Welcome to the Hadrian Hundred

The Northumbria group of the Long Distance Walkers Association (LDWA) was proud to have been given the honour of hosting the annual hundred mile walk during the weekend of 25th - 27th May 2019. The Long Distance Walkers Association (LDWA) organise their 'flagship' 100 event each Spring Bank Holiday Weekend. This event is held in a different area each year and entails walking 100 miles in 48 hours.

Full results of the Hadrian Hundred are available from the Results page of the main LDWA website, and the Marshals' event results are also available. You can also see what others thought about the event via the LDWA Twitter account and from the Hadrian Hundred Facebook group.

Now we are just about recovered from the event weekend we will be trying to update this website with event reports, photos and more, so please check back again for any changes. Once all of the reports and photos have been uploaded we will send out an email to all participants to let you know what we have done.

Thoughts from our Chair

Sitting here in my study with the sun shining through the window makes the events of the Hadrian Hundred weekend seem like a dream. A nightmare in parts it has to be said and I am sure that I will be waking up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat for several months to come.

I know everyone says the same thing after every hundred, but my lasting memory of the Hadrian Hundred is one of stories about triumphs over adversity and tales of heroism above and beyond the call of duty.

The big story of the weekend is of course Greg’s Hut. I am sure that no-one will mind me singling out Dave Clifton, Malcolm Hunt and Ricky Scott for all their efforts in getting everyone safely on their way either onward over Cross Fell or back down to civilization in Garrigill. Special thanks also to the two random walkers on the Pennine Way hoping for a quiet shelter from the weather for the night but who pitched in to keep the fire burning to keep you all warm. Malcolm deserves special credit for eking out the teams own supplies to get everyone a hot drink.

We are, as ever, extremely grateful to all of the communities on the route for putting up with all of the disturbances at antisocial hours. In particular we would like to thank at the farmers at Sewingshields, Birkdale, Watersmeeting and West Greenridge who let us into their homes at a very busy time of year. We would also like to thank the gentleman at Lambley Viaduct who allowed us to go through his front garden rather than climb all the way down to the river and back up again.

For those of you who did not get to do the event, and those of you who did it but its just a blur, The Hadrian Hundred started off in bright sunshine in the lee of Hexham Abbey to set off along the Tyne Valley to the hectic atmosphere of Newbrough Village Hall. Then followed the steady climb up to Hadrian’s Wall and the next checkpoint at Sewingshields Farm Then followed the wilder part of the Roman Wall and the beautiful Haltwhistle Burn to the comfort of Haltwhistle Leisure Centre and the first proper meal.

I know the South Tyne Trail is not wonderful, but at least it's flat and gave everyone a bit of a rest apart from the shock of the Proclaimers and Ken in a Kilt at Knarsdale. You all got safely through the Kit Check there as well.
Then came Garrigill and the last chance to change your mind before tackling Cross Fell looming out of the cloud ahead of you. I have mentioned Greg’s Hut but I dont want to forget the Raynet team and the Northumbria Crew at the Dun Fell Road who were out in the open in the worst of the weather and did wonders with some very cold tired people.

Then at last, breakfast at Dufton and a chance to get out of those wet clothes before venturing out into the rain again. Sadly High Cup Nick was hiding in the cloud so it was listening to the birds and looking for Alpine flowers on the way to Birkdale and Watersmeeting.

The next stretch over the Durham Moors is bleak and dramatic, with the remains of lead mines on the hills and small former mining communities in the valleys, but at least it was enlivened by the Welsh Choir and David Morgan in rugby shorts at Cowshill. Killhope Law was the start of a long road section with the Carriers Way, an old lead road into Dirt Pot and the East Allen Valley. Allendale Town was the last chance to fuel up for the trek over the Grouse Moor to Hexham Racecourse and the descent to the finish.

Our grateful thanks to the Checkpoint Crews

  • Cleveland Group at Newbrough
  • North Yorkshire and Nidderdale at Sewingshields
  • Essex and Herts at Haltwhistle
  • Heart of Scotland and NW Grampian at Knarsdale
  • Lakeland and West Yorks at Garrigill
  • Cumbria and East Lancs at Dufton
  • Kent and Wiltshire at Watersmeeting
  • South Wales at Cowshill
  • Vermuyden at Dirt Pot (Allenheads)
  • Cornwall and Devon at Allendale Town
  • Beds Bucks and Northants at West Greenridge

Lastly I must mention our own Northumbria Group at Greg’s Hut, Dun Fell and Birkdale and all those people from London Group, Northumbria Group and friends and family from all over the country who worked tirelessly from Friday afternoon until Monday afternoon at Hexham. We could not have managed to put the Hadrian Hundred on at all without support from the North of Tyne Search and Rescue Team and the Communications Team from Raynet who backed us up all weekend.

Finally, I would like to mention Allendale Brewery who supplied the beer at the finish. Allendale Brewery is a 20 barrel plant established in an old lead mill in Allendale in 2006 by a young man called Tom Hicks who still manages the company. Allendale Beers are widely available in the area and all of us in Northumbria Group enjoy them whenever we can. You can find out more about Tom, his brewery, his beer and where you can get it at www.allendalebrewery.com.

Bill Milbourne - Hadrian Hundred Chair
3rd June 2019

The Numbers

  • 478 intrepid souls started, 293 finished with 185 falling by the wayside.
  • First one back was Kevin Hoult in 22hrs and 40 mins.
  • The lanterne rouge was Kathleen Young in 47 hours and 49 minutes.
  • On the Marshals Walk there were 34 starters and 28 finishers.
  • First finisher was Alwyn Nixon in 29 hours and 9 minutes.
  • Last one home was Sue England in 46 hours and 35 minutes.