There is a stretch of Hadrian's Wall that everybody has seen in photographs: the Wall riding the crest of the Whin Sill like a stone ribbon, plunging into dips and climbing again, with a long, dark lake, Crag Lough, beneath the cliffs. This is it, near Steel Rigg and Once Brewed, and the site on the label, the vallum and the remains of a native British settlement, lies just to the south in the shadow of the crags. It is part of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire World Heritage site, and it is a reminder that people lived here long before the Romans and kept living here while the soldiers watched over them.
Along the crags, Sycamore Gap was for generations home to one of the most famous trees in England, a lone sycamore standing in a dip in the Wall, seen in films and on countless postcards. In September 2023 it was illegally felled overnight, causing national outrage. The stump remains, and seedlings from the tree are being grown and planted elsewhere, but the gap feels emptier now.
The Sill, a national landscape centre at Once Brewed, has exhibitions about the geology, wildlife and history of the area, and a green roof you can walk on. South of the road, Vindolanda, the fort famous for its writing tablets, is still being excavated every summer, with volunteers digging in the trenches. The Roman Army Museum and Housesteads are a short ride away in either direction.
The riding here is spectacular. The Military Road runs just south of the crags, with views of the Wall and the loughs, and the minor road from Once Brewed down to Bardon Mill and the South Tyne valley is steep and twisty. In summer, the area is busy with walkers and tourists, so parking can be tricky. Early mornings and evenings are the best times to ride and walk, when the light is soft and the crowds are gone.
Haltwhistle, about seven kilometres away, has fuel, shops and cafés. Haydon Bridge and Hexham are further east. The pub at Twice Brewed is a popular stop, with its own brewery, and there is a youth hostel at The Sill. Walk from Steel Rigg along the crags to Sycamore Gap and back, about an hour, for one of the finest short walks in Britain.