area,

you soon realise that 95% of Hadrian's Wall has disappeared.

Or has it?

It's just been moved elsewhere.

All you have to do is look for it.

And there are clues to finding where it's hiding,

like this beautiful Northumbrian village,

which is simply called Wall.

A conservation area and a place of special historic interest,

Wall is home to 320 residents, including Gary,

who has a real passion for both this Wall and THE wall.

Which particular buildings within the village of Wall

are from Hadrian's Wall?

This is all Hadrian's Wall.

What...? Every which way you look. Really? Yeah.

This is the wall recycled.

So how did it all happen? How did it all start?

There was a general called General Wade back in the 18th century.

He then was the guy responsible for the government forces

who then had to take on the jacobites.

And they'd come up to Newcastle expecting to see them there

but they were on the other side of the country. Right.

They were over at Carlisle and they held Carlisle Castle.

So they've got to drag all their cannon and everything else

across the country.

And believe it or not, in 1745 there wasn't a proper road

between Newcastle and Carlisle.

So General Wade goes, "We need a road here, we need a road."

So, obviously, General Wade needed material to build his road.

And that's it. Some bright spark says,

"Well, hang on a minute. You know that old wall that the Romans had?

"Why don't we just pull that over, create a track bed for a road?"

But then at that time other people are going,

"Now, hang on a minute.

"There's a lot more you can do than build a road.

"L can build a house with that." Of course.

And so that's it. So people then start going to help themselves

to bits of stone from the wall and hence you get this.

So, literally, every building in the village of Wall

is made from Hadrian's Wall? Yes.

Don't tell me that wall there, of Wall, is made from Hadrian's Wall?

That wall, that drystone wall, is made of Hadrian's Wall.

You can easily find the telltale signs

because those nice square stones

that you would see on the outside of the wall

are stones like this.

Look how that's squared off.

So, yes - people have utilised every little bit they can find.

How on earth did they get it here, Gary?

Horse and cart?

I think you can take it that they were just a lot tougher in those days.

Look at this wall here. Come on - look at those lovely square stones.

Of course. You admire them, yeah. And all this here.

That's obviously Hadrian's Wall. Yeah, nice bit of wall there.

Desperate to get a sneaky peek inside one of Wall's wall-made houses,

Gary lets me have a wee gander inside his.

This is it. This is just one of many time capsules in Northumberland.

I mean, straight away you can see that stone lintel

in the fireplace,

that's definitely from Hadrian's Wall.

And that's Hadrian's Wall underneath there

and they say at one time, Hadrian's Wall was whitewashed,

so you could see it from miles around.

So everything in here is, yeah, nearly 2,000 years old.

And if it's looked after and taken care of,

it'll probably last another 2,000 years.

While Wall might not have the most original name,

it's certainly a canny-looking little village.

So far I'm surviving my epic jaunt along Hadrian's Wall.

I've been walking for about an hour. There's not another soul in sight.

And just when I thought

the views of Northumberland couldn't get any better...

just look at that.

On a walk like this with a backdrop like that,

it really is difficult to be unhappy.

I'm so blessed.

I do love this place.

Having tackled the hills and dales in sunshine and, of course, rain

I'm coming to the end of the first leg of my Hadrian's Wall adventure.

From my start point in Segedunum at Wallsend

I've clocked up 35 miles to reach my birthplace, Hexham...

...where I still live today.

And this historic town has quite a past.

You know, it wasn't so long ago that the Scots came here

and burnt this place to the ground.

And a while back, the third Duke of Somerset,

he was publicly executed in the Market Place just up the way.

Thankfully these clays, the gallows have been replaced with a farmers' market

and I'm going to stock up on a few provisions

for the next leg of my journey.

I'm camping along the wall, alongside the wall.

To cook on a stove I would recommend pork and apple burgers every time.

They're nice and flat, so you're going to cook through.

And can I nab a few sausages? Of course you can.

Succulent sausages.

Did you know that the Romans brought carrots to this country?

Did they? They did.

And did you know they brought apples as well?

I'll have a couple of sticks of rhubarb.

I used to do this as a kid.

You used to cut the ends and dip it in sugar.

Used to be bouncing off the ceiling.

Nice selection of pies you've got here.

I'm torn between the beef and Guinness and the chilli beef.

If you had to choose between those two, which one would you have?

Do you know what? I'm going to have the beef and Guinness.

Thank you very much. I said that without moving my lips.

Muckle Brewing. So muckle is a Northumbrian dialect word for mighty. I know.

For big and strong.

My dad used to say, "Pass me that muckle hammer there. Muckle hammer."

I'm going to take your steer on this.

Tell me your favourite and I shall buy it. OK.

My husband, who brews, would tell you

the last one he drank was his favourite. Right.

However, I know that both of our favourite is this one,

Pride of Park pale ale. Sold.

This is the actual wall with part of Sycamore Gap

and a representation of the wall going down there.

This is a spatula of Hadrian's Wall? Yes.

And it has my favourite place. I've got to have that.

That is going to be one of the best souvenirs on my journey.

Isn't that lovely?

This is me travelling along the wall.

Especially exhausting, that one over there.

As I'm at my hometown, it seems a fitting place

to bury my wall adventure time capsule.

Cross the babbling brook.

Yeah, this looks a good spot.

Right. Let's see what gems I've brought.

Hoo-hoo!

Just wait until somebody finds this lot, eh?

Wow. Let's have a look at this.

Lovely Hadrian's Wall walk fridge magnet.

Well, I like it.

And there's a little tile here with the Latin "carpe diem",

which means seize the carp.

And, er, a postcard of the Roman equivalent of Las Vegas.

Right, let me have a think.

"L hope..."

Perfect. Right, so...

Just wrote a little ditty on the back of the Corbridge postcard.

There was a young actor called Robson

Who was told, "Your next job, son,

"ls to walk Hadrian's Wall, I hope you don't fall.

"It'll be a success and with knobs on."

Eh?

Now, I know you're thinking, "Ah, yeah -

"not very valuable though, is it?"

Yeah.

But if you add 20 big ones on top of that...

Ah, yeah - now you're interested, aren't you?

Oh, yeah!

Just under there.

'Capsule carefully hidden away,

'hopefully it will be discovered hundreds of years from now,

'so no going hunting for it, you lot.'

They'll love that.

20 big ones. Whoo!

To celebrate successfully completing the first leg

of my Hadrian's Wall adventure,

my weary wee feet are taking a final few paces

to a pub just outside Hexham for a well-deserved pint.

Can I buy you a drink? Well, I think we should offer you one, Robson.

No, I've given up on all wines, beers and spirits, sadly. Oh!

Yeah. But I'll have a sherry. Hey-hey!

No, I've given up on drinking.

It's been the worst ten minutes of my life.

I'm here all week. I need the money.

Lovely to meet you. And you.

Forgive the bad dad gags.

It's just because I'm knackered, honest.

Look at that. What more do you want?

Beautiful view, pint,

next to this lovely pub.

What a first few clays it's been. History everywhere.

Literally everywhere.

I thought I knew everything there was to know about Northumberland.

How wrong I was.

And luckily, there's more to come.

'Next time, I'll be trying to stay on two feet...'

Are you all right, bud? Stop laughing.

'..And I make my very own discovery.'

I think I've found something. It feels like metal.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media