Hadrian’s Wall Path is a long-distance National Trail in the north of England. It runs for 135km (84 miles), from Wallsend on the east coast of England to Bowness-on-Solway on the west coast, and it became the 15th National Trail in 2003. With its well-maintained paths and few climbs, Hadrian’s Wall Path is often considered to be the easiest National Trail in the UK.
For much of its length, the trail follows close to the remains of Hadrian’s Wall, the defensive wall built by the Romans on the northern border of their empire in 122AD, now recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There’s history every step of the way as you pass fine examples of Roman settlements and forts together with cosy pubs, bustling market towns, and great views too. The scenery improves the further west you go – up to a point – and the turrets and mile-castles are also numbered from east to west as that is the direction in which the Romans built the Wall.

Most of the trail runs through remote countryside and small villages but there are sections that pass through the cities and suburbs of Newcastle and Carlisle. The section between Chollerford and Lanercost/Newtown is the highest and ‘wildest’ part of the path; it is also where the Wall is most visible and includes several important Roman forts (Chesters, Housesteads, Vindolanda, Roman Army Museum, Birdoswald).