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Walking Hadrian’s Wall
From £2,370
Summary
Discover the archaeological remains at Vindolanda
The Hadrian’s Wall footpath crosses wild and beautiful terrain, its route covering the shortest distance coast to coast across the country following Hadrian’s ambitious frontier. Our walking tour takes in forts, milecastles and turrets, road, vallum and road ditch, inscriptions and of course wall structure. Our lecturers will introduce you to the tactical and strategic consideration of such a complex frontier system and explain what Hadrian’s plan might have been when he ‘built a wall eighty miles long to separate the Romans from the barbarians’.
We start along the shore of the Solway Firth and end at the excavated fort and reconstructed bath-house at Segedunum. Crossing the remote Northumbrian and Cumbrian fells, one can easily imagine the Roman soldiers, far from Syria or Spain, as they patrolled the farthest flung corner of the Empire.
Keeping you safe on your next tour
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FREE 'Travel Safe' kits for every traveller
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COVID-19 insurance
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Self-drive options
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Enhanced Health and Safety audits
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Distanced seating on coaches
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'Get me home' service and private airport transfers
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COVID protocols at our hotels, and aboard our cruise ships
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Packed lunches and flexible dining options
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Flexible balance payment date and COVID-friendly refund conditions
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COVID-testing and medical training for tour staff
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Constant monitoring and post-tour tracing
Meet your Experts
Tony Wilmott
Guide Lecturer
Tony Wilmott specialises in the Roman and Late Antique periods, with particular interests in the Roman military and frontiers, in Roman religion, and also in the late and post-Roman transition.
Your itinerary
Day 1 - Wetheral
Our journey begins in the Cumbrian village of Wetheral, perched high on the banks of the River Eden. Here we check in to our hotel, where we meet our group and guide lecturer. This evening we enjoy an introductory talk about the history of Hadrian’s Wall – an engaging taster of what is to come.
| Hotel | Crown Hotel Wetheral |
|---|---|
| Meals included | Dinner |
Day 2 - Tullie House Museum
This morning we drive to Bowness-on-Solway where our walk begins. We wander along the shore of the Solway Firth toward Burgh-by-Sands. The day ends with a visit to Tullie House Museum in Carlisle. (c 4.5 miles)
| Hotel | Crown Hotel Wetheral |
|---|---|
| Meals included | All meals included |
Day 3 - Birdoswald
We start at Lanercost Priory, built from stone taken from Hadrian’s Wall, and then stroll via Haytongate, Hare Hill and the Banks Turret to Birdoswald. Later, we explore Roman remains at Birdoswald fort. An auxiliary unit of Dacians (from modern Romania) formed the garrison. (c 5 miles).
| Hotel | Crown Hotel Wetheral |
|---|---|
| Meals included | All meals included |
Day 4 - Carvoran
We return to Birdoswald and begin walking towards Thirlwell along the longest unbroken section of Hadrian’s Wall. After a short drive we stop at Carvoran to explore the notable collections at the Roman Army Museum. We continue towards Burnhead to view the quarry. (c 6 miles)
| Hotel | Beaumont Hotel, Hexham |
|---|---|
| Meals included | All meals included |
Day 5 - Vindolanda
After lunch, we drive to Steel Rigg, a dramatic crag with views of the rugged countryside. We pick up our trail and make our way to Housesteads Roman Fort to finish the day, viewing the remains and the museum here. (c 3.5 miles)
| Hotel | Beaumont Hotel, Hexham |
|---|---|
| Meals included | All meals included |
Day 6 - Chesters
We lace up our boots and visit the mithraeum at Carrawburgh, our starting point for today. It is thought that this elegant temple was built by Roman soldiers in around 200 AD, as its three altars, dedicated to the bull-slaying god Mithras, were all inscribed from commanding officers. A nymphaeum, or natural grotto, was also located here, though no visible traces remain.
This afternoon we stride out to Chesters on the bank of the North Tyne River, enjoying the fresh country air and changing views. At Chesters we are rewarded with a visit to the most complete Roman cavalry fort in the country, Cilurnum. The site, maintained by English Heritage, features an extensive collection of artefacts, a fine bath building and officers’ quarters. (c 6 miles)
| Hotel | Beaumont Hotel, Hexham |
|---|---|
| Meals included | All meals included |
Day 7 - Corbridge
This morning, we drive out to Heavenfield and trek to Port Gate, the site of a fortified gateway controlling traffic along Dere Street, the Roman road that ran north to the Firth of Forth. Following lunch, a drive to Corbridge takes us to a once vibrant Roman town and major military depot. We view artefacts at the museum. We then walk along the River Tyne to Corbridge, to see the preserved Roman bridge abutment and reused Roman masonry in the Anglo-Saxon church. (c 5 miles)
| Hotel | Beaumont Hotel, Hexham |
|---|---|
| Meals included | All meals included |
Day 8 - Benwell
Starting our tour at Whittle Dene Reservoir this morning, we wander to Heddon-on-the-Wall, where we see a well-preserved stretch of the wall. This substantial structure demonstrates how thick the wall was meant to be, showing it at its original, planned width of two metres. A medieval kiln and circular chambers are also visible here.
Later we view the surviving wall that stretches around Denton, before continuing to the Temple at Benwell, dedicated to the local god Antenociticus, a deity thought to have been involved with military affairs. With the majority of our leg-work now behind us, tonight we kick off our hiking gear and enjoy a well-earned dinner to mark the last night of our holiday with the group. (c 4.5 mile walk)
| Hotel | Beaumont Hotel, Hexham |
|---|---|
| Meals included | All meals included |
Day 9 - Segedunum
Our journey from coast to coast is almost at an end. We enjoy a gentle walk from Scotswood to the remains of the Roman fort at Newcastle, on the banks of the River Tyne. From there we board a metro to the Great North Museum, which was built for Northumbria’s natural history collection in 1884. Alongside fantastic fossil galleries and displays about the living planet we find a detailed Hadrian’s Wall exhibition, where treasures and stories abound.
Our final destination is Wallsend, where we visit the site of Segedunum, the most completely excavated fort on Hadrian’s Wall, which once housed troops from mainland North Europe. An interactive museum reveals what life would have been like for a cavalry officer at the height of the garrison’s powers. The adventure comes to an end at the seaside town of South Shields, where we say our goodbyes and head home. (3 mile walk)
| Meals included | Breakfast, Lunch |
|---|
Tour dates & prices
Included in your cost:
- Expert Guide Lecturer
- Professional Tour Manager
- Local travel aboard a private air-conditioned coach
- Accommodation
- Meals as per the itinerary, wine and tea or coffee with dinner
- Entries to all sites as per the itinerary
- All taxes & gratuities
- Field notes
| Tour Departure | Tour ID | Departure date | Return Date | Guided by | Price | Deposit | Single supplement | Offer | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 September 2021 | AHAD210906 | 6 September 2021 (Monday) | 14 September 2021 (Tuesday) | Tony Wilmott | £2,370 (ex. flights) |
£500 | £480 | Book Now | |
| 4 July 2022 | AHAD220704 | 4 July 2022 (Monday) | 12 July 2022 (Tuesday) | Mark Corney | £2,385 (ex. flights) |
£500 | £480 |
£2,225 save £160 |
Book Now |
| 5 September 2022 | AHAD220905 | 5 September 2022 (Monday) | 13 September 2022 (Tuesday) | Tony Wilmott | £2,765 (ex. flights) |
£500 | £620 |
£2,595 save £170 |
Book Now |
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