William Hutton, The History of the Roman Wall...Describing its Antient State and its Appearance in the Year 1801 (1802)

William Hutton (1723 – 1815) was an historian and a poet. He was born in Derby in 1723 and is generally believed to be the first person in modern times to walk the entire length of Hadrian's Wall. He undertook this feat at the age of 78, walking a total of 601 miles from his home in Birmingham, traversing the wall from East to West, and then retracing his steps to his home city. The book is enriched by his drily humorous descriptions of his experiences during the journey.