Hadrian’s Wall Path: 84 Mile Trail From Coast-To-Coast

The Hadrian’s Wall Path is an 84 mile long National Trail stretching coast to coast across northern England.

This iconic footpath follows the route of Hadrian's Wall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most significant Roman archaeological sites in Britain.

Anyone who is reasonably fit can walk the Hadrian’s Wall Path and the route is relatively easy.

The 23 mile section between Chollerford and Birdoswald, however, is the most difficult, with lots of short climbs and descents.

The route is clearly marked and it’s worth considering whether you would rather walk the Path from east-to-west, in the direction the wall was originally built, or west-to-east, which is recommended for more favourable weather conditions.

The Trail is fragile and can become muddy in wet weather so the best time to walk Hadrian’s Wall Path is between May and October.

The Trail and Hadrian’s Wall are very popular in summer months, particularly in July and August.

Hadrian’s Wall was the north-west frontier of the Roman empire for nearly 300 years.

It was built by the Roman army on the orders of the emperor Hadrian following his visit to Britain in AD 122.

At 73 miles (80 Roman miles) long, it crossed northern Britain from Wallsend on the River Tyne in the east to Bowness-on-Solway in the west.

The most famous of all the frontiers of the Roman empire, Hadrian’s Wall was made a World Heritage Site in 1987.

Hadrian came to Britain in AD 122 and, according to a biography written 200 years later, ‘put many things to right and was the first to build a wall 80 miles long from sea to sea to separate the barbarians from the Romans’.

The building of Hadrian’s Wall probably began that year, and took at least six years to complete.

The original plan was for a wall of stone or turf, with a guarded gate every mile and two observation towers in between, and fronted by a wide, deep ditch.

Before work was completed, 14 forts were added, followed by an earthwork known as the Vallum to the south. 

Most of the ancient wall was built in stone, but the eastern 30-mile section was in turf.

Who manned the wall?

Although mainly built by legionaries, the Wall was manned by auxiliaries.

They were organised into regiments nominally either 500 or 1,000 strong and either infantry or cavalry or both.

The 500-strong mixed infantry and cavalry unit was the workhorse of the frontier. Each fort on the Wall appears to have been built to hold a single auxiliary unit.

The troops based in the forts and milecastles of the Wall were mostly recruited from the north-western provinces of the Roman empire, though some were from further afield.

Army units tend to be accompanied by camp followers. Little is known about these people in the early years of the Wall; it would appear that they were not allowed to settle in the zone between the Wall and the Vallum.

Excavation has demonstrated the existence of civil settlements in the 3rd century and geophysical survey has recorded the urban sprawl spreading well beyond the forts.

These remains are undated, however.

Why did Hadrian build the wall?

When Hadrian inherited the Roman Empire, it had been continually expanding for hundreds of years.

It was beset with rebellions and struggling with the consequences of holding onto newly-won provinces.

Hadrian therefore decided to implement a policy of security and stability within the empire’s existing boundaries.

He gave up some of the territory that Trajan had won in Dacia, and the lands won from Parthia to the east of the River Euphrates, and focused instead on reviewing his army and reforming military installations along the empire’s frontiers.

Hadrian visited northern Germany, for example, where he inspected the army and updated the frontier to include Rome’s first artificial border – a continuous wooden palisade.

In Britain, which Hadrian visited in AD 122, the focus on shoring up the empire resulted in the construction of the famous Wall.

The only Roman testimony on Hadrian’s intentions comes from a much later biography known as the Historia Augusta, which states simply that Hadrian ‘was the first to construct a wall … ​ which was to separate the barbarians from the Romans.’

But this reveals little about the circumstances that led to the building of the Wall.

There is some evidence to suggest that Britain was in revolt during Hadrian’s early reign and that the emperor mounted an expedition to suppress it.

It’s possible that the Wall was a consequence, or even a cause, of the trouble.

Whatever the intent behind it, the Wall was in keeping with Hadrian’s wider policy of frontier reform – but on the grandest of scales. 

After the Romans

With the abandonment of Britain by the central authorities, it is less clear what happened.

At Birdoswald, a case had been made for life at the fort continuing, with the regimental commander perhaps turning into a local chieftain.

In the years that followed, Hadrian’s Wall became a quarry for the stone to build castles and churches, farms and houses along its line, until the conservation movement in the 18th and 19th centuries put a stop to that.

It was only from the mid 19th century onwards that early archaeologists and historians such as John Clayton, John Hodgson and John Collingwood Bruce began to study Hadrian’s Wall in earnest and sought to protect its still magnificent remains.

Today, you can explore the Wall’s rich history and its dramatic landscape at over twenty fascinating sites.

Someone who recently walked the site said: “National trail that follows Hadrian's wall. Best done from West to East as the weather and hills are in your favour and you end up in Newcastle where the transport is easier.

”Beautiful countryside and frequent appearances of the wall keep you going. Book accommodation in advance and get some good boots.”

Another person added: “The bright sunshine and clear blue skies made for some amazing views and photo opportunities. Be aware though that there is very little shade!

”We walked coast to coast across 8 days. Walking from Bowness-on-Solway to South Shields (West to East) so the wind and afternoon sun were behind us.”

We recommend that you visit the English Heritage website to book tickets and find out more.

If you enjoyed this blog post, please follow Exploring GB on Facebook for daily travel content and inspiration.

Don’t forget to check out our latest blog posts below!

Thank you for visiting Exploring GB.