"Not the most salubrious of National Trail starts", the guide book said. The guide book was not wrong. Apart from our brief visit to the Segedunum Museum with it's 35ft viewing tower, marking the extreme eastern-most end of the wall and which was very well done, the first few miles are largely through an area of built-up former industrial units and warehouses. Well, this part of Newcastle was once given over to coal mines, then major shipbuilding and now lies somewhat derelict pending it's latest reinvention (probably cheap housing) but it has to be endured in order to move onwards to the significantly more pleasant riverside/marina and the town centre.
The museum itself boasts a fully excavated outline of the entire Roman fort that once stood there, indicating everything from the main offices to the hospital, barracks, stores and the General's house, interactive displays and a reconstructed bath house but arriving only 45 minutes before it was due to close meant for just a mad dash around the key exhibits - and no entrance charge! Bonus.
Anyway getting the grotty bit over, plus our wish to shorten the distance to be covered tomorrow, was what made us decide to hit off 5 miles before dinner. As it happens the latter stretches were very pleasant: the sun was shining, the seagulls were in fine voice and we caught our first sight of the Millennium Bridge. HRH calls it the winking eye.
Beyond it is the Tyne Bridge (that's 2 of the 7 that cross the Tyne in the centre of toon). That other shiny bump in the background is Sage, an art gallery. Impressive.
Off to test the worth of bringing my feathered friend on holiday. 10 miles to Heddon tomorrow. X
* Strong Fort
Pronounced segg-eh-doo-num
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