Heddon-on-the-Wall is aptly named. Just west of Newcastle, on a ridge above the Tyne, the village sits right on the line of Hadrian's Wall, and at its eastern edge is the longest surviving stretch of the broad wall still visible in the east, a section of thick, solid masonry about a hundred metres long, complete with the foundations of a medieval kiln built into it. Wall mile 10 is the stretch around here, counting westward from Wallsend, and it is part of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire World Heritage site. South of the wall, the vallum, a huge ditch flanked by earth mounds, can still be traced across the fields.
This is where the Military Road, the B6318, begins its run west across Northumberland, and for many riders it is the true start of a Wall journey. The road follows the line of the Wall closely, often sitting right on top of its foundations, with the vallum visible beside it. The first few miles are rolling farmland, with views south over the Tyne valley, and the road gets wilder and more spectacular as you head west towards Chollerford and the crags of the central section. Watch for dips and crests that hide oncoming traffic, and for cyclists, walkers and slow-moving tourists.
The Tyne valley below has a rich history of its own. At Newburn, just downstream, a Scottish army defeated English forces in 1640, during the Bishops' Wars, a prelude to the English Civil War. A few kilometres upstream at Wylam, George Stephenson, the railway pioneer, was born in 1781 in a small cottage that still stands beside the old wagonway, and the village has a small railway museum. The Tyne valley was the cradle of the railways, and the early wagonways carried coal from the pits to the river.
The landscape is gentle here, with farmland, woods and the river winding through the valley. The view from Heddon over the Tyne and the hills to the south is lovely, especially in the evening light.
Newburn, about one and a half kilometres away, and the outskirts of Newcastle have fuel, shops and restaurants. Heddon itself has a pub and a few services. Wylam and Corbridge, further west, are pleasant villages with cafés. Newcastle, just east, is a lively city with famous bridges over the Tyne and a great nightlife, if you fancy a night out after the ride.