At first, the idea of employing a baggage transfer company to transport my luggage from one overnight stop to the next whilst I walked the Hadrian’s Wall Path seemed like a bit of a cheat.  After all, plenty of people complete the walk carrying all their possessions––tent, portable stove, etc.––with them for the entire route; their 70 litre backpacks evidence of their commitment and stamina.  However, I was soon converted to the idea of letting someone else take the strain.  After all, the walk was intended to be a pleasure not a punishment and, as a modern-day pilgrim I was seeking amusement, rather than looking for penance.  I knew from experience, that even a short time spent carrying a small daypack can leave me with aching shoulders; the prospect of carting all my worldly goods over a distance of eighty miles, from one side of the country to the other, would be a feat beyond my modest frame.

The company I used were called Hadrian’s Bags, and I found them friendly, organised and efficient.  Each morning, I left my luggage ready for collection by 9AM, and it was waiting for me at my next port of call by 4.30PM the same afternoon or, often, much earlier.  For the first couple of days, I experienced that anxiety familiar to any air travellers waiting at the baggage carousel: what would happen if my luggage was lost?  But, as the days worn on, and my luggage turned up on time with reliable predictability, I relaxed and forgot my initial fears.

Once or twice, I spotted the baggage transfer van overtake me along some part of my route but, most of the time, their work took place invisibly.

Overall, employing a baggage transfer company took a huge weight off my shoulders and I cannot praise them enough.  I wouldn’t have been able to complete the walk without them.

© E. C. Glendenny

E. C. Glendenny gives a big thumbs up to Hadrian’s Bags.

E. C. Glendenny is the author of Resting Easy: Selected Travel Writing