Blind walkers hope for wall first

The wall runs from the west of Cumbria to Wallsend

Two men from Derbyshire are hoping to be the first registered blind people to walk the entire length of Hadrian's Wall.

Keith Fern, from Crich, and Ivan Pitchford from Shirebrook, have been in training for five months, ahead of their 84 mile trek.

Mr Pitchford will be raising money for the Rainbow Children's Hospice.

He is an experienced walker, having already taken part in the New York and London marathons and walked from Land's End to John O'Groats.

New challenge

They will both be taking their guide dogs with them, and 66-year-old Mr Pitchford says it is something he likes to do on a regular basis.

He said: "I try to organise this sort of thing as often as possible, usually raising money fro charity.

"Last year I took five visually impaired people up Ben Nevis and early this year I decided to walk Hadrian's Wall.

"As luck would have it the new path opened up which means we can do the whole distance."

Mr Pitchford, who walks up to nine miles a day round local woodland, said the wall will be a particular challenge.

"It's very up and down, it's not an even walk. We'll have to get some hill walking practise in between then and now," he said.