Walking Hadrian's Wall Path

Hadrian's Wall Path is the national trail that follows Hadrian's Wall along its entire length, the Roman frontier that crosses northern England from coast to coast. About 135 kilometres long, it runs from Wallsend, at the mouth of the River Tyne near Newcastle, to Bowness-on-Solway on the west coast. It is usually walked in six or seven days, passing forts, turrets, museums and some of the wildest landscapes in the north, but many stretches can also be done in a single day.

History

The Wall was built on the orders of Emperor Hadrian from AD 122 and for almost three centuries marked the north-western frontier of the Roman Empire. Along the wall, originally perhaps four or five metres high, stood small milecastles every Roman mile, turrets in between and large forts for the garrisons, with soldiers from all over the Empire. After the end of Roman rule many stones were reused to build churches, houses and roads, but long stretches survive, especially in the central section.

In 1987 the Wall became a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and in 2003 the national trail opened. To protect the archaeology, often buried under the grass, the path is best walked between May and October, when the ground is dry, and walking on top of the wall is forbidden.

What to see

From Wallsend to Chollerford

The path starts at Segedunum, the fort at Wallsend, with a viewing tower and museum, and crosses Newcastle along the Tyne. Then it enters the Northumberland countryside. At Chesters you can see the remains of a cavalry fort and the best-preserved bath house in Roman Britain, on the bank of the North Tyne.

The central section

The most spectacular stretch runs along the rocky crags of the Whin Sill, where the wall rises and falls with the cliffs. Here are Housesteads fort, the famous Sycamore Gap, Crag Lough and the highest point of the path, at Winshields Crags. Just to the south lies Vindolanda, with its writing tablets. Further west, at Birdoswald, you can see the longest continuous stretch of wall still standing.

Carlisle and the Solway coast

The path reaches Carlisle, with its castle, cathedral and the Tullie House museum, rich in Roman finds. The last stretch crosses the salt marshes of the Solway Firth, with views of Scotland, to the little village of Bowness-on-Solway.

Getting there

• By train: to Newcastle or Carlisle, linked by the Tyne Valley line running parallel to the Wall, with stops at Hexham, Haltwhistle and Bardon Mill.
• By air: Newcastle Airport is about 20 minutes from central Newcastle.

Nearby

• Newcastle and Durham Cathedral.
• The Northumberland coast with Lindisfarne and Bamburgh.
• The Lake District, south of Carlisle.

Tips

• How long: six or seven days for the whole path, one day for the central section.
• When to go: May to September.
• A tip: if you only have one day, walk from Steel Rigg to Housesteads via Sycamore Gap: it is the stretch that captures all the magic of the Wall.

Hadrian's Wall Path on the map

Nearby