Hadrian's Way day 2 cycle ride

We awoke to rain, well it is a cycling holiday, not just rain but torrential rain. We head down for breakfast which didn't disappoint, buffet style and delicious. After breakfast Peter sits down at the piano in the hallway and rattles off a few tunes. We are all impressed and surprised as none of us knew Peter could play.

Peter plays the piano click on pic for video

Group photo at start of the day

Then Dianne the owner of the place asked us to pose for photos for her web site, so charity T shirts on and a quick picture. Then load up the van and retrieve the bikes from the dry storage room ready for the off. We get as far as the archway to the road and see the vehicles going past with spray and rain bouncing off the pavements. We opt to stay under the arch for a while to see if it eases off a little. After a few minutes it eases from a downpour to a shower so we mount up and set off.

Lovely dry secure storage for our bikes

Yes it is raining that hard

Nice ride out of Brampton, the rain is heavy but the route is flat to undulating so we make decent progress. Stop for a photo at Lanercost priory then we start the climbs up to join the route of the wall.

Nice flat riding but very wet

Lanercost Priory Colin checking satnav don't want to take a wrong turning

We stop for another photo at the first turret we come to, the rain has eased a little, we have a chat to more tourists who are walking the route. Have a laugh at Bob's expense as he thought the photo on the information board showed the Romans with push bikes, from a distance in the rain the designs on the shields did look like circular wheels, either that or the rain and altitude is affecting him.

The first turret	The romans with "bikes"
Dave feeling sense of achievement after a climb in the rain	Glen reading the information on the tower

We saddle up say goodbye to the other tourists, Peter leaves them with a parting word of wisdom. "Dont know why they call it a Roman wall, it just stays put". I think the rain and altitude is affecting everyone. With the rain and conditions I want to ensure we stay on route, so at a junction for a double check I pull out the maps and ask Bob to check and ensure that we are on route and taking the best option. While Bob and I have been checking the maps Peter has cycled on up the next rise. As we approach the top of the rise we find Peter laid on a bench we try to cycle past but he isn't asleep just resting and larking about.

Is it a tramp?
Is it a scarecrow?

No its Peter having a rest

My phone rings so we stop again, it's only John from the Golden Lion at Corbridge just checking we are on our way and still wanted the rooms for the night, after confirming we will definitely want the rooms we carry on cycling and still rising. Then the road levels out and is flat, the views over the valley to the south and the Scottish hills to the north are awe inspiring even in mist and driving rain.

Great Views from the tops

Soon we come to Birdoswald Roman fort, there is a cafe so we decided to stop for a break. The rain eases off and we sit outside. Use the facilities, and are amazed at how many foreign tourists are looking around. As we pass the car park we see there is a tourist bus in.

We continue on the roads but off the route of the wall until we drop into Gilsland. The town has no cafes so it was a good job we had stopped at Birdoswald. Gilsland is on a river so we know what that means, a long series of climbs back up to the route of the wall which goes over the Pennines towards the east coast.

Leaving Cumbria. Start of Northumberland and the big climbs

The climbs and the rain and mist go on and on.

We start the series of climbs and the rain returns with a vengeance. Cars and vans go past and we get loads of spray from the wheels, just as well that we can't get any wetter. Peters handle bar grip comes loose, the rain has been that heavy, it takes till the end of the ride to dry out and stay on the bar, the rest of the journey Peter is constantly having to refit it, it is not much of a problem as he just pushed it back on while cycling. The route turns off the road and onto a traffic free path putting a wall between us and the traffic, always better and safer to cycle traffic free in these conditions. As we top the last of the big rises the rain stops and the route levels out we have reached the top of the Pennines.

The rain has stopped	Twice Brewed inn nice stop
Clearly they have a sense of humour	Guess its a quiet place

Next stop is The twice brewed inn, again right on route. Ian is already there and parked up. Nice premises, the weather has improved so much we sit outside for a while but the rain returns and we have to move inside. Dave chats to the landlord and ends up buying a T shirt. The Inn and the drinks are that nice and varied that they all get too comfortable and take some persuading to saddle back up and continue in the rain. The sustrans route turns right, but my route goes straight on. I don't see the point of going two mile down hill to climb all the way back up to rejoin the road we are already on, Bob views the maps and agrees with me. He also picks another variation on the route that will avoid an unnecessary climb farther along. We continue on the gently undulating road past Sycamore Gap at Steel Rigg where Peter informs us is a famous scene that was filmed in the Robin Hood Prince of Thieves movie.

Sycamore Gap

We come to a right turn down a narrow road, "that's it" I say "downhill to Hexham and flat to the finish". We are glad of that as the rain is getting heavier again. We put our rain jackets on all except for Glen who says " I am just as wet with sweat as I am with rain so I'm not going to bother with my coat". It's a nice ride down to the river, then after a comfort break and some chocolate bars we carry on and rejoin the sustrans route, which we follow into Hexham. The rain stops, great we are going to have a dry finish. The route crosses the railway line three times otherwise it's a nice ride past the park and caravan site. A bit of bad signage leads to confusion as we leave Hexham crossing the River Tyne but soon sorted and we are back on route towards Corbridge.

The River Tyne

We cycle past the Roman remains and turn into Corbridge and the town centre. Ian has only just parked the van and I leave the others talking outside while I go and check in and collect the keys. Bob and Peter don't mind sharing again, that means the rest of us have a room each. I dish out the keys last two are rooms 2 and 6. I ask Glen which he wants "just give me one and stop messing about" said Glen, so I handed over a key without looking, Glen got number 2 that left me with number 6 and the longest walk to my room, that was the first bad choice.

We all agreed to get ready and meet in the bar in an hour. I put my stuff in the room draped my wet clothes around the window to try and dry them out a little then ran the bath for a nice hot soak.

As I was stepping out of the bath I saw a movement in the door jamb out of the corner of my eye, just a shadow I thought, and stepped onto the bath mat, then I saw the movement again so looked closer this time and was shocked to see it was a snake. That's right a snake in a room on the third floor, even in the poor light I could see the zigzag markings down its back, so knew it was an Adder, the only poisonous snake in the UK. I was in the bathroom, the snake was in the doorway and the exit and my phone were on the far side of the room. Thinking quickly I wrapped the towel round my waist then held up the bath mat like a matadors cape and holding this between me and the snake slowly edged into the bedroom. The snake followed me out and headed towards the rear of a dresser, so I pulled the dresser away from the wall this let me keep an eye on the snake while edging towards my phone. Luckily the last call I had received was from the B&B so it was easy to call them for help.

Me - I know it sounds like a wind up but there is a snake in my room and what's worse its an Adder and poisonous, can you send someone up.

Girl- Laughter, just a minute. Is there anyone in the bar that's with Colin in room 6 he says he has a snake in the room, will it be a practical joke? Sound of laughter from all the people in the bar

Bob and Dave were already in the bar so Peter said he would go up as well as John the landlord who had called me that morning. Meanwhile as I had my phone in my hand I was trying to take pictures of the snake, but with the lowlight, and my hands shaking ( I had to hold my hands against the wall to try and stop the shake) it was not very successful but I didn't want to use the flash so its the best I could manage.

By now the snake was behind the dresser that I had pulled away from the wall, Peter came in camera video running, “where is the snake” asked Peter, “its behind the dresser” I said

Peter had a look as it was gloomy in the room he leant in behind the dresser, the snake jumped, Peter jumped further. “My god there is a snake” said Peter. John who was stood in the doorway said “Im not coming in I'm wearing shorts”.

John disappeared downstairs to call for a pest control company. Peter went back down to the bar, and I was left with a procession of strangers coming up from the bar to have a look at the snake. All the while I am stood near an open window with just a towel round me.

Eventually Ian comes in to have a look, he has asked John for something to try and put the snake in, so we now have a large plastic bucket and a broom handle to try and capture the snake. With a lot of coaxing and snake strikes on the broom handle, Ian eventually got it curled up enough to put the bucket over it and trap it.

Yes its a big snake

With those marking defiantly an Adder

Video of trying to catch the snake

The snake is contained

We quickly placed some weight on the top and checked round to ensure it was contained, unfortunately its head and tail were sticking out a little, It looked frightened, I felt sorry for it but managed to move the bucket enough to completely enclose it. Every one departed and I was left alone staring at an upturned bucket, checking to see if was moving or any sign of an escaping snake. I carefully got dressed all the while watching the bucket. My phone rang, it was the rest of the cyclist group, “ are you coming down we all want to go for something to eat”. As the bucket had not moved I agreed I would come down. just as I was going down the stairs I met John with a pest control officer coming up the stairs who was telling John “I have never dealt with a snake before” .

I decide to go back into the room to show them what we had done to contain the snake. Pest control said he had come from Sunderland and would release the snake on the way home if he could collect it unharmed. I was pleased at that as I didn't want to hurt the snake, just didn’t want to share a room with it. "We just need something to get it from the bucket into the sack I have brought" he said, we need something flat to slide under the bucket and trap the snake. "I have just the thing" said John and disappeared soon to return with the pizza baking tray/shovel from the kitchen, (hope it was an old one and no longer in use) we slid it under the bucket and pest control man lifted the bucket with the pizza shovel, as he was moving towards the door I suggested it would be better to upturn the bucket so the the snake was sat in the bottom rather than on the pizza baking tray, we did this and looking in the bucket the snake was just laid unmoving. We went out the fire escape rather than through the pub and once in the yard placed the snake in a sack, then that sack into another sack and tied the top. Job done I ran up the fire escape locked my room and went down to the bar to be greeted by cheers and laughter from most of the bar. “He will have a pint of Snake Bite” shouted Glen, more laughter. A quick drink and we decide to go out for a meal to the Black Bull a place I have been before and it is really good food. I telephone and make a booking for an hours time. We go out and head to another nice spot I know in Corbridge. The Pele tower pub is very unusual its an old tower in the church wall with a small bar on the ground floor and limited seating, but up some steep worn stone steps you can find tables and chairs on two higher floors. Dave loves quirky pubs and all the others were taken with the different style of the place. Just look at these photos

Doorway to the Pele Tower	The bar area
The stairs to the upper floors	First floor seating area
Dave tries the upper floor	Dave has to take a picture looking down

After a drink in the tower we went along to the Black bull for our booked meal. We were a little early so sat and had a drink in the bar.

On the way to the next pub we found another "Walton" sign so Dave obliged and posed again.

Dave the poser

Corbridge is a small place and by now the tale of a snake in a hotel room had spread, so we all became minor celebrities, we were the talk of the town. Peter went round a few of the tables sitting chatting and showing the pictures and video on his phone. There were lots of comments from people ranging from " I would have died, I would of been out of there like a shot", to " you should have hit it on the head with a stick and just killed it"

Naturally when we ordered the food they insisted I had snake and kidney pie. Along with lots of other quips and snake related comments we had a great night. The waitress thought it was great fun and joined in. The waiter wanted me to send him the pictures to his phone so he could show people who might not have believed him.

I sent the pictures and asked if it made the local press to let me know so I could have a copy. As I have never heard anything I guess it didn't make the press. Back to our digs and I searched the room with the torch on my phone, nothing found. Emptied the kit out of my bags and stripped the covers off the bed, no sign of any wildlife. Even so I sat up in the bed all night with the light on so only slept fitfully, so much for a good night's rest.

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