Hadrian's Wall begins, or ends, in a suburb of Newcastle, and it is a surprise to find it there. Wallsend, on the north bank of the Tyne, is the site of the fort of Segedunum, the eastern terminus of the wall, now surrounded by terraced houses and a metro station. A museum with a viewing tower overlooks the excavated remains, and visitors can walk along a section of reconstructed wall and see a full-size reconstruction of a Roman bathhouse.
The name Wallsend means exactly what it says, and the town grew up around the shipyards of the Tyne, which for more than a century produced some of the largest and fastest ships in the world. The yards have mostly gone, but the memory is strong, and a walk along the river gives you an idea of the scale of the old industry. It is a fine irony that the Roman frontier and the Victorian shipbuilding district are in the same place.
The label mentions wall mile 2, a reference to the way the Romans measured the frontier, in miles from the eastern end, with a milecastle at each mile. The early miles are buried under the streets of Newcastle and its suburbs, and traces survive only in places. The line of the wall is marked by a series of signposts and lines in the pavement, and in Newcastle you can find a section behind the West Gate.
Riding here is urban, with the Tyne and its bridges the main attraction. The roads are busy, the surface is patchy, and tram and metro lines cross the streets. For a better ride, head west along the Military Road in the morning, when traffic is light, and watch the wall rise from the city into open country.
Wallsend has forty-two thousand people, with fuel, shops and cafés on every main road. Check the museum's opening hours before you go, and bring a coat, since winds off the North Sea are cold even in summer.