Hadrian's Wall Must-See's

I've only been once so others will likely have more comprehensive suggestions but I thought Vindolanda was wonderful. There were archeologists actively working when I was there (September 2015) and the museum is excellent. I was on a Rick Steves tour and we had an archeologist give is a tour which was wonderful...not sure if you can book that for yourselves or not.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vindolanda

No matter what time of year be prepared for wind and rain, lol. I did go once in the 1980's but we wound up just sitting in the car as the wind was blowing so hard we could barely get the doors open. Did NOT know the concept of layering clothing then and my then-Florida weight clothes and sandals did not cut it, lol! It was July.

Pam’s right, jikelman, be prepared for wind and rain, except that I was there 2 years ago in June and it was blazingly hot sunshine! Just proves that even Northumberland has fantastic weather sometimes. Vindolanda was very interesting, especially the excavations, but make sure you go all the way down to the museum, past the ruins, because there’s a lot to see. We also went to Housesteads and found that interesting. Try to find a place you can climb onto the wall itself and stand where a centurion might have nearly 2000 years ago - it sent shivers down our spines

Vindolanda was a highlight of our day at Hadrian's Wall (which was a highlight of our three-week trip). It's a townsite a short distance south of the wall itself, with an active archeology project and a very good small museum with artifacts from the site. These include shoes and other personal belongings, plus letters written on wood scrolls about daily life in Roman times. I think there was a small cafe there.

The other highlight for us was Housesteads Fort, at the wall, with ruins of barracks, latrines, and other buildings, and very good signage. From there you can walk along the wall in either direction with amazing views. We remember lots of sheep wandering around the site, so it might not be wise to wear dress shoes. ;-)

Our visit was from Durham, driving to Hexham and using the shuttle bus from there. It was May, weather much as Pam described. Hexham has an interesting church with a Saxon crypt. I know there are good sites along the wall farther west, and if you're coming from the west (like from Carlisle) you could probably have a great experience without going as far east as we were. Here's the best website we found for the area.

Glad to hear Vindolanda is worth it and the tidbit about the Saxon crypt in Hexham is great. We are fully aware of the weather, have been before and had to deal with, and we live in WI, so. The one place I have been to on the wall is Housesteads and it was blustery and rainy. We slogged through but probably didn't stay as long as we otherwise would have. Thanks all that have replied so far for your suggestions. Please keep them coming!

I agree with Dick - whatever you have on your feet will have visible evidence of sheep by the end of the day. Dress appropriately - shoes and top layers. You'll be surprised how wet and windy it can be on many days.

In addition to the recommendations to see Vindolanda I strongly recommend the Roman Army Museum. Really great exhibits and best historical overview of the building and staffing of the wall and what it was like to be stationed there. When we were there there were a couple of school buses and lots of hands on things for kids.

As stated above, Housesteads seems the best place to get a walk on the wall. Note that it is an uphill walk through a sheep pasture (maybe a third to half a mile). It was raining sideways when we were there but we were equipped for the weather being north-westerners. We did have to find a pub to warm up and dry out after. Being right on the wall and the views were worth the hike.

We stayed two nights in a lovely B&B in Haltwhistle and spent a full day hitting the three sites mentioned. Vindolandia was probably the least interesting for kids in my opinion. Pretty long walk through the ruins of the fort to the museum. Most of the stuff i the museum was from the site - interesting to history minded adults but not so much for kids. The Roman Army Museum is better for kids.

Enjoy.

Definitely visit Vindolanda and Housesteads. If walking along the wall do the stretch from Housesteads to Steel Rigg car park passing through Sycamore Gap (where the geographically challenged Robin Hood in Costner’s film met Mutch the Miller’s son - they were en route from Dover to Nottingham!) then turn down the road to visit the Twice Brewed pub. We stayed at the Twice Brewed when we did the Pennine Way which follows the wall for several miles. It seems to be Hadrian’s Wall Trail Central in the main and why not? Own brewery attached and decent restaurants (we had two dogs with us so ate in the tap room - not the ‘spit and sawdust’ affair of my youth). If feeling spritely you can continue along the wall to Walltown Crags, but once in the pub... Check out the times of the AD122 bus which travels along the wall (I’m assuming it will be still running post COVID 19) to see if you can use that to retrace your steps.

Sturdy footwear and definitely waterproofs with you whatever time of year you do it. The best sections along the top of the Whin Rigg are exposed and, trust me, if the weather isn’t on your side it can get very bleak and very windy up there very quickly. Despite that even when the weather isn’t at it’s best it’s hard to get lost - the wall acts as a useful ‘handrail’ and the motor road south of the wall is never far away.

It’s a brilliant part of the world and a real experience. Have fun!

Ian

In 2017 we did a four week drive tour of S. Wales and England. We spent the night at Haltwhistle at a B&B on a farm that was great.
We saw what was left of the wall in that area. It was about four feet high and you could see all the stone walls on the farms in that area that probably came from the wall.
Vindolanda and the museum were nearby and well worth our visit. I understand that other sections of the wall may have more stone, but highly recommend Vindolanda.

Here is my recommendation: Hire Peter Carney as your guide for the day. We learned so much from him and he really tailored the day to match our interests. Peter is a retired history teacher and he is absolutely great. He showed us the best parts of the wall for walking and explained to us what we were seeing. he also took us to Vindolanda where he guided us through the fort.

https://www.hadrianswall-walk.com/

We hiked Hadrian’s Wall from end to end, west to east, in June 2017. Got drenched one morning, but the weather was great the rest of the time, and it was a truly wonderful experience.

Vindolanda had a sizable museum, and some interesting modern reconstructions of Roman designs. It’s a bit off the site of the Wall itself. Housestead’s has the rocky outlines of building foundations along the surface of the ground, and an extremely tiny museum with a minimal display. It’s in an awesome, historic location, but not as much to truly see as elsewhere.

In Carlisle, far to the west, there’s a surprisingly good museum. We weren’t exactly looking for kid-oriented parts, but there was a room on the left after we entered set up with low tables and small chairs, and what appeared to be interactive things geared for children.

The best-preserved buildings anywhere along the Wall are at Chester’s Fort, well east of the Vindolanda/Housestead’s area. An outstanding guide led a free tour of the site - we just showed up and she was available; maybe check for scheduled tour times in the future.

Kid-wise, the best site, by far, had to be at the very eastern end (Wallsend), just east of Newcastle, at the Segedunum Roman Fort and Museum. A large group of schoolchildren was there, both inside and out. The place is really set up for kids to get a fun understanding of Roman Britain. There are also some very recently discovered ruins from the Wall and the settlement just outside the museum, and also a 3 minute walk down the road.

I second the Steel Rigg Car Park to Sycamore Gap walk.

One of the highlights of my entire UK trip.