Market Towns, Villages and Areas of Interest
Hadrian’s Wall Country divides naturally into four sections, which makes telling people about the highlights and opportunities so much easier. It also enables you to see clearly the sorts of area that you might like to visit.
1. Newcastle to Hexham
South Shields: Clinging to the eastern edge is the supply base of Arbeia Roman Fort & Museum with its reconstructions, Life of a Roman Soldier exhibition and Death & Burial gallery.
Wallsend: Roman life in all its reconstructed glory springs up in front of you at Segedenum Roman Fort, Baths & Museum.
Newcastle: Excellent base now, never mind 2,000 years ago. Shopping, dining and a thriving arts scene with The Sage Gateshead and Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art. Classic view of the bridges across the Tyne including the Millennium ‘blinking eye’.
Corbridge: remains of the garrison town of Corbridge with granaries, museum and Stanegate road. Present-day Corbridge has recovered from Border pillaging to be lively, pretty and with boutique shopping.
Hexham: Classic Abbey-based market town that is ideal for visiting the Wall.
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2. Hexham to Haltwhistle
Haydon Bridge: Ideally placed for Houseteads Roman Fort and Sewingshields Wall, Turret and Milecastle.
Bardon Mill: Handy for Roman Vindolanda, Northumberland National Park, walking and dropping into the local lime kilns.
Haltwhistle: The Wall is walkable from here via Haltwhistle Burn, and the small market town is well-connected to the Hadrian’s Wall Country Line and Hadrian’s Wall Country Bus. As you would expect from the ‘Centre of Britain’.
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3. Haltwhistle to Carlisle
Gilsland: Village base for visiting Northumberland National Park, Birdoswald Roman Fort, numerous walks and the remains of the Roman river crossing at Willowford. Thirlwall Castle (14th century, built of Roman stone) is nearby.
Brampton: Temporary HQ for the Jacobites and great place for you to stay as well. Prime location for Banks Turret, Birdoswald Roman Fort and Lanercost Priory.
Carlisle: Thriving regional city with contemporary shopping, art and culture as well as a firm footing in the past. Tullie House Museum & Art Gallery showcases a host of treasures from across time, and Carlisle Castle still welcomes visitors as it has done since Mary Queen of Scots and Bonnie Prince Charlie’s Jacobites.
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4. Carlisle to Ravenglass
Bowness-on-Solway: The village sits on the stunning Solway Firth (an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) and gazes at Scotland. The area is a haven for wildlife and is on the Hadrian’s Wall Path National Trail.
Maryport: Started by the Romans, modern day Maryport is the creation of the Senhouse family (also responsible for founding the Senhouse Roman Museum collection). Great for exploring the coast as well as absorbing Roman influences.
Whitehaven: Georgian Whitehaven is the starting point for the C2C (coast to coast) cycleway.
St Bees Head: Home to the largest seabird colony in north-west England and accessed by an exhilarating cliff-top path that snakes across the sandstone cliffs.
Ravenglass: It’s bath houses again here (you can never be too clean) - this one has the tallest remains in Hadrian’s Wall Country. The seaport of Ravenglass is handy for the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway and Muncaster Castle.
