top of page

Does it get better than this? Hadrian's Wall at Cawfields.



I live just a few miles from the line of Hadrian's Wall. We once, many years ago, walked the entire length, from one side of England to the other. I was struck then by how little of the wall was left visible but what there is is not far from here.


The most spectacular section is from Greenhead to Sewingshields where the great rock formation known as the Whin Sill projects in great escarpments facing north. The wall sticks hard to its top edge as it swoops up and down. Cawfields is part of this.


A two week "big freeze" had just started and there was a good hard frost on the ground. Walking from the car park eastwards you quickly find compositions. The light was good and the hoar frost transformed the scene.



As I got a little further on the frost got thicker, the views got better, and the sun decided to light everything up in gold. I was literally running from spot to spot to make the most of things.


I knew when we moved here that Hadrian's Wall would be a key photographic destination but I'm struggling to imagine I will ever see it in better conditions than this.



bottom of page