Hadrian's Wall runs for about seventy-three miles across the north of England, from the Solway Firth in the west to the Tyne in the east, built on the orders of the Emperor Hadrian after his visit to Britain in 122 AD.
The Vallum was a broad, flat-bottomed ditch flanked by mounds of earth, and it marked the southern boundary of the military zone. Its exact purpose is still debated, but it probably controlled movement into the frontier zone from the south, forcing traffic through official crossings at the forts. In many places, the Vallum is more visible than the wall itself, as the stone of the wall was robbed for buildings and roads over the centuries. Hadrian's Wall is part of the UNESCO Frontiers of the Roman Empire site.
The best-preserved sections of the wall lie further west, around Housesteads, Vindolanda and Steel Rigg, where the wall rides the crags of the Whin Sill. Chesters, a Roman cavalry fort on the North Tyne, is a short distance from Acomb and has a fine bath house. Corbridge, a few miles east, has the remains of a Roman supply town.
The riding along Hadrian's Wall is excellent. The B6318, known as the Military Road, was built in the eighteenth century, partly on top of the wall, and it runs along the frontier with long straights, dips and crests, and wide views over the moors. It is a popular road with bikers, but it is also notorious for accidents, with blind summits and sudden dips, so ride carefully. The roads north into Northumberland National Park and Kielder Forest are quiet and scenic. Weather is a big factor: rain, wind and fog are common, even in summer. Remember that the UK drives on the left.
Hexham, about six kilometres away, has fuel and all services, and a fine abbey. Local food includes stotty cake, a flat bread, and pies. Late spring and summer are the best seasons.