Hadrian's Wall Complete Guided Trail

Hadrian's Wall is the best-known frontier in the entire Roman Empire. Our holiday travels through the centuries and follows the Wall combining a unique mix of heritage with wild and dramatic landscapes. Internationally celebrated as a World Heritage Site, Hadrian's Wall is the most important monument built by the Romans in Britain and stands as a reminder of the past glories of one of the world's greatest civilisations. The wall was built by order of the Emperor Hadrian, who came to Britain in AD 122. Over the next six years the army built a wall 80 Roman miles long, starting from Wallsend in the east, to Bowness on Solway in the west. Spanning nearly 2,000 years of history, this makes what we see today all the more precious for being the last remains of such an incredible Roman structure.

Your stay is full-board. This includes daily breakfasts, packed lunch options, and evening meals. Vegetarian choices and dietary requirements can be catered for (please give advance notice when booking).

Packed lunches

Our packed lunches will be too much food for some and not enough for others; if you feel you might need more food during the walk, please bring a supply of snacks to supplement this – it won’t always be possible to buy these on the route. Your packed lunches will include: a bread sandwich or roll with a choice of filling; some fresh fruit; fruit cake/flapjack or similar, crisps and/or biscuits. For those of you tackling a level 4 or above holiday, we would highly recommend bringing some trail mix or something similar to ensure you've some fuel in reserve should you need it.

Dietary requirements

Our partner hotels can cater for most dietary requirements, but it is important you advise us of any allergies and dietary restrictions you have at the time of booking.

By Car

Crown Hotel Wetheral,
Station Road,
Wetheral,
Carlisle,
CA4 8ES

From the North:

Exit M6 at Junction 43 and take the 1st exit signposted Newcastle (A69). Continue along this road for approx 1.5 miles, until you see a sign for Wetheral on your right. Continue along this road until you reach a T junction, from turn right, following signs for Crown Hotel & Conference Centre. After ¼ Mile you will reach the village green. Take an immediate left before you reach the green onto Station Road passing the village café and shop. The Crown hotel car park is 100m further down on your left.

From the South:

Exit M6 at Junction 43 and take the 3rd exit signposted Newcastle (A69). Continue along this road for approx 1.5 miles, until you see a sign for Wetheral on your right. Continue along this road until you reach a T junction, from turn right, following signs for Crown Hotel & Conference Centre. After ¼ Mile you will reach the village green. Take an immediate left before you reach the green onto Station Road passing the village café and shop. The Crown hotel car park is 100m further down on your left.

Please note:

Guests are welcome to leave their cars at the Crown Hotel for a £5 per night fee – please arrange this directly with the hotel on arrival. At the end of the holiday a direct train may be taken from Newcastle Central Station to Wetheral Station. Trains depart on a regular basis with a journey time of approx. 90 mins. From Wetheral Station it is a 2-minute walk to the Crown Hotel car park.

By train

Our first hotel in Wetheral, is located right at Wetheral train station - you walk from the station into the garden of the hotel - you couldn't get much closer than that! Our final hotel is a short walk from Newcastle's central railway station (5-10 minutes) making this an easily accessible public transport option.

By air

There are a number of low-cost flights from around the UK, to Newcastle. If you are flying from overseas there are international flights to Newcastle Airport. From the airport you can take the train into Newcastle centre and from there the train the to Wetheral to begin the holiday.

Weather conditions in the UK can vary throughout the day, and conditions in the mountains may be cold and windy even in summer. Use the following list as a guide when preparing for your holiday.

Essentials  

• Suitable waterproof walking boots with ankle support and good grip

• Waterproof, wind-resistant jacket with a hood, taped seams and a hydrostatic head rating of at least 10,000 mm

• Waterproof overtrousers  

• Spare warm clothing, such as a synthetic insulated jacket

• Comfortable walking clothing (jeans & waterproof capes are not suitable)  

• Warm mid-layers, such as fleeces

• Gloves and a warm hat, even in summer

• Rucksack with a waterproof liner 

• Water bottle with a capacity of at least 1 litre

• Flask for hot drinks   

• Sunscreen  

• UV-protective sunglasses

• Spare high-energy food

• Head torch and spare batteries for holidays between October and March

• Passport (if applicable)

• Visa (if applicable) 

• Copy of your travel insurance policy 

Recommended  

• Several base layers, with long or short sleeves 

• Cushioned walking socks to avoid blisters  

• First-aid kit, including plasters, insect repellent, a midge net and a tick-removal tool

• Sit mat   

• Waterproof pouch for valuables  

• Rubbish bags

• Wallet or purse

• Camera

• Walking poles

• Sun hat

• Gaiters

• Mobile Phones

• Swimwear (please see accommodation information for hotel facilities)

• Membership cards for English Heritage, the National Trust or similar heritage organisations in Scotland and Wales, if you are a member. These may be useful when visiting attractions during your itinerary or on your free day.

Hadrian’s Wall Path has a number of visitor attractions and museums on route. If you wish to take time out of your walks to visit these, please note that many of the sites are National Trust or English Heritage and members can benefit from free admission by presenting their membership card.

Our experienced and knowledgeable volunteer leaders undergo a thorough assessment to lead you on your holiday and are delighted to share their knowledge and enthusiasm with you.

Please ensure you complete and hand in your registration form on arrival and let the leader know about any medical problems you may have. This may be useful in the event of a problem on the walk and will be treated confidentially by the leader.

In the event of a problem

If you become separated from your group, please stay where you are. Your leader will retrace their steps to find you.

All our leaders carry a mobile phone, group shelter, spare maps and a compass. In the unlikely event your leader is incapacitated, please use any emergency kit in their rucksack and call the emergency services (call 999 in the UK, or 112 overseas).

Please then try to call the hotel where you are staying to let them know there is a problem.

If you have any cause for complaints regarding accommodation, you should notify your leader who can then attempt to rectify the problem.