Hadrian’s Wall ()
Sitting in a Dublin pub one rainy evening, I struck up a conversation with a father–daughter duo who, over a few enthusiastic pints of Guinness, gave me a new idea for my travel bucket list: Hiking Hadrian’s Wall.
Hadrian’s Wall is a 2,000-year-old Roman wall that acted as the northern border of Roman territory between England and Scotland when it was built in 122 AD. The 84-mile (135 km) path is now a National Trail and UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is considered the largest Roman artifact in England. Along the trail are dozens of reminders of Roman history with forts, including the largest fort Housesteads, mile castles (small forts) and museums.
Hikers can choose whether they want to hike east-to-west or west-to-east. The latter choice is recommended for better weather conditions, but if you want to follow in the footsteps of the Roman soldiers, east-to-west it is. Depending on which direction you hike, the path runs between Bowness on Solway and Wallsend, with Segedunum being the final Roman fort on your adventure (for west-to-east hikers).
Hadrian’s Wall winds itself through the English countryside and into the larger cities of Newcastle and Carlisle, giving hikers a well-rounded taste of northern England with gorgeous landscape views of rolling hills and valleys with some lively city energy.
How to Hike It
You can choose to find an organized tour company who can take care of accommodations, transportation and planning, or you can organize a hike on your own. For those interested in the full hike, you can find a number of proposed itineraries ranging from 5 to 10 days depending on your hiking experience, level of challenge and how much time you want to spend walking versus visiting ruins and museums.
You can also choose what kind of accommodations you want for your coast-to-coast hike across the country. Hostels, B&Bs, hotels and campsites are sprinkled throughout the walk, so if you plan ahead, you can have some good lodging options. After a long day of walking, there’s something special about rolling into an English pub only to find fellow hikers sharing their day’s adventure over a warm pub dinner.
You can also choose to carry all your belongings with you or make a reservation with Hadrian’s Haul, a baggage transportation service that will pick up your bags and deliver them to your day’s final destination.
The trail itself differs throughout in terms of difficulty, with stretches of flat terrain interspersed with more hilly hiking and climbs. The best time of year to make the hike is between May and October and it is busiest with other hikers in July and August. Lastly, consider getting a special Hadrian’s Wall Path Passport. You can have it stamped along the way, giving you a certified souvenir for your achievement to take home.
If you have a hankering for history and an affinity for English traditions, consider making the trip to Hadrian’s Wall. Because when an idea is given to you over pints of Guinness at a pub, how could it not be a brilliant one?
