Walking the Great North Line

In Walking the Great North Line, poet and travel author Robert Twigger embarks on an extraordinary journey to uncover the hidden mysteries of England. Driven by a desire to discover a unique path up the country, Twigger stumbles upon the Great North Line—a remarkable straight line running from Christchurch on the South Coast to Lindisfarne. This intriguing route, aligned at 1 degree 50 West, remarkably connects a series of ancient, significant sites, raising questions about coincidence or intentional design.

Twigger's comprehensive journey takes him through a multitude of historic landmarks. From the enigmatic landscapes of Old Sarum and Stonehenge to the mystical Avebury stone circle, he proceeds to Notgrove barrow and Meon Hill in the Midlands. His path includes the wondrous Thor’s Cave, the prehistoric Arbor Low stone circle, the majestic Mam Tor, and the ancient Ilkley in Yorkshire with its three stone circles and the Swastika Stone. Among nearly thirty additional notable sites, Twigger's journey is a tapestry of England's rich history, touching numerous forts and camps as he ventures towards the iconic Holy Island of Lindisfarne.

The narrative is not just about the locations; it’s about Twigger's personal transformation and the characters he meets along the way. His adventure leads him through bustling cities like Birmingham, Halifax, and Consett and picturesque landscapes like the Salisbury Plain, the rugged beauty of the Peak District, and the expansive Yorkshire Moors. With minimal planning that preferred reading on shamanism and beat poetry over practical preparation, Twigger sets off, fuelled by hope and curiosity.

With an air of spontaneity, Twigger embraces the raw wilderness by wild-camping, immersing himself in an almost nomadic lifestyle. His encounters are both humorous and stirring—spending nights in prehistoric caves, surviving an unexpected fall into a river, crossing a treacherous ‘suicide viaduct,’ and navigating the social quirks of rural England like being reprimanded by a farmer’s wife for trespassing. Yet, in these rugged experiences, he discovers profound beauty and simplicity in life.

Twigger's journey is as much about the internal landscape as it is about the physical. Walking alone or sometimes with others, he becomes acutely aware of the contrasts and anomalies of the 'edgelands'—those places that exist on the fringes of the urban and the wild. Through the lens of his poetic perception, every step on the Great North Line becomes a poetic revelation, resonating with the woven gold of human history and natural splendour.

Walking the Great North Line is a captivating exploration of England’s ancient routes and the traveller's heart, one that promises to inspire readers to ponder the mysteries of the past and find magic in the age-old practice of walking.