Monday, October 17, 2016

The Spirit of Hadrian's Wall


The Spirit of Hadrian's Wall is an absolutely gorgeous coffee table book, with text by Mark Richards and photographs by Roger Clegg.  Here's their Amazon bios:

Mark Richards lives in Cumbria, on the fringe of the Lake District and has written a series of Fellranger guides covering the region, as well as Great Mountain Days in the Lake District. He has also written a guide to Hadrian's Wall, and several to the Peak District in England.

Roger Clegg is a professional photographer whose captivating and evocative landscapes have an unique quality all of their own. His photographs have been used in numerous exhibitions throughout Britain, and his particular specialty is the landscapes of Hadrian's Wall, a World Heritage site in the north of England.Mark Richards, author of 'Hadrian's Wall Path' provides an historical commentary.
This is the first book in my reading that will prep me for my trek along the Wall planned for next summer, and it was a perfect way to start.

The book moves east to west, as do most trekkers, documenting the countryside and the Wall along the way.  Even though we plan to hike west to east, it was still a good way to learn place names and familiarize myself with the terrain and geography that we'll encounter.

I noticed that many of the photos were taken in the Fall and Winter when the mist rises, the sky glows pink and orange, and the shadows are long and ghostly.

For all you armchair travelers, even if a visit to the Wall isn't in the cards for you, I can recommend this book as an excellent way to experience a beautiful countryside, rich in history and still relatively unchanged over the millennia.


11 comments:

  1. It looks like a beautiful book. What time of year will you hike it? I am also interested in Hadrian's Wall. What is the best guide on hiking along it? We had a good time on day hike of the Camino del Norte trail in Spain in Sept. and would like to go back for more!

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    1. We are probably going in July--long days and hopefully the driest weather. August is also a possibility. I would love to walk the Camino de Santiago too.

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  2. Beautiful pictures! I hope you blog about your voyage along Hadrian's wall. I'd love to hear about it - I want to go to Great Britain someday.

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  3. I love books like this...they always make me want to get on a plane and go see these amazing places for myself! :)

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  4. It is so neat that you are trekking Hadrian's Wall. It is also neat that you are reading about it first. I tend to read books relating to trips that I take also. I think that this is common with bookish folks.

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  5. How cool! I look forward to hearing about more of your reading in preparation for the trip. Will you be adding an fiction to the mix? Or will it be non-fiction (travel guides, history, etc.?)

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    1. Margaret from Books Please has been helping me compile a list of fiction and non-fiction for the area, spanning from Roman times to modern. I'll be using it to create my 2017 reading plan outline!

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    2. Please share her list! My mother went on a Hadrian's Wall pilgrimage a few years ago - are you a Dorothy Dunnett fan? https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/469359592396912946/activity

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    3. Yes, I will share the list! Dorothy Dunnett is on my must-read list--I've heard her various series are great.

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  6. It is a lovely book, I borrowed it from my library. We've been meaning to walk Hadrian's Wall for years now but never got around to it - so far.

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  7. My parents walked some of Hadrian's Wall many years ago when they were in England - think they would love this book.

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