Exploring & Walking Hadrian's Wall
Discovering the Northern Boundary of the Roman Empire on Foot
Sep 25, 2008
Hadrian's Wall
Built by the Roman Emperor Hadrian, it stretches for 84 miles from coast to coast across the North of England and separated the civilisation that was Rome from the barbarians who lived further north in the Northumbrian and Scottish borders. Hadrian’s Wall begins on the Cumbrian coast at Bowness-on-Solway and ends close to the eponymously named Wallsend near Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
The Hadrian's Wall Walk
All 84 miles can be walked and there is now a designated walk which is signposted and supported by local transport in the form of buses. There are accommodations along the walk in the form of small hotels and bed and breakfasts so that the more energetic can walk the whole way along Hadrian’s famous Wall. There are also camping barns and youth hostels and a few campsites. Along the way, the walker will pass some of the most beautiful scenery in England and will travel through lush farmland and across rugged moors.
The whole walk along Hadrian’s Wall will take an experienced walker about six days. This time will allow the fit walker to visit many of the Roman sites which lie along and slightly behind the Wall. Less experienced walkers should allow more time, or perhaps take the walk in stages, visiting on more than one occasion to allow the blisters to heal.
What will the walker see as they travel along Hadrian’s Wall? How much of the Wall remains nearly 2,000 years after it was built? The answer is that in some areas there is no trace of Hadrian’s Wall while in others there are very well-preserved stretches which remind the observer of the magnificence of Hadrian’s vision and of his legions’ hard work. Generally, the best-preserved parts are those away from places where later towns and villages were built after the Romans left Britain. In places where people decided to built after the Romans had left, they used Hadrian’s Wall as a quarry and stone inscribed in Latin can be seen in churches and other buildings along the route of the Wall. The best-preserved stretches of Hadrian’s Wall can be found near Birdoswald, Walltown Crags, and Cawfields, and at Housesteads Roman Fort, Sewingshields, Chesters Roman Fort, Brunton Turret, and Heddon-on-the-Wall.
While not prohibited, because of the amount of livestock in the fields near the Wall, dogs are not encouraged. Should a walker choose to take their dog with them, then they ensure that farm animals are not disturbed.
Hadrian's Wall Tours and Further Information
For the walker that likes their itinerary organised by someone else, there are tour operators that arrange guided or self-guided tours including accommodation and transport for luggage. This later option is helpful to those less used to hard-core walking and on the more hilly sections in the High Pennines.
Further information can be found at the Hadrian’s Wall Path National Trail webpage and, for those who would like to read about the history of the Wall and its place in Roman history, an excellent book entitled ‘The Wall: Rome’s Greatest Frontier’ by writer Alistair Moffat has recently been published by Birlinn General.
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