Walking Along Hadrian’s Wall

The modern Scottish-English border is about forty miles to the North of Hadrian's Wall, running along the upper edge of the Northumberland National Park. In the times of the Romans though, the line that runs roughly East to West between Newcastle and Carlisle marked the boundary between the civilised world and that of the barbarians to the north.

The section of Roman wall that can be explored on a walking holiday in England is just part of the former empire’s giant frontier, known as “the limes," which extended across northern Europe. There are sections of Roman wall in Germany and there's an equivalent blockade in North Africa. The fact that the surviving walls in Africa, hundreds of miles away, closely resembles the brick formations of the bastion in Britain is evidence of the military efficiency of the Roman legions that oversaw the construction of these walls.

By walking along England's Hadrian's Wall Path walkers can see a UNESCO World Heritage protected site, preserved as a monument of the Roman occupation of Britain and testament to the ingenuity that created the walls, ditches, forts and watchtowers across a seventy-mile stretch of land.

Guided English walking breaks along Hadrian's Wall usually begin in the small Northumberland village of Heddon-on-the-Wall, ten miles from Newcastle. The village has long uninterrupted sections of wall and marks the beginning of an easy-going and enjoyable affair walking in England's northernmost county.

The terrain of the route along Hadrian’s Wall is of moderate difficulty, with undulations more than steep slopes. Covering about ten miles per day on a guided English walking break, you can take in views of the graceful surrounding landscape, with evidence of fortresses and outposts along the way while passing through some of the most breathtaking scenery in Britain. The middle sections of Hadrian’s Wall, in particular, have not altered much since Roman times, and there are parts where you can imagine what it must have been like to guard the border in those times. It is this combination of historical significance and marvellous scenery that rightly makes Hadrian's Wall the most popular tourist attraction in Northern England.

The guided walks offer accommodation along the way, such as at the Battlesteads Hotel in Wark, which is about halfway along the wall. It is a cosy countryside inn and restaurant with a selection of organic drinks and cask ales. Pieces of Hadrian's Wall were used in building the hotel.

The walk closes on the west coast of England at Bowness-on-Solway, which is a pretty village on the Solway Firth. The Firth separates the two modern countries of Britain at Bowness, so walking in England here puts you within a few yards of Scotland, just as a legionnaire would have been when patrolling the border almost two thousand years ago.

By: Tony Maniscalco

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Tony Maniscalco is the Sales and Marketing for Ramblers Countrywide Holidays. Part of Ramblers Worldwide Holidays, who have been operating since 1946, they are dedicated to providing the very finest guided walking in England at the best value prices.