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Roman fort · Hadrian’s Wall Path

Segedunum Roman Fort, Wallsend: where the Hadrian's Wall Path begins

On the trail
Mile 0 of 84
Allow
45–90 minutes, longer if the galleries hook you
Run by
Council-run, paid entry
Stage
Wallsend to Heddon-on-the-Wall

Segedunum is the Roman fort at Wallsend where the Hadrian's Wall Path begins. It has Britain's only full-scale reconstructed Roman bathhouse, the excavated fort footprint and a viewing tower over the site. Allow 45 to 90 minutes, ideally on an arrival afternoon rather than the morning you start walking.

What you see

The name means "strong fort", and around 600 soldiers held it, guarding the mouth of the Tyne from about AD 122 until roughly AD 400, the eastern end of the wall that once ran right down to the river.

Three things make it worth the time: the excavated footprint of the fort, Britain's only full-scale reconstructed Roman bathhouse, and a viewing tower whose deck lays the fort's original layout over the modern streets below. It is the best orientation the whole frontier offers before you take a step west.

Fitting it into the walk

The first walking day is long (about 15 miles to Heddon-on-the-Wall), so trying to do the museum properly and the walk on the same morning is a classic first-day mistake. Itineraries with an arrival day in Newcastle leave the afternoon before free for it.

Segedunum is also the first of the seven Hadrian's Wall Path passport stamps.

Getting there on foot

On the trail: the National Trail begins at the museum, and Wallsend Metro station is next door, ten minutes from Newcastle Central.

  • It is at Wallsend, the start of the trail.
  • About 15 miles along the trail to Heddon-on-the-Wall.

Questions walkers ask

Is Segedunum worth visiting before walking Hadrian's Wall?

Yes, if you can give it an hour. The reconstructed bathhouse and the viewing tower over the excavated fort are the best introduction to the frontier you'll get, and the trail starts at the museum door. Do it the afternoon before you start, not the morning of a 15-mile day.

How do you get to Segedunum from Newcastle?

By Metro: Wallsend station is next door to the fort, about ten minutes from Newcastle Central.

Opening times and tickets change through the year, so check them with the operator before you go: Segedunum Roman Fort, Baths & Museum.