Hadrian's Wall Path National Trail

Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear

The Trail follows the line of the Wall built in the second century AD by order of Roman Emperor Hadrian as a defensive barrier that continued in use for most of the next 300 years until the Romans finally left our shores in the fifth century. The Wall included milecastles at each Roman mile, some 80 in all, as fortified gateways to control traffic of people and trade. Hadrian's Wall is recognised as a World Heritage Site, Frontiers of the Roman Empire, that includes another later Roman wall further north, the Antonine Wall, that is the basis of an Antonine Trail.

Hadrian's Wall Path provides a fine coast-to-coast walk and if completed east to west first takes the walker from urban and riverside walking on the north bank of the Tyne to farmland above Tynedale. The upland sections along the wild and dramatic escarpments of Whin Sill give way to gentler pastures of Cumbria and finally the Solway estuary and its salt marshes bring the walker to Bowness. An alternative west to east traverse has the benefits of a following wind and access to a city, Carlisle, at an early stage and certain of the guidebooks describe it.

In places the Trail runs close to roads, or on minor roads. To create the Trail footpaths were created where none currently exist in order to provide a line as close to the Wall's remains as is possible, but avoiding interference with it. There are real future concerns for this World Heritage Site and in consequence a 'User Code of Respect' was developed to include recommendations for keeping to signed paths, avoiding interference with the remains and using promoted circular walks especially in wet winter conditions. In response to the intensive use of the main trail in its most vulnerable sections, where in part it coincides for a time with the Pennine Way/E2 E-Route around Housesteads Fort, initiatives such as the Roman Ring and Moss Troopers' Trail and the provision of circular walks based on the Trail seek to spread walkers into the surrounding countryside corridor that has much to offer in scenery and interest.

For National Trails website alerts see 'Hadrian's Wall Path Interactive Map (National Trails UK)' below.

(reviewed August 2026, Paul Nellist)

The LDWA National Trails Register offers certificates for completers of several British National Trails.

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Details:

Path Type:	National Trails (England & Wales)
Waymark:	National Trail Acorn
Attributes:	Average Gradients Path Passport Coast-to-Coast Moorland World Heritage Site Heritage
Start:	NZ301661 - Wallsend, Tyne and Wear
Finish:	NY225628 - Bowness-on-Solway, Cumbria
Open Date:	2003
Web Sites:	National Trails - Hadrian's Wall Path Hadrian's Wall Path Interactive Map (National Trails UK) Visit Northumberland - Hadrian's Wall Walking Routes Independent Hostels UK - Hadrian's Wall Path Accommodation Walking Englishman - Hadrian's Wall National Trail [blog] Hadrian's Wall Path parts 1 to 4 [YouTube video] Historic UK - Hadrian's Wall Trailplanner - Hadrian's Wall [blog] Hadrian's Wall Path National Trail [YouTube video] Walking in the Wild - Hadrian's Wall Path [blog] Outdoor Scott - Guide to the Hadrian's Wall Path [blog] Waypoint51 - Hadrian's Wall Path

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Publications, Badges and Certificates:

Guidebook	Hadrian's Wall Path: Wallsend to Bowness-on-Solway  (Trailblazer  - 2026 )
Guidebook	Hadrian's Wall Path  (Sparky Walking Guides  - 2026 )
Guidebook	Hadrian's Wall Path  (Rucksack Readers  - 2025 )
Guidebook	Hadrian's Wall Path  (Cicerone Press  - 2023 )
Guidebook	Trekking the Hadrian’s Wall Path: two-way trekking guide  (Knife Edge Outdoor Guidebooks  - 2024 )
Guidebook	Hadrian's Wall Path : National Trail Guide  (Aurum Press (an imprint of Quarto)  - 2016 )
Guidebook	Hadrian's Wall : an archaeological walking guide  (History Press  - 2012 )
Guidebook	Walk Hadrian's Wall: The 84 Mile Route from Bowness-on-Solway to Wallsend  (Walking Pages  - 2007 )
Path Passport	Hadrian's Wall Path Passport  (Trails Shop )
Certificate	Certificate for National Trails  (Long Distance Walkers Association )
Certificate	Certificate for National Trails  (Trails Shop )
Badge	Badge for National Trails  (Trails Shop )
General Interest Book	Tales from the Big Trails  (Vertebrate Publishing  - 2021 )
General Interest Book	Big Trails: Great Britain & Ireland  (Vertebrate Publishing  - 2020 )
General Interest Book	National Trails : 19 long-distance routes through England, Scotland and Wales  (Cicerone Press  - 2015 )
General Interest Book	The great wall of Britain : a walk along Hadrian's Wall  (Hayloft  - 2004 )
Other	National Trail mug  (Trails Shop )

Click to showhide 13 more Publications, Badges and Certificates

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