Our favourite Hadrian's Wall walks

Hadrian’s Wall is one Britain’s greatest and best-preserved landmarks. The wall runs 73 miles coast to coast from the River Tyne to the Solway Firth. Many parts remain intact and pass through remote areas, so walking is a great way to visit the wall. Below we pick our favourite Hadrian’s Wall walks.

Hadrian’s Wall began construction in 122 AD during the rule of the Roman emperor Hadrian, probably to keep out barbarians from the north. Originally the wall was 3 metres wide and 5-6 meters high, and included ditched and forts along its length.

Today, great stretches of the vast wall can be found largely in Northumberland, alongside excellent archaeological sites and museums. One of the best ways to tour Hadrian’s Wall is either on foot or by bike along its pathways. Here is a quick guide to our favourite Hadrian’s Wall walks to get your adventure underway.

Hadrian’s Wall Path

Hadrian’s Wall Path is an 84-mile National Trail which runs from England’s west to east coast following the entire length of the wall.

Between the path’s starting points at Bowness-on-Solway in Cumbria to Wallsend in Tyneside, its many miles scale plenty of breathtaking scenery as well as cityscapes and Roman archaeological sites.

Although you can choose to walk or cycle a shorter sections of the route to suit you, experienced walkers can complete the entire trek in about six days. The National Trail is easily accessible and recognisable thanks to the clearly marked acorn and arrowed signposts.

Housesteads Circular Walk

This excellent seven-mile circular walking route that begins and ends at Housesteads takes in some of the best Hadrian’s Wall sites and offers incredible views. It’s fairly demanding and will take around 3 hours.

As the path progresses through Northumberland’s lush landscapes, you visit the following highlights of the wall: the English Heritage and National Trust owned Housesteads Roman Fort , the Roman Military Way, Stanegate Roman Road towards Crindledykes, and the highly recommended Vindolanda.

Corbridge Roman Town

The Corbridge and Aydon Castle circular walk is one of Northumberland’s best walks, taking in beautiful panoramic views, ancient towns, scenic lanes and world-class historical sites.

The route is about 6 miles long and will take around 4-5 hours including time to visit the sites on the way. The route begins and ends in the lovely village of Corbridge where there are plenty of good places to eat and drink.

The important site on the route is Corbridge Roman Town which was a large garrison town and supply base on Hadrian’s Wall. You can walk along the streets of the fascinating town and learn all about this section of the wall in the excellent museum here.

Chesters Roman Fort

This easy two and a half mile walk around Chesters and Humshaugh takes around an hour to complete, not including the time needed to visit the route’s attractions. It takes you through some beautiful countryside, as well as visiting the wall and a lovely walled garden.

The highlight of the route is Chesters Roman Fort, which is the best preserved Roman cavalry fort in Britain built to guard the bridge which took Hadrian’s Wall over the North Tyne River. There is a good museum at the site.

And just in case you are passing through…

Completing the Pennine Way is a massive achievement, it is the toughest long distance walking route in the UK. Although the Pennine Way isn’t synonymous with walks around Hadrian’s Wall, the 253-mile-long national trail passes Hadrian’s Wall on its long journey to Kirk Yetholm, just north of the Northumberland National Park.

Hadrian Wall’s top walks are more than just scenery and stone: they offer a unique chance to look back on one of Britain’s most significant periods through a range of Roman relics, ancient towns and war-torn castles. Enjoy your journey!