Best of Hadrian's Wall Guided Trail Holiday

Our starting point is the historic market town of Brampton, the headquarters of Bonnie Prince Charlie in 1745. Leaving the town we follow a footpath through open fields, which leads us towards the evocative setting of Lanercost Priory, built in 1166 with red sandstone taken from Hadrian's Wall. Soon after leaving the priory we have our first meeting with the Wall from where we can look back over our route so far. We follow the course of Hadrian's Wall, passing various Turrets and Signal Towers before we reach the 2,000-year old Birdoswald Roman Fort, once home to over 1,000 soldiers. The visitor centre here provides a good introduction to the history of Hadrian's Wall. Descending to the River Irthing, we have the opportunity to explore the Roman remains at Willowford, one of the most photographed sections of the Wall, before arriving in the historic village of Gilsland.

9 miles (14.5km) with 1,300 feet (400m) of ascent

Please note, entrance to the various attractions on this holiday is payable locally, and not included in the holiday price as many of you will be entitled to free or discounted entrance. Please find further details in the "Trip Information" section of the trip notes, under "Admission Costs".

From Gilsland our route becomes more dramatic, as a craggy landscape rises ahead. We briefly cross the intersection with the Pennine Way before we reach the impressive ruins of Thirlwall Castle. The castle was built in the 14th century by John Thirlwall to protect his family from the violent cross border raids between England and Scotland. On leaving the castle the walking becomes more rugged as we cross a splendid section of wild and invigorating countryside, which includes Cawfield Crags and Milecastle 41. The location of the Milecastle commands superb views over a wide expanse of countryside. As well as a superb stretch of walking, this section of the Wall is particularly impressive - an unbeatable combination. Crossing Windshields Crags we reach the trig point at 345 metres, the highest point on the entire Wall.

10 miles (16km) with 1,300 feet (400m) of ascent

Today’s circular walk gives us the opportunity to visit Housesteads - the most complete Roman fort in Britain - and the ruins of Vindolanda, a Roman town with its own fort. Leaving Once Brewed, we’ll climb along Steel Rigg and follow a stunning route that enjoys magnificent views over Crag Lough. As we walk, we’ll also see Hadrian’s Wall snaking into the distance, following the high ground to take advantage of the natural defences of this dramatic landscape. A little further on we’ll pass by the spot where the famous “Robin Hood’s” tree at Sycamore Gap once stood, before ample time to explore the impressive site of Housesteads Roman Fort and the gardens at Vindolanda.

5 miles (8.1km) with 570 feet (175m) of ascent.

Leaving Housesteads we follow an attractive stretch of footpath along the Wall where woods perch on the rocky slopes of Sewingshields Crag. We can admire the great views of the Wall zigzagging ahead of us, before we pass a white cairn and Sewingshields Turret. Here we descend to follow a long line of roadside Wall, passing the site of the fort Brocolitia and the remains of the Temple of Mithras en route. Entering the Northumberland National Park an excellent stretch of walking provides stunning views of open countryside. Towards the end of our day we reach Chester's Fort, which was originally the grounds of a country house, home to John Clayton the man responsible for the initiation and restoration of the wall around 1832. The museum here displays his finds at various sites along the Wall and is a memorial to his efforts.

10 miles (16km) with 500 feet (150m) of ascent

At Chollerford we cross a fine bridge, built in 1775 following the great flood of 1771, which demolished its predecessor. The Roman ditch is unmistakable and very deep on this stretch and we are surrounded by calls of the skylark, lapwing and curlew. Passing though a thick forest we emerge to a different world of arable farmland and enjoy pleasant walking through fields. The Wall stretches in a straight-line head of us, aligned along the Dere Street Roman Road from Corbridge. At the Onnum Roman Fort we bid our final farewells to the Wall and walk south to the peaceful village of Halton and its ruined castle. From here we continue to Aydon Castle, one of the finest surviving examples of a medieval manor house in England and the setting for the film 'Ivanhoe'. We have the opportunity to explore this delightful castle before following a bridleway to the finish of our Hadrian's Way holiday at Corbridge Roman Town.

9½ miles (15km) with 800 feet (240m) of ascent