Day 1 · no walking
Arrive in Gilsland
Anticipation
Walking: None, travel day
TonightGilsland, in a hotel or B&B we've booked, with breakfast in the morning.
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.
- 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
Western section · 2 walking days
The Western Wall Short Break
Difficulty, honestly: Moderate to demanding, and the demanding part is distance, not height. Best for: Steady walkers who want the wall's western end and the finish at the sea.
- Walking days
- 2
- Typical day
- 14–19 miles, no big climbs
- From
- £375
The journey, day by day
The Western Wall Short Break
Day 1 of 2 · mile 51 of 84
Day 2 · walking day 1 of 2
Gilsland to Carlisle
- ≈19 miles / 31 km
- Challenging
- Irthing gorge, then long lowland pasture and riverside
- Trail mile 51–70
Today feels like
Long and steady, the stamina day
- Morning
-
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.
- Afternoon
-
The path joins the River Eden for the final approach, arriving in Carlisle through Rickerby Park.
- Best moment
- The longest continuous stretch of standing wall leads to Birdoswald, high above the Irthing gorge. You won't pass better-preserved wall.
- Hardest part
- The long, low miles after the crags, on legs that have already done the climbing.
On the way
- mile 52 Birdoswald Roman Fort. High above the Irthing gorge, reached along the longest continuous stretch of standing wall on the trail.
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 atmospheric, watch the tides.
Day 3 · walking day 2 of 2
Carlisle to Bowness-on-Solway
- ≈14 miles / 23 km
- Moderate
- River path, then flat marsh road
- Trail mile 70–84
Illustration · photograph to follow
Today feels like
Long, flat and atmospheric, watch the tides
- 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
- mile 76 Burgh-by-Sands. Where Edward I died on the marshes waiting to invade Scotland.
TonightBowness-on-Solway, in a hotel or B&B we've booked, with breakfast in the morning.
Your main bag is already there when you arrive.
This is The Western Wall Short Break: 2 walking days, from £375 per person.
See prices & full itineraryDay 4 · no walking
Depart from Bowness-on-Solway
The end of the wall, reached
Walking: None, travel day
Trail mile 51 of 84
Day 1 of 2
Gilsland → Carlisle
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
Irthing and Eden
Standing wall to Birdoswald, then long, low Cumbrian pasture.
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.
Ready to walk it for real?
The Western Wall Short Break
Moderate to demanding, and the demanding part is distance, not height.
- Walking days
- 2
- Nights
- 3
- Distance
- ≈33 miles
- From
- £375 pp
Per person sharing a double or twin. Single room £590. Prices confirmed at booking.
You walk. We handle the rest.
- 3 nights in hotels or B&Bs, breakfast every morning
- 2 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
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.
| Stage | Distance | Terrain | What 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.
| Mile | Place | What’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
| Itinerary | Walking days | Nights | Longest day | Where you sleep | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.