The following article was written by Adam Goodfellow, who completed a sponsored walk along the entire length of Hadrian's Wall, raising £685 for Mental Health Matters.

Earlier this year, I decided to take on the challenge of walking Hadrian's Wall a goal I’d had for some time - with the added twist of completing the 84 miles in just three days while raising funds for two mental health charities, Mental Health Matters and Tyneside & Northumberland Mind. My friend Jamie, for reasons best known to himself, agreed to join me.

We originally planned to camp but were grateful when Jamie's parents offered to host us and drive us to our starting point each morning.

We set out early at 7:30am from Bowness on Solway, heading east towards Wallsend. After a slightly damp start, the sun came out on our first day as we covered 26 miles, passing through Carlisle, where the Roman town of 'Luguvalia' once stood. The wall itself was mostly invisible, but the route followed the ancient vallum and straight roads. By the end of the day, we were exhausted but ready for a hot meal and rest.

On Day 2, we started from Walton, now joined by Jamie's poodle, Bernard. The landscape grew hillier, and soon we saw our first real section of the wall standing tall. Seeing this 1,900-year-old structure was humbling - it reminded me that while stone endures, we as humans can grow, change, and heal. The day's highlights included passing the forts at Birdoswald and Great Chesters and tackling rugged climbs along the crags. By day’s end, my left boot had rubbed my ankle raw, making the last few miles a struggle. We had covered 19.5 miles but were falling behind schedule.

With the pace slowing and my injury worsening, we made the tough decision to split the final leg and return to complete the walk at the end of August. By then, we had already raised over £1,085 for our charities, with more donations still coming in.

Day 3 was misty but free of other walkers, just a few sheep to greet us. We passed the Temple of Mithras, an ancient Roman religious site, and stopped for coffee with a local vendor before descending from the hills to Chollerford. We crossed the River Tyne and pushed on to Wallhouses, finishing the day at a pub with well-earned pints and crisps.

On Day 4, we followed the military road towards Heddon, passing more walkers starting their own westward journeys. We chose to stick to the wall’s original path through the urban streets of Newcastle, which was a stark contrast to the peaceful rural scenery of earlier days. It reminded me that the Roman frontier was a bustling, multicultural area much like today’s diverse communities.

As we neared Wallsend, my four-year-old daughter joined us for the final half mile. Greeted by our families, we walked together to the Segedunum museum, where we were presented with medals to mark the end of the journey.

Over 38 hours of walking, we covered 82.4 miles, with over 1km of ascent, three pints, and nine types of farmyard animal. Most importantly, we raised £685 for Mental Health Matters and £670 for Tyneside Mind, with Gift Aid boosting the total to £1,355.

It was an experience, with some beautiful landscapes and amazing views along the way, and good company - but not one I'll be looking to do again in a hurry!