Hadrian's Wall Info
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Welcome to the Hadrian's Wall Information Service. If you're looking for the official government agency news feed - this isn't it! However if you would like to know more about visiting Hadrian's Wall from those of us who live and work here, perhaps questions that others have asked us might be very similar to those you would like to ask yourself.
This list is by no means exhaustive and new content is always being added. If there are any questions you have in the meantime that are not included in this list, please don't wait for them to be added, but feel free to contact us anytime and we'll endeavour to come back to you without too much delay.
Meanwhile, check out our 'Top Ten Tips' and here are our
FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions
Walking the Wall
What is the Hadrian’s Wall Path?
How long is the National Trail?
How long does it take to walk the Wall?
When is the best time to walk the Wall?
Where is the Best of the Wall?
Which direction should I walk in?
How long is the Wall? – There is often some confusion here between ‘the Wall’ and ‘the Hadrian’s Wall Path National Trail’, as they are not the same thing – hence there are two answers.
‘The Wall’ (as built by the Romans) was 73 miles in length, running between Maia (Bowness-on-Solway) and Segedunum (Wallsend). In the present day, existence of the Wall is mainly evident over approximately a 30-mile stretch, between Birdoswald and Chollerford. Beyond those two points, the line of the Wall is generally identifiable by the ditch (the Fosse) that was in front of it, or the mounds and ditch that lay behind it (the Vallum).
‘The National Trail’ is the long-distance Path that runs between Bowness-on-Solway and Wallsend. Where practical the Trail follows the line of the original Wall - diversions having been added in certain sections to make it more appealing (eg a footpath along a riverbank rather than through a modern busy city centre). The length of the Trail, at 84 miles, is longer than the original Wall.
What is the Hadrian’s Wall Path? – It is the long-distance National Trail adjacent to parts of the Wall, created and maintained by the Countryside Agency, in partnership with numerous other agencies - including English Heritage, the National Trust and Northumberland National Park.
How long is the National Trail? – The entire Trail is 84 miles long. Some folk walk all of it, some part of it and some choose to take diversionary routes off it in order to take in sites of interest like Vindolanda and Corstopitum.
How long does it take to walk the Wall? – This generally depends on what you want to see, how experienced a distance walker you are and how much time you have available.
If you would like to walk the entire 84 miles of the Hadrian’s Wall Path National Trail and you are capable of averaging a distance of between 12 to 15 miles a day, then it is feasible to complete the route in six walking days. This is what is referred to as a ‘One Week Walk’, allowing for arriving here the day before you start and departing the day after you finish.
Some seasoned long-distance walkers complete the Trail in less than six days (eg on a ‘Four Day Challenge’), however this is only an option for particularly fit and experienced individuals who are happy to walk 20+ miles a day (four days on the trot). This obviously entails longer walking days and doesn’t allow much in the way of time for visiting sites of interest.
For those who would prefer to take a slightly more leisurely pace and spend more time exploring the sites of interest, then extending to a ‘One Week Plus Walk’ (seven walking days – eight nights accommodation) is a particularly popular option. This allows for an extended stay in the central section (where the Wall is most prominent) and gives the opportunity to visit Vindolanda (about a mile south of the Trail), which is the only on-going archaeological dig site in the vicinity of the Wall.
When is the best time to walk the Wall? – This is an often-asked question and the answer depends on your definition of ‘best’. Is it a reference to weather, congestion, facilities or amenities?
We live and work on the Wall. We walk on Winshields Crag (the midway and highest point of the Wall) everyday, so our definition of ‘best’ is defined by the ever-changing moods of the environment.
For us, there’s never a week goes by that doesn’t have a moment when we say ‘this is just the best time to be here’. Generally that moment will be a time when few, if any, folk are around and there’s a sense of having that dramatic landscape of rolling hills, forests and loughs (Northumbrian lakes) all to yourself. The weather conditions merely affect ‘what to wear’ and more significantly, how the landscape appears.
If your idea of ‘best’ is when you’re most likely to feel comfortable wearing a pair of shorts, then it’s probably going to be between the end of May and early September.
If T shirt weather isn’t such a high priority, but everywhere being open for business and the AD122 running (Hadrian’s Wall Shuttle Bus) is, then that is anytime between Easter (April) and the end of October – which roughly equates to BST (British Summer Time – when the clocks go back an hour).
If ‘avoiding the crowds’ is high on your agenda, the reality is there’s enough space along the Wall to avoid them any time of the year. The congestion is only a one of there being availability in the accommodations and the secret there is to either book up early enough, or be flexible on the day of the week you start – most folk arrive on a Friday night or Saturday and therefore start their walk on a weekend.
If ‘tranquillity’, ‘getting away from it all’, ‘de-stressing’, or ‘recharging the batteries’ is particularly appealing, anytime is good, however you would do well to consider an Autumn / Winter / Spring Break – (October – April).
When does the Trail close? – It doesn’t, it’s open 365 days of the year. The Trail isn’t promoted outside of the main season (May – October) as too heavy a footfall during the winter months can lead to worn paths on the grassy areas becoming boggy in wet conditions.
Individuals and small groups (four or less) isn’t a problem at any time, however larger groups are generally encouraged to stick to the summer months when it’s easier for the ground to be seeded and maintained.
Where is the Best of the Wall? – The answer to this is entirely subjective, however it is a commonly used term that is applied to where you find the Wall is most prominent and the landscape is particularly breathtaking. With those two considerations in mind, the ‘Best of the Wall’ is generally accepted as being the 30 miles stretch in the central section between the Irthing and North Tyne valleys.
That said, there is much to appreciate either side of the central area, however you could say that the landscape and evident heritage is more subtle, rather than dramatic. This is where having a Guide to meet up with and interpret the heritage is rather useful.
Which direction should I walk in? – We have seen clients who have walked the Trail in one direction one year and then returned to walk it in the opposite direction the following year. Whichever direction you walk in, you're not going to be disappointed.
Walking East to West
There was one guidebook produced (labelled as the “Official National Trail Guidebook”) that described the route as starting in the east at Wallsend and finishing in the west at Bowness-on-Solway. Because of this, there has been a tendency for most folk to walk from the east to the west.
There are certain advantages in walking east to west. These include the fact that it may be logistically more practical for some folk to get to Newcastle (by road, rail, or air) the day before they start their walk, than it would be to get to Carlisle.
Wallsend is in an urban area to the east of Newcastle city centre and famous for its now demised shipbuilding industry. It would be fair to say that catering for tourists was never its primary concern and it could be said that it’s an interesting place to walk from rather than to. With this in mind, many folk like the idea of walking from an urban environment and into a rural one. Finishing your walk in Bowness-on-Solway entails arriving in a small stone-built country village overlooking the Solway Firth.
Walking from the east means that if there’s a chilly north-easterly breeze, it’s going to be behind you rather than in your face.
Walking West to East
Walking from the west may again be a one that is more practical for logistical purposes – ie Carlisle may be the easiest place for you to get to the day before you start your walk.
The more hardened long-distance walkers tend to choose to walk from the west, as past experience for them has proved that it is better to have the prevailing wind (which comes from the south-west) behind you rather than in front of you.
Finishing your walk in Wallsend would mean that you need to get there by 4pm if you want to have time to visit Segedunum Museum - which shouldn’t be too much of a problem unless you’ve been distracted by the places of interest on Newcastle Quayside beforehand.
Wallsend might not be regarded as picturesque, however you may like the idea of walking six miles beyond it to reach the coast at Tynemouth (which is picturesque). Alternatively, you could just jump on the Metro (the frequently running Overground/Underground local rail network) at Wallsend Station, straight across the road from Segedunum. From there, you can be on the coast or in the centre of Newcastle within 10 minutes.
Walking Considerations -