A few months ago I took my love of history to new heights by literally walking through history on Hadrian’s Wall Path.
Roman history wasn’t the only attraction. The thought that someone woke up one day and decided to build a wall across an entire country, really appealed to my little brain. Was it ambition gone wild? A touch crazy? Or the fact that he had unlimited human labour on tap to construct the wall and that made it eminently doable?
The upshot was a 138km walk which delivered a 7-8 day history lesson, plenty of ups and downs and countless stunning views.
If you don’t mind a walk and also love history, then here is some information to help you consider your own Hadrian’s Wall wander.
Where Is It?
- Start & Finish: You have the option of walking East to West or West to East. In my experience, the vast majority of people seemed to walk West to East and, as I walked East to West, I was walking against the flow of people. This meant I rarely saw the same people twice and didn’t get to establish the same sort of friendships or sense of camaraderie as my Partner-in-Crime and I did on the Coast to Coast Path (completed just before I set off on Hadrian’s Wall).
- The main reason promoted for walking West to East is that it is said that you always have the wind at your back, rather than in your face. This didn’t really bother me as I enjoyed the cooling breeze and preferred to have the sun at my back.
- I started at Newcastle on Tyne on the East coast (having walked the short stretch from Segedunum/Wallsend the previous day) and finished at Bowness on Solway on the West coast.
- Distance: The official distance is 138km.
How to Do It?
- Independently: I booked everything direct with accommodation providers and the luggage transport company. Again, similar to the Coast to Coast Path, book as soon as you have dates in mind, especially if you are walking in Summer. This is a VERY popular trail and there is a lot of competition for beds. As the trail mostly goes through very small towns and villages, this means additional pressure on availability. The earlier you book, the increased chance of scoring accommodation on the trail as opposed to having to walk, or taxi, away from the trail and returning the next morning. Note: some accommodation providers will pick you up from the trail and return you the next day. You’ll need to talk to them direct about that.
- Luggage Transport: I used a fabulous company called Hadrian’s Haul. This was an excellent service, allowing me to walk with only a daypack, and they didn’t miss a beat. They are also a fantastic source of information and nothing was too much trouble. Highly recommended.
- Supported: There are also a large number of companies who will book everything for you including booking all your accommodation and luggage transport. A more expensive and inflexible option, but also zero stress. I did look at this option, but it worked out to be very expensive as I was walking on my own and couldn’t share costs. It was much more cost effective for me to book direct. It did take a fair bit of juggling and tooing, and froing, but it all worked out in the end…or sort of.
- Accommodation: I have no doubt there is an accommodation option to suit you. Camping appeared to be popular (both free camping and campsites), but I stayed in B&Bs, farm stays and pubs. All but one my rooms had an ensuite. Note: on this path, most of the accommodation providers were very strict on check-in time, sometimes not until 4pm. You need to factor that time in to your daily walking schedule. I did a lot of sitting around, waiting, and reading my book. 😊
How Long Does It Take?
- As long as you like! I organised a 7-night, 8-day itinerary and, in hindsight, I could have tightened that up a lot. It’s a bit hard to know what to do when you are not familiar with the area. My relaxed itinerary meant my shortest day was 7.1km and my longest 31.6km. I realise this is a wild variation and the very long day was due to a last-minute accommodation cancellation. Luckily the terrain was dead flat.
- I understand most people work on a six or seven day itinerary. That would have been better for me too and I would have tried to average out the daily distances more evenly.
When to Go?
- Spring: Apparently April, May and June are the most popular time for local people to walk.
- Summer: Summer is a popular time to walk too as the chance of drier weather is marginally better. Try to avoid school holidays if you can, as that creates extra pressure on accommodation.
- Also, try not to start walking on the weekend as that is when most people hit the trail.
- Weather: Again, I enjoyed really good weather on this walk. When it rained, it seemed to do that overnight, and I only had one pretty wet and cold morning. Note: some sections of the path are very exposed to the elements and water resupply may not be plentiful. Take care and/or plan accordingly.
What Does it Cost?
- That piece of string just gets longer. 😊 You can travel/walk almost 5-star or sleep in a tent and be cheap and cheerful.
- This walk is expensive – driven by ye olde supply and demand. B&B’s were around £120 per night and sometimes they were definitely not worth that, being pretty tired and run down. Pub meals averaged around £20 for a main.
- There were very few bakeries, shops or supermarkets and sometimes nothing in the really small places. There were a number of Honesty kiosks located on various farms you walk through which supplied hot and cold drinks, and a wide variety of snacks. On my wet, cold morning one of these was a lifesaver and sincerely appreciated.
Safety
- This is a very safe path and there were many people, especially women, walking on their own. As with any walk, you still need to be sensible and not place yourself in dangerous situations.
- As mentioned above, carry plenty of water and snacks on some sections of the trail when the villages are quite a distance apart.
- Mobile phone service is readily available on the majority of the trail although I did strike a couple of service blackspots in the more ‘remote’ areas. Almost all the places I stayed had WIFI.
- O2 has a prepaid 30-day plan for £20 which offered unlimited calls and texts, and 40GB of data. It worked well for me.
- Wayfinding: I used AllTrails and had a guidebook. While I didn’t refer to the guidebook for directions, reading the background, historical information was interesting. Make sure you get an up-to-date guidebook to cover any changes to the trail.
- Signage/Waymarking: The signage on this trail is very comprehensive and you could easily walk the whole thing just following the signs, and your nose.
What to Pack:
- Footwear: You could get away with trail shoes for this walk. Whichever you choose, make sure they have excellent tread/grip as there were a couple of slippery spots.
- Backpack: Again, whatever size works for you. Make sure it is a comfortable one that fits your body like a glove. Considering you will be carrying it for 5-6hours a day, don’t scrimp on the quality or the fit.
- Water: Personal preference I know, but you really should carry at least 2litres of water – more on hot days. There are very few places to top up during the day.
- Clothing: Warm clothes and wet weather gear are a must in case the weather changes.
- Sun Protection: Much of the trail is very exposed to every bit of weather that the Weather Gods dream up. Make sure you have a good hat, sunscreen and protective clothing.
- Hiking Poles: These are essential when you get to the middle sections of the path and the steep ups, and downs of the Wall.
- Camera/Phone: To capture the absolutely stunning scenery on a daily basis.
Who is this Hike For?
- Women: I estimate that 75% of walkers were female.
- Children: There were plenty of little tackers bounding up and down the wall with the greatest of ease.
- Fitness: The fitter you are, the more you will enjoy this walk. The middle sections of the Path were the most demanding, with a fairly gentle start and finish. As this walk is so popular, I am sure you could book a taxi/shuttle to help on the longer or tougher stages if needed.
The Good Bits:
- Middle Stages: The stages in the middle of the walk were the most rewarding with beautiful scenery and great long stretches of the trail (from Chollerford to Newtown).
- Weather: Again, I was really lucky with the weather. The temperatures were perfect and I had only one damp day.
- The History of the Wall: The Wall itself is just outstanding. I never tired off following it and reading all the interpretive information.
- Forts: There are a number of well-excavated forts and towers along the length of the Wall. I took the time to visit Chesters Roman Fort and Museum, and it was really worthwhile.
The OK/Bad Bits:
- The Start: Leaving Newcastle was pretty unpleasant with lots of noise and urban, hard surfaces. It was harsh on the feet and ears, and not a lot of history.
- B6318: The trail parallels the busy B6318 road for many of the stages and the noise from this road is not conducive to a relaxing stroll.
- The Disappearing Wall: There was no wall in the last couple of stages, so you could really finish at Carlisle and not miss out on much. It was just a matter of ticking the box and knowing I had walked the whole length of the wall that kept me going.
- Community: There is no real sense of a walking community, there were few people to chat to or they weren’t interested in chatting to me! Maybe it would have been better if I had walked West to East like everyone else.
And for a Daily Description of My Stroll Back Across England
For a day-to-day description of what I was experiencing, have a read below:
- Day 1 – here.
- Day 2 – here.
- Day 3 – here.
- Day 4 – here.
- Day 5 – here.
- Day 6 – here.
- Day 7 – here.
- Day 8 & Final – here.
Walking Hadrian’s Wall Path is a must-do for anyone who loves history, especially Roman History. I just love the thought of walking in their footsteps, although I only had to contend with the footsteps of hordes of tourists, rather than hordes of marauding barbarians. One and the same? 😊 Of course, I am happy to answer any specific questions you may have. Just pop them in the Comments section below or contact me via the Contact Form on this blog.
Happy trails to you all.
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