East of Hexham, the Roman frontier crosses gentler country, a rolling landscape of fields, hedges and small woods north of the Tyne valley. Here the Wall itself has mostly disappeared, its stones long since recycled into farmhouses, field walls and the eighteenth-century Military Road that runs along its line. But the vallum, the broad ditch with mounds on either side that marked the southern edge of the military zone, survives in places as a clear earthwork across the fields, and walkers on the Hadrian's Wall Path follow it for miles. This section is part of the same World Heritage site as the dramatic crags further west.
Just south lies Corbridge, an attractive stone town on the Tyne. The Romans built a fort and then a town there, called Coria, where Dere Street, the main road north into Scotland, crossed the river. The remains of granaries, a fountain and streets can be seen at the Roman site just west of the modern town, and the museum displays finds such as the Corbridge Lion, a sculpture of a lion attacking a stag. Nearby, Aydon Castle is a fortified manor house from the thirteenth century, built to resist raiders in the troubled border country.
The riding here is pleasant. The Military Road runs fast and straight along the line of the Wall, with occasional dips and crests, while minor roads wander through the countryside to villages, farms and the Tyne valley. Traffic is moderate, heavier near Hexham and Newcastle, and the roads are generally good, though farm vehicles and mud are common. Weather in Northumberland is changeable, with frequent rain and strong winds, and winter can bring snow and ice on higher ground.
For a longer ride, head north into the empty hills and forests of Northumberland National Park, or east to the coast, with its castles at Bamburgh and Dunstanburgh. The Tyne valley also offers quiet roads following the river.
Corbridge, Prudhoe and Hexham all have fuel, shops and cafés, with Prudhoe the largest town nearby. Try a stottie, a large, flat bread roll from the north-east, filled with ham and pease pudding, or stop at a country pub for a pie and a pint after the ride.