Day 1 Arrival Newcastle - Arrive Day

Your arrival day into the region, ready for your holiday!

Newcastle is our chosen rendezvous city with its excellent road, rail and air links.

Arrive by train and your hotel is a short taxi ride away from Newcastle Central Station.

Arrive by car and park at the hotel for the duration of your holiday for an added supplement.

Arrive by air into Newcastle Airport and arrange for us to meet you and transfer you to your accommodation.

The choice is yours! 

---

Day 2 Bowness-on-Solway to Burgh-by-Sands - 7 miles (11 kilometres)

From Newcastle upon Tyne we will transfer you to the start of our journey along Hadrian’s Wall National Trail at Bowness-on-Solway.
 
This is a lovely start to the walk, with fine views over Bowness-on-Solway which has been designated an area of outstanding natural beauty and has abundance of bird life. To the south we look back on the high peaks of the Lake District.
 
The walk takes you straight to your accommodation which is located in the Burgh-by-Sands area.

---

Day 3 Burgh-by-Sands to Carlisle - 7 miles (11 kilometres)

After saying your farewells to your hosts in Burgh-by-Sands, you set out on today’s walk, a great days walk through open countryside.

The walk takes you straight back to the Hotel which is located near the Hadrian’s Wall Trail in Carlisle. The evening you are free to explore Carlisle and try some of the local cuisine.

Carlisle is famous for its Castle, a great medieval fortress that has watched over the City for over nine centuries. You can explore fascinating and ancient chambers, stairways and dungeons and find the legendary 'licking stones'. Here, parched Jacobite prisoners found enough moisture to stay alive, only to be brutally executed on Gallows Hill.
 

---

Day 4 Carlisle to Lanercost - 14 miles (23 kilometres)

After saying farewell to your hosts in Carlisle you set out on today's walk; a pleasant day's ramble through open countryside passing through quaint villages. Although not always visible, this section of the Wall is made from sod but it’s nevertheless still impressive and a tantalising prelude of what’s to come. Todays walk will end at Lanercost with its hauntingly beautiful Priory founded in 1165 by Augustinian canons.

---

Day 5 Lanercost to Gilsland - 5 miles (8 kilometres)

After two long walking days, today is only a short distance allowing you to have a relaxing start to the day.

After a hearty breakfast you have a gentle days walk through some wonderful countryside. Today you actually walk along long sections of true wall and Birdoswald Fort is certainly worth a visit.

Birdoswald Fort stands high above a bend in the River Irthing, in one of the most picturesque settings on Hadrian's Wall. A Roman fort, turret and milecastle can all be seen on this excellent stretch of the Wall. With probably the best preserved defences of any Wall fort, this was an important base for some 1,000 Roman soldiers, succeeding an earlier fort of turf and timber.

As today is relatively short, why not think about organising a taxi to visit Vindolanda for a few hours? Roman Vindolanda was an important Roman frontier fort and village that was occupied for over 300 years. There is a museum with interactive displays and artefacts excavated from the site including the famous Vindolanda Writing Tablets and there are live excavations throughout the summer months.

You can then return to either Birdoswald Fort or Gilsland to continue your short walk to your accommodation.

---

Day 6 Gilsland to Steel Rigg - 9 miles (14.5 kilometres)

Leaving Gilsland we pass the 14C Thirlwall Castle which was built out of stone plundered from the Wall. Before we start to climb out of Walltown Quarry we visit the Roman Army Museum which is part of the Vindolanda Charitable Trust. Watch the superb and award winning 20 minute 3D Edge of Empire film which takes us on an eagle eye view along the section of Hadrian's Wall that we are about to walk along - absolutely stunning and a definite must see!.

As we continue on through Walltown Quarry and Cawfields, the walking becomes more challenging with a number of sharp gradients and ascents as we gradually rise up to Winshields Crags and the highest point on the Wall – surely a must for any photo album!

As the ground starts to rise the views are quite simply breathtaking and the impressive nature of the wall starts to grow as you pass milecastle after milecastle and you experience true Hadrian's Wall Country.

You will end today’s walk at Steel Rigg where it’s just a short walk to our accommodation.

---

Day 7 Steel Rigg to Chollerford - 12 miles (19 kilometres)

After a hearty breakfast you have what is probably one of the most famous and dramatic sections of the wall, past Sycamore Gap and Crag Lough. This section of the wall has been used a number of times in films, so memories will jump out at you all day. It is also one of the best preserved sections of the Wall. Known as Claytons Wall after John Clayton of Chesters who was a Lawyer in Newcastle and devoted every Monday of his professional working life to restoring the Wall to what we see today.

We pass Housesteads which is the most complete example of a Roman fort in Britain, and now the most popular site on the Wall. It stands high on the exposed Whin Sill escarpment, commanding breathtaking views. It was one of 12 permanent forts added to the new frontier by Hadrian in about 124 AD. Known as Vercovicium ('the place of effective fighters'), it was garrisoned by a cohort of around 800 infantry (for most of its history Tungrians from Belgium), later reinforced by Germanic cavalry.

Your route then takes you to Chollerford where a well earned drink is in order.

---

Day 8 Chollerford to Halton Red House - 7 miles (11 kilometres)

At the start of this day you rise up out of Wall and there are some lovely views North to the Cheviot Hills. Today is an easier day's walking than the previous two, and there are a number of places to stop off en route for light refreshments.
 
At the end of your day you will be transfered to the local town of Corbridge to your accommodation. 

---

Day 9 Halton Red House to Newburn - 11 miles (18 kilometres)

Firstly you pass through some lovely countryside, before passing through Heddon on the Wall and then you follow the River Tyne through some lovely countryside.

The route takes you directly to your accommodation this evening in Newburn where after a relaxing shower or bath you can enjoy a lovely meal and reflect of the walk that you have nearly completed. .

---

Day 10 Newburn to Segadunum - 12 miles (19 kilometres)

The final day is a day of contrast as you walk through some of the rich industrial heritage Newcastle upon Tyne was built on. Much of the waterfront has now been redeveloped as you pass grand hotels, the Tyne Bridge, Sage Gateshead (new music centre) and the recently opened Baltic (arts centre), a cultural revolution evolving from an Industrial one!
 
Segedunum Roman Fort is the end of the trail and where you will be greeted by a member of staff from Shepherds Walks to celebrate your achievement.
 
Segedunum Roman Fort stands on the banks of the River Tyne, the last outpost of Hadrian's Wall. For almost 300 years Segedunum, which means 'strong fort', was home to 600 Roman soldiers.

Congratulations are in order!

You will then be transferred to your car in Newcastle, Newcastle railway station or airport. 

Or if you chose to add an extra night to your holiday, we will transfer you back to your hotel. 

---

What type of accommodation will we be staying in - self guided trip

The accommodation on the tours are in Inns, family-run hotels, and Bed and Breakfasts. We endeavour to provide en-suite accommodation.

---

Can I add an rest day into my walking holiday?

Yes you can at any point, just get in touch and we can discuss the best options for this trip.

---

Do I need travel insurance?

If you are coming to the UK from overseas it is a condition of our tours that you are covered by medical and personal travel insurance that includes repatriation to your home country. If you are a UK resident medical and personal travel insurance is also recommended. If you have not organised appropriate insurance yet, please do so before you travel.

---

Do you move our bags for us on our walking holiday?

Yes, we move your bags for you everyday. You just leave your main bag at your accommodation and we will move it for you, so it will be at your next nights accommodation waiting for you.

You just carry your day pack.

Your baggage allowance for the trip is one main piece of luggage which should be preferably either a backpack/rucksack or sports bag, and one small daypack. Try to travel as light as possible. It is best to avoid large solid hardtop suitcases as these cause difficulties on transfer vehicles etc.

The larger piece of luggage will travel on the vehicle between accommodations and the daypack should be suitable for carrying any additional outer-layer clothing and items you will need on your walk during the day. As a general rule, we would recommend that your main piece of luggage shouldn't weigh more than 15 - 20 kilos.

---

Do you provide maps and a guidebook of the trail?

Yes we do, we provide the Harvey Map for this route and also more detailed maps to guide you to your accommodation each night. You also will receive detailed trip notes that we have compiled which has everything you need in it to really help you make a great walk into a holiday of a lifetime.

---

Once I have booked when will I receive the final holiday info?

You will receive all your final walk info by email approximately four weeks prior to departure. A hard copy of your holiday pack will be posted to you the following day, including your map, giving you plenty of time to go through all of the information before your departure. Anything you are not sure about, we are only a phonecall or email away! 

---

What is a Double, Twin and Single room?

Room descriptions

Double – One double bed for two people.

Twin – Two single beds each for one person.

Single – A room with a single bed in.

---

What walking equipment will I need for this trip?

Good quality walking boots/shoes will be needed for the trip and given the normal weather conditions, appropriate outdoor clothing including waterproofs are recommended. More details will be provided in your pre-departure dossier.

---

What are the payment terms on the holiday and can I pay the holiday in instalments?

A deposit is due at the time of booking and the remainder is due 6 weeks before departure date, but don’t worry we will send you a reminder 2 weeks before this is due.

If you want to pay your holiday off in instalments that’s not a problem. Once you have booked you can log into your ‘members section’ at any time and see you holiday details including the amount still due. At any time (either online in the members section) or over the phone you can pay off any amount of our holiday and see the balance due reduce.

Many of our customers really like this control of being able to pay off an amount off their holiday every month.

The choice is yours.

---

Hadrian's Path Walk

Wednesday 29th June 2022 Bernard Owens

Had a great time, a challenge for my 65th birthday. Lovely weather, good accommodation. Just wish that the restaurants in Cumbria and Northumberland were a bit more creative and used more of the wonderful local ingredients.

---

A wonderful holiday experience

Wednesday 15th June 2022 Gareth

We had a great time, 10 days felt like the perfect amount of time to experience the walk without being too strenuous, but still pleasantly tiring.

The luggage transfer worked seamlessly.

There were some very nice B&Bs, particularly in the middle section.

Very little to criticise, some of the places we stayed were a little shabby compared to the others (but still perfectly serviceable, and I realise there is probably not a lot of choice in some areas) and there was a slight hiccup with taxis at one point but this was quickly resolved.

Overall, would thoroughly recommend Shepherd's Walks and I am already considering some of their other holidays.

---

A great experience walking Hadrian's Wall!

Monday 23rd May 2022 Jean Mackie and Clive Parsons

This was a thoroughly enjoyable trip. Our intention was to take the path slowly so that we could make the most of all of the sites to visit along the route.

With visits, every day was full, even when the walking was short.

Day 1: The Hilton Gateshead was a very comfortable stopover with excellent parking arrangements.

Day 2: Cab ride/driver was prompt, friendly, informative and efficient. Given that we were only walking to Bousted Hill, the 8am start resulted in a very early arrival at Bowness.

Excellent accommodation with a friendly host who drove us to us to the local pub, who then provided a free taxi ride back. Fabulous views across Solway Firth to Scotland.

Day 3: Varied but largely flat terrain to Carlisle with time to visit the Tullie Museum (having been to the castle last autumn). Well worth it.

We actually walked further around the path to a cycle path between schools, which ended up closer to the accommodation.

Day 4 walking. Another excellent stopover with friendly and efficient host.

Day 4: Interesting and varied countryside although visibility was limited due to rain at times. Met our first of many groups of Americans heading for Carlisle. They'd completed the West Highland Way the previous week!

Our host provided exceptional service, in terms of the accommodation, wonderful food and boot drying too! An amazing stay.

Day 5:Very enjoyable visit to Lanercost Priory and the adjoining Church - well worth it. Beautiful views across to the Pennines and a fascinating visit to Birdoswald, We ended up covering just over 9 miles as a result. Excellent accommodation again- very helpful host.

Day 6: Beautiful day and now hitting the ascents.

We stopped to visit Thirlwall Castle, briefly, spent a good hour at the Roman Army museum and then made good progress up along the heights to Twice Brewed.

It was very windy so we were pleased to be going W to E.

We were in time for a bus to Vindolanda and enjoyed another hour exploring both the museum and grounds there. This seemed a better use of time rather than visiting the day before. Again, very helpful staff and a very comfortable stay.

Day 7: Another great day's walking although still very windy.

Fabulous views again and a good visit to both Housesteads and Chesters Fort.

Day 8: An enjoyable but very short walk to The Errington coffee house (less than 6 miles) so we arrived there, even after taking our time, at midday. Fortunately the Taxi was able to pick us up and drop us in the centre of Corbridge.

We had a fascinating afternoon at the Corbridge Roman fort and the town itself was very pleasant with interesting history of its own.

Our host at this night was great and the adjacent pub, The Dyvels, was very friendly with extremely generous portions of good food.

Day 9: Another good day's walking with wonderful views.

We clocked over 14 miles along here from the coffee house. Although Day 8 was full, we were lucky that the pick up could be re-arranged. Walking wise, it would have perhaps made more sense to carry on to Robin Hood Inn and be picked up there.

The accomodation this night was a perfect stopover with good food, beer, service and spacious accommodation.

Day 10: Fascinating path along the river with lots of history to read about en route and, of course, the bridges.

We were thoroughly taken with this section and found it difficult to understand why others have been less enthusiastic about it.

Segedunum museum had some wonderful displays and the tower was particularly interesting. Shame that they can no longer support a café. Dennis was accommodating with the pick up and the Hilton hotel proved welcoming again.

Overall, a great experience, well organised by Shepherds Walks. It was particularly pleasing to have a bath in most of the accommodation.

---

Everything worked like clockwork

Tuesday 1st December 2015 H Ingram

Thanks for arranging a great walking holiday for us along the Hadrian's wall trail this year, everything worked like clockwork.

---

I wanted to add my thanks for a truly outstanding job

Wednesday 21st October 2015 Karl K

I wanted to add my thanks for a truly outstanding job in coordinating our trek through northern England on the Hadrian’s Wall Trail.  Considering all the bits a pieces that had to be accounted for, everything went remarkably smoothly.  Even the weather cooperated for which you may take credit as well.

---