Table of Contents
Getting Help 1
Introduction 3
How hard is the HWP? 5
Direction and start/finish points 5
Hiking shorter sections of the HWP 6
Guided tours, self-guided tours or independent walking? 6
When to go 8
Using this book 10
Itinerary Planner 12
Suggested Itineraries: East to West 14
Suggested Itineraries: West to East 17
Accommodation 20
Camping 22
Accommodation Listings 24
Facilities 34
Food 37
Getting to/from Newcastle & Carlisle 38
Travel to/from Trail-heads 39
Public Transport along Hadrian's Wall 45
On the Trail 47
Costs & budgeting 47
Weather 47
Maps 48
Paths and waymarking 48
Water 49
Storing bags 49
Baggage transfer 49
Fuel for camping stoves 50
HWP Passport Scheme 50
Helping to protect HW 51
English Heritage/National Trust 51
Equipment 52
Safety 58
General Information 59
Wildlife 60
Plants and Flowers 61
Hadrian's Wall 62
Construction 62
Milecastles 63
Turrets 63
The Ditch 64
Forts 64
The Vallum 64
The Cumbrian Coast 65
Why was Hadrian's Wall built? 65
Who was Hadrian? 65
The Romans in Britain 66
Invasion 66
Expansion & retreat 66
The building of Hadrian's Wall 67
The Antonine Wall 68
Re-occupation of Hadrian's Wall 68
The 3rd and 4th centuries 68
The decline of the Roman Empire 69
What happened to Hadrian's Wall after the Romans? 71
Preservation of Hadrian's Wall 72
John Clayton 72
20th century threats 73
The Birleys 73
The Unmissable Forts of Hadrian's Wall 74
Wallsend Roman Fort (Stage la) 74
Chesters Roman Fort (Stage 3a) 75
Housesteads Roman Fort (Stage 3d/3e) 76
Vindolanda Roman Fort (Stage 3e/4a: off-route) 77
Birdoswald Roman Fort (Stage 4d) 78
Further Reading 79
Route Descriptions 81
Section 1 Wallsend/Heddon-on-the-Wall 82
Stage 1 a Wailsend/Newcastle Swing Bridge 86
Stage 1 b Newcastle Swing Bridge/Newbum 88
Stage 1 c Newburn/Heddon-on-the-Wall 90
Section 2 Heddon-on-the-Wall/Chollerford 92
Stage 2a Heddon-on-the-Wall/Ironsign 96
Stage 2b Ironsign/Robin Hood Inn 96
Stage 2c Robin Hood Inn/Halton Red House 98
Stage 2d Halton Red House/Wall exit 100
Stage 2e Wall exit/Chollerford 100
Section 3 Chollerford/Steel Rigg 106
Stage 3a Chollerford/Green Carts Farm exit 110
Stage 3b Green Carts Farm exit/Carraw B&B 110
Stage 3c Carraw B&B/Grindon exit 114
Stage 3d Grindon exit/Housesteads Fort 114
Stage 3e Housesteads Fort/Steel Rigg 116
Section 4 Steel Rigg (Once Brewed)/Lanercost exit 120
Stage 4a Steel Rigg/Cawfields Quarry 124
Stage 4b Cawfields Quarry/Holmhead B&B 126
Stage 4c Holmhead/Gilsland 128
Stage 4d Gilsland/Banks 132
Stage 4e Banks/Lanercost exit 132
Section 5 Lanercost exit/Carlisle 134
Stage 5a Lanercost exit/Walton 138
Stage 5b Walton/Newtown 139
Stage 5c Newtown/Bleatarn Farm 140
Stage 5d Bleatarn Farm/Crosby Camping 141
Stage 5e Crosby Camping/Carlisle 142
Section 6 Carlisle/Bowness-on-Solway 144
Stage 6a Carlisle/Beaumont 148
Stage 6b Beaumont/Boustead Hill 150
Stage 6c Boustead Hill/Glasson 150
Stage 6d Glasson/Port Carlisle 152
Stage 6e Port Carlisle/Bowness-on-Solway 152
