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Walk Hadrians Wall, home
Hadrian's Wall running along the crags above Crag Lough under a vivid sunset sky.

84 miles. Coast to coast. 2,000 years of history.

See what your Hadrian’s Wall walk actually feels like, day by day, before you walk it: the city, the farmland, the crags and the Solway shore.

Start the journey Which pace suits me?
The trail
84 miles / 135 km
From
Wallsend, on the Tyne
To
Bowness-on-Solway
Our trips
2–8 walking days

One Wall, your pace

You’re choosing your pace, not a different Wall.

Every itinerary walks the same path. What changes is where you sleep, how far you go each day, and how much time you have for the forts. Pick one and watch how it divides the Wall.

Full crossings, coast to coast

Short breaks, one section

Crags to the Solway · 4 walking days

Chollerford to the Sea

Difficulty, honestly: Demanding, mainly because of how the days fall. Best for: Fit walkers with four days who want the crags and a coast finish.

Walking days
4
Typical day
12–16 miles
From
£445

The journey, day by day

Chollerford to the Sea

Day 1 of 4 · mile 31 of 84

Change pace

Day 1 · walking day 1 of 4

Chollerford to Once Brewed

  • ≈12 miles / 19 km
  • Challenging
  • Open moor and the Whin Sill crags
  • Trail mile 31–42
Hadrian's Wall running along the crags above Crag Lough under a vivid sunset sky.

Today feels like

The hardest day, straight off the train

Morning

Out of the North Tyne valley the path climbs steadily onto open moorland.

Midday

At Sewingshields the Whin Sill begins: a rollercoaster of short, sharp climbs and descents along the crags, the wall riding the edge beside you, views that stretch to Scotland.

Afternoon

Housesteads, the most complete Roman fort in Britain, sits right on the path. Stand at the north gate and you look at the ground Roman sentries watched.

Sycamore Gap. The tree was felled by vandals in 2023, but the gap itself, wall plunging in and climbing out, remains one of the finest sights on the trail.

The Sill visitor centre and the Twice Brewed Inn sit just below the crags; Vindolanda is a steep mile or so south.

Best moment
Crag Lough's cliffs, with the wall running along the ridge above the water.
Hardest part
The repeated short, sharp climbs and descents across the Whin Sill crags.
Worth knowing
No cafés between Chollerford and Housesteads: carry lunch and plenty of water.

On the way

  1. mile 38 Sewingshields Crags. Where the Whin Sill begins: quieter than the honeypot mile, the wall snaking along the ridgeline.
  2. mile 40 Housesteads Roman Fort. The most complete Roman fort in Britain, right on the path; the visitor centre sits below it, a stiffish climb.
  3. mile 41 Vindolanda (off the path). A steep mile or so south of Once Brewed: the writing tablets, and a site that honestly takes two to four hours.
  4. mile 41 Crag Lough. Cliffs above the lough, with the wall running along the ridge.
  5. mile 42 Sycamore Gap. Castle Nick and Milecastle 39. The tree was felled by vandals in 2023; the gap itself remains one of the finest sights on the trail.

TonightOnce Brewed, in a hotel or B&B we've booked, with breakfast in the morning.

Your main bag is already there when you arrive.

Tomorrow: Once Brewed to Brampton, via Birdoswald — long, with the climbing front-loaded.

Day 2 · walking day 2 of 4

Once Brewed to Brampton

  • ≈16 miles / 25 km
  • Challenging
  • The western crags, then the Irthing gorge and pasture
  • Trail mile 42–58
Looking along Walltown Crags from above, with the wall line and green fields falling away below.

Today feels like

Long, with the climbing front-loaded

Morning

Winshield Crags, at 345 m the highest point of the whole trail.

Cawfields' knife-edge wall above the quarry lake, with a seasonal café at the car park.

Great Chesters, an unexcavated fort beside the path, free and usually empty.

Midday

Thirlwall Castle, built from scavenged Roman stone, sits below the western end of the crags.

Gilsland straddles the Northumberland–Cumbria border. Poltross Burn milecastle, behind the old station, is one of the best preserved on the wall and most walkers march straight past it.

Afternoon

The geology relents: long, low miles through Cumbrian pasture and quiet lanes, the wall a buried presence, carted off long ago to build Lanercost Priory and half of Carlisle.

Best moment
Walltown's crag-top masonry: long runs of standing wall riding the Whin Sill, arguably the most dramatic wall-walking of all.
Hardest part
More crag-top ups and downs: short distances that take longer than the map suggests.
Worth knowing
This is the most exposed stretch of the trail in bad weather.

On the way

  1. mile 42 Steel Rigg. The crag top above Once Brewed, at the western end of the most-photographed stretch.
  2. mile 43 Winshield Crags. At 345 m, the highest point of the whole trail.
  3. mile 45 Cawfields. Knife-edge wall above the quarry lake, with Milecastle 42's gate clearly visible.
  4. mile 46 Great Chesters. An unexcavated, unticketed fort right beside the path: fifteen minutes alone with the Romans.
  5. mile 48 Walltown Crags. Long runs of standing masonry riding the crags, with the Roman Army Museum at their foot.
  6. mile 49 Thirlwall Castle. A castle ruin built from scavenged Roman stone, below the end of the crags.
  7. mile 52 Birdoswald Roman Fort. High above the Irthing gorge, reached along the longest continuous stretch of standing wall on the trail.

TonightBrampton, in a hotel or B&B we've booked, with breakfast in the morning.

Your main bag is already there when you arrive.

Tomorrow: Brampton to Carlisle — the easy day, with an afternoon in the city.

This is Chollerford to the Sea: 4 walking days, from £445 per person.

See prices & full itinerary

Day 3 · walking day 3 of 4

Brampton to Carlisle

  • ≈12 miles / 19 km
  • Moderate
  • Lowland pasture and riverside
  • Trail mile 58–70
A long, low stretch of standing wall crossing flat pasture near Birdoswald under a high blue sky.

Today feels like

The easy day, with an afternoon in the city

The day

The path joins the River Eden for the final approach, arriving in Carlisle through Rickerby Park.

Hardest part
The long, low miles after the crags, on legs that have already done the climbing.

TonightCarlisle, in a hotel or B&B we've booked, with breakfast in the morning.

Your main bag is already there when you arrive.

Tomorrow: Carlisle to Bowness-on-Solway — long, flat and remote, then home.

Day 4 · walking day 4 of 4

Carlisle to Bowness-on-Solway

  • ≈14 miles / 23 km
  • Moderate
  • River path, then flat marsh road
  • Trail mile 70–84

Today feels like

Long, flat and remote, then home

Morning

Along the Eden and out onto the Solway Plain: flat, wide-skied, and utterly different from everything before it.

Afternoon

Burgh-by-Sands, where Edward I died on the marshes waiting to invade Scotland. The path runs on along the estuary road across open saltmarsh.

Best moment
The little pavilion on the shore at Bowness-on-Solway, site of the Roman fort of Maia: quiet, salt-scented, a properly remote full stop.
Worth knowing
Two short sections of the marsh road can flood at very high tides: check tide times before you set off.

On the way

  1. mile 76 Burgh-by-Sands. Where Edward I died on the marshes waiting to invade Scotland.

Your bagsNo hotel tonight, so your bags wait at your Carlisle hotel for you to collect on the way home.

Trail mile 31 of 84

Day 1 of 4

Chollerford → Once Brewed

Chollerford Bowness-on-Solway

The official trail line, north–south stretched for clarity. Diamonds mark the Roman forts on the path. Trail line © OpenStreetMap contributors.

The lie of the land

WallsendThe cragsBowness

Landscape

The Whin Sill crags

The wall rides the crag edge: short, sharp climbs and the views everyone comes for.

Hadrian's Wall running along the crags above Crag Lough under a vivid sunset sky.

Which pace is right for me?

Five questions, one honest suggestion.

We’ll match your answers against the real days of every itinerary: how many there are, and how long the longest one is. If a trip’s longest day is more than you said you’re happy with, we’ll tell you.

Still unsure? Ask us, and we’ll tell you straight which fits.

Do you want to walk the whole Wall?
How many days could you spend walking?
How far are you comfortable walking in a day, with a pack, day after day?
How much multi-day walking have you done?
Which sounds most like you?

A guide to which itinerary fits, not fitness or medical advice.

Ready to walk it for real?

Chollerford to the Sea

Demanding, mainly because of how the days fall.

Walking days
4
Nights
3
Distance
≈53 miles
From
£445 pp

Per person sharing a double or twin. Single room £620. Prices confirmed at booking.

You walk. We handle the rest.

  • 3 nights in hotels or B&Bs, breakfast every morning
  • 3 luggage transfers, one bag each up to 20 kg
  • Trip pack and the Trip Tracker app with each day's route
  • Transfers where your stop sits off the trail
Check dates & get a firm price View this itinerary

No online checkout: we confirm dates, rooms and a firm price first. Compare all itineraries.

The route at a glance

The Hadrian’s Wall Path, stage by stage

The National Trail runs 84 miles (135 km) from Wallsend, on the Tyne in Newcastle, to Bowness-on-Solway on the Cumbrian coast. Most walkers go east to west. These are the six standard stages; each has its own page.

StageDistanceTerrainWhat it feels like
1. Wallsend to Heddon-on-the-Wall ≈15 miles / 24 km Urban riverside paths, then field edges Long but easy, flat almost throughout
2. Heddon-on-the-Wall to Chollerford ≈16 miles / 25 km Rolling farmland beside the old military road Steady, long green miles, gentle rises
3. Chollerford to Once Brewed ≈12 miles / 19 km Open moor and the Whin Sill crags The big climbing day, shorter, much harder
4. Once Brewed to Gilsland ≈8 miles / 13 km The last and best of the crags Short but spectacular, a half-day of drama
5. Gilsland to Carlisle ≈19 miles / 31 km Irthing gorge, then long lowland pasture The hardest day, by far the longest
6. Carlisle to Bowness-on-Solway ≈14 miles / 23 km River path, then flat marsh road Long, flat and atmospheric, watch the tides

Places along the way, east to west

Approximate miles from Wallsend along the trail.

MilePlaceWhat’s there
0 Wallsend The eastern end of the trail, at Segedunum Roman fort, where the wall once ran right down to the Tyne.
5 Newcastle Surfaced riverside paths through the city, under the Tyne bridges and past the quayside cafés.
11 Newburn Where the path climbs gently away from the river and the city gives way to farmland.
15 Heddon-on-the-Wall The first substantial fragment of the real wall, and a village with a pub and a shop.
21 East Wallhouses About six miles from Heddon on the way to Chollerford; the Robin Hood Inn is the natural stop.
25 Corbridge (off the path) A market town just off the trail, an off-trail bed with a short transfer, and the Roman supply town of Coria nearby.
31 Chollerford The bridge over the North Tyne, where the wall once crossed the river.
31 Chesters Roman Fort A cavalry fort guarding the river crossing, with the finest military bathhouse in Britain.
38 Sewingshields Crags Where the Whin Sill begins: quieter than the honeypot mile, the wall snaking along the ridgeline.
40 Housesteads Roman Fort The most complete Roman fort in Britain, right on the path; the visitor centre sits below it, a stiffish climb.
41 Vindolanda (off the path) A steep mile or so south of Once Brewed: the writing tablets, and a site that honestly takes two to four hours.
41 Crag Lough Cliffs above the lough, with the wall running along the ridge.
42 Sycamore Gap Castle Nick and Milecastle 39. The tree was felled by vandals in 2023; the gap itself remains one of the finest sights on the trail.
42 Once Brewed The Sill visitor centre and the Twice Brewed Inn, just below the crags.
42 Steel Rigg The crag top above Once Brewed, at the western end of the most-photographed stretch.
43 Winshield Crags At 345 m, the highest point of the whole trail.
45 Cawfields Knife-edge wall above the quarry lake, with Milecastle 42's gate clearly visible.
46 Great Chesters An unexcavated, unticketed fort right beside the path: fifteen minutes alone with the Romans.
48 Walltown Crags Long runs of standing masonry riding the crags, with the Roman Army Museum at their foot.
49 Thirlwall Castle A castle ruin built from scavenged Roman stone, below the end of the crags.
51 Gilsland A small village straddling the Northumberland–Cumbria border; Poltross Burn milecastle sits behind the old station.
52 Birdoswald Roman Fort High above the Irthing gorge, reached along the longest continuous stretch of standing wall on the trail.
58 Brampton (off the path) A market town a little off the trail, with a short included transfer if your stop is away from the path.
61 Newtown Quiet pasture country west of the crags, where the wall is a buried presence.
70 Carlisle Reached along the River Eden through Rickerby Park: castle, cathedral and Tullie House museum.
76 Burgh-by-Sands Where Edward I died on the marshes waiting to invade Scotland.
84 Bowness-on-Solway The western end: a little pavilion on the shore at the site of the Roman fort of Maia.

How each itinerary divides the same Wall

ItineraryWalking daysNightsLongest dayWhere you sleepFrom
The Three-Day Wall Challenge 3 4 ≈31 miles Newcastle · Chollerford · Brampton · Bowness-on-Solway £509
The Four-Day Crossing 4 5 ≈23 miles Newcastle · East Wallhouses · Once Brewed · Newtown · Bowness-on-Solway £655
The Five-Day Crossing 5 6 ≈20 miles Newcastle · Heddon-on-the-Wall · Chollerford · Gilsland · Carlisle · Bowness-on-Solway £719
The Classic Crossing 6 5 ≈19 miles Heddon-on-the-Wall · Chollerford · Once Brewed · Gilsland · Carlisle £699
The Coast to Coast at Ease 6 6 ≈19 miles Heddon-on-the-Wall · Chollerford · Once Brewed · Gilsland · Carlisle · Bowness-on-Solway £769
The Rested Crossing 6 7 ≈19 miles Newcastle · Heddon-on-the-Wall · Chollerford · Once Brewed · Gilsland · Carlisle · Bowness-on-Solway £789
The Explorer's Crossing 7 8 ≈16 miles Newcastle · Heddon-on-the-Wall · Chollerford · Once Brewed · Gilsland · Brampton · Carlisle · Bowness-on-Solway £939
The Unhurried Wall 8 9 ≈15 miles Newcastle · Heddon-on-the-Wall · Corbridge · Chollerford · Once Brewed · Gilsland · Brampton · Carlisle · Bowness-on-Solway £1,019
The Western Wall Short Break 2 3 ≈19 miles Gilsland · Carlisle · Bowness-on-Solway £375
The Whin Sill Short Break 2 3 ≈12 miles Gilsland · Once Brewed · Chollerford £375
Chollerford to the Sea 4 3 ≈16 miles Once Brewed · Brampton · Carlisle £445

Prices per person sharing, from £375; confirmed at booking. Exact overnight stops depend on availability.

How we rate each day’s pace

Relaxed
under 11 miles, no big climbing
Moderate
11 miles or more, or a short crag day
Challenging
18 miles or more, or 12 or more across the crags
Serious
25 miles or more, or 19 or more across the crags

“The crags” means the Whin Sill, from Sewingshields to Walltown, where short distances take longer than the map suggests. It’s our rating, not an official grade.

About these figures

Distances are rounded to the nearest mile. Trail miles and day distances are measured along the official National Trail line (OpenStreetMap, © OpenStreetMap contributors) and scaled to its official 84 miles; the height profile shows the shape of the ground, not exact heights. Keep reading: the daily stages guide, how many days you need and how hard it really is.