Hadrian's Wall & Hexham

The World Heritage wall on the Roman Empire's north-west frontier, with Housesteads Fort, Vindolanda and the ridge-top wall at Steel Rigg stretching across the moors, and Hexham as a base.

Hadrian's Wall, begun by the Roman Empire in AD 122 as its north-west frontier, runs about 118 km across northern England and, together with the Limes in Germany, is listed as the 'Frontiers of the Roman Empire' World Heritage Site. The best-preserved and most spectacular central section lies within Northumberland National Park, where the wall rises and falls along the cliffs of the Whin Sill. The market town of Hexham, about 35 km from Newcastle, has an abbey, an old gaol and a market square, and is the main base for exploring the central section; further west, Haltwhistle and Once Brewed also have plenty of B&Bs. The core sites, from east to west, are Corbridge Roman Town, Chesters Roman Fort, the Temple of Mithras, Housesteads Roman Fort, Vindolanda, Steel Rigg and Sycamore Gap, Cawfields, Walltown Crags and the Roman Army Museum, ending in Cumbria at Birdoswald and Lanercost Priory. To the north, Kielder Water and Kielder Observatory lie within Europe's largest dark sky reserve. The best time to visit is Apr–Oct, when the sites open daily; in summer (roughly Apr–Sep) the AD122 Hadrian's Wall bus links Hexham with the main sites, while in winter most sites have shorter hours and the weather is cold, wet and windy. Getting there: the Newcastle–Carlisle railway stops at Hexham and Haltwhistle, and driving along the B6318 'Military Road' is most convenient. Allow 2–3 days: one for the forts and museums, one for the Steel Rigg–Housesteads walk, plus stargazing at Kielder or time in Hexham. Note: ridge paths are steep and slippery, so wear non-slip shoes and bring rain gear; do not climb on the wall; most forts are run by English Heritage or the Vindolanda Trust and charge admission, so consider a membership or combined ticket.

Top sights

• Housesteads Roman Fort – The best-preserved Roman fort along Hadrian's Wall, set on a windswept moorland ridge. Its barracks, granaries and the famous public latrin…
• Vindolanda – A Roman fort and civilian settlement site south of the wall, famous for the Vindolanda tablets. Archaeological excavations continue here to…
• Steel Rigg & Crag Lough – The most spectacular stretch of the wall, where the masonry follows cliffs and ridges above Crag Lough. It is the top choice for photograph…
• Chesters Roman Fort – A Roman cavalry fort on the banks of the North Tyne, with the best-preserved Roman army bath house in Britain and the Victorian-era Clayton…
• Hexham Abbey – An abbey church founded in 674 that preserves an Anglo-Saxon crypt and a Roman cavalry tombstone. It is the heart of the town.
• Sycamore Gap – A lone sycamore once stood in a gap along the Wall. It was felled by vandals in 2023, and the spot remains a pilgrimage point on the Hadria…
• Roman Army Museum – A museum beside the Magna fort that uses 3D film and replica kit to show how Roman soldiers lived on the empire's frontier.
• Birdoswald Roman Fort – A Roman fort overlooking the River Irthing gorge, close to one of the longest continuous stretches of surviving Hadrian's Wall.
• Corbridge Roman Town – The ruins of a Roman town at the northern edge of the empire, once the supply base for the Wall. The museum holds the famous Corbridge Lion…
• Walltown Crags – One of the best-preserved sections of the Wall, where the stonework rises and falls along a jagged basalt ridge. Beside it is a former quar…
• Cawfields Quarry – A small lake in a disused quarry, next to well-preserved Milecastle 42 and a stretch of the Wall. It's an easy place to see the Wall withou…
• The Sill National Landscape Discovery Centre – The visitor centre of Northumberland National Park. It has a grass-roofed building you can climb for views, along with exhibitions, a café…
• Temple of Mithras, Carrawburgh – The 3rd-century Roman Mithras temple outside the fort at Brocolitia, with replicas of three altars standing where the originals once did at…
• Hexham Old Gaol – Built in the 1330s, this is thought to be England's oldest purpose-built prison. Today it is a small museum telling the history of the bord…
• Kielder Water & Forest Park – England's largest planted forest and Britain's largest man-made lake by capacity. Walking, cycling, osprey watching and dark-sky stargazing…
• Kielder Observatory – A public observatory in one of Britain's darkest skies. Night sky events often sell out, and the sky may show the Milky Way or even the aur…
• Lanercost Priory – An Augustinian priory founded in 1169, partly built from stone taken from Hadrian's Wall. Edward I stayed here for several months.
• Thirlwall Castle – A border castle built in the 14th century from stone taken from Hadrian's Wall. Now a ruin on a hill above a small river, it is free to vis…
• Aydon Castle – A fortified manor house from the late 13th century, remarkably intact. It shows how nobles turned their homes into strongholds during the b…
• Allen Banks & Staward Gorge – Northumberland's largest ancient woodland, managed by the National Trust. A riverside path runs through the gorge, with red squirrels and t…

Where to eat

• The Rat Inn – A long-established gastropub in the village of Anick, a few miles from Hexham, with views over the Tyne Valley. Its Sun…
• Twice Brewed Inn – A pub at the foot of Sycamore Gap and the Wall that brews its own beer. It is a must-stop for walkers on the Hadrian's…
• Danielle's Bistro – A family-run bistro on Hexham's Eastgate, open since 1996, serving generous portions of English and Mediterranean dishe…
• Battlesteads Hotel Restaurant – An eco-friendly hotel restaurant in an 1747 farmhouse at Walwick, using produce from its own kitchen garden and from wi…

Itineraries

• Great Britain Classic Loop: England & Scotland – A classic British road trip from London, looping through Bath, the Lake District, Edinburgh, and York.
• Durham, Hadrian's Wall & Northumberland Coast – Head north from Durham to see the Roman Wall, castle coast, seabird islands, and Lindisfarne.