Hadrian's Wall
UNESCO World Heritage Site: Frontiers Of The Roman Empire (1987). A 118 Km Wall Across Northern England Begun In AD 122 Under Emperor Hadrian, With Forts, Milecastles And The Vindolanda Writing Tablets. The Best Preserved Central Stretch Is Walked Over The Whin Sill Ridge At Housesteads And Steel Rigg. Remote, Windswept And Good On A Dry Day · Haltwhistle, England
Hadrian's Wall is a Roman frontier in northern England, begun in AD 122 under Emperor Hadrian and running about 118 km across the country from the Tyne near Newcastle to the Solway Firth near Carlisle. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The best stretch is the central section over the Whin Sill ridge, where Housesteads Roman Fort sits on the crag and the walk from Steel Rigg to Housesteads follows the high wall. Vindolanda, a fort behind the wall, is famous for its wooden writing tablets, the oldest handwritten documents found in Britain. The Roman Army Museum near Greenhead adds soldiers' stories. The Sycamore Gap tree, a famous landmark, was cut down in 2023, and only the stump remains. The Hadrian's Wall Path is 135 km long. Hexham and Haltwhistle make good bases, and the AD122 bus helps in season. The land is open, wild and windswept, with stone that is often only a low line, so expect remains rather than a full wall.
Housesteads Roman Fort, Vindolanda and Walltown Crags, along the line of the Wall across northern England, Haltwhistle, England, United Kingdom
The Wall itself and the Hadrian's Wall Path are open at all times and walking them is FREE. Staffed sites keep set hours. Housesteads Roman Fort and Vindolanda are commonly open daily from spring to autumn, with shorter hours in winter and some closed days, and last entry is an hour or so before closing. The Roman Army Museum is closed in winter weekdays at times. The AD122 bus runs only in the main season, commonly May to September, and is CLOSED the rest of the year. Cafes at Housesteads and Once Brewed close early. Paid sites are CLOSED outside their hours, so confirm opening days, and expect bad weather to shut exposed ridge paths.