Hadrian's Wall and vallum between the road and Rise How tower 25a
Plan this ride
Recorded distance
204 km
Riding-time estimate
2 h 59
Journey
Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
The recorded total and the leg detail need reconciliation. Inspect the leg notes before using this record for timing or navigation. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
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Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
From Birtley it runs 204 km to Birtley; allow about 2 h 59 of riding. On the way it passes Hadrian's Wall and vallum between Birky La, Rise How tower 25a and back through Hadrian's Wall and vallum between Birky La. The line favours views over speed.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Hadrian's Wall and vallum between the road
Between Hexham and Haydon Bridge, the river Tyne runs through a wide green valley, and on the ridge to the north the line of Hadrian's Wall can be traced across fields and woods in a series of ditches, banks and stretches of masonry.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Hadrian's Wall and vallum between the road is where the day begins. Next is Hadrian's Wall and vallum between Birky La.
2. Hadrian's Wall and vallum between Birky La
Just east of Carlisle, near the village of Scotby, the Wall leaves almost no mark on the land. Here, at the western end of the Roman frontier, it was built first of turf and timber before being rebuilt in stone, and much of that stone has since been carried off to build farmhouses, churches and field walls. What survives is mostly buried, a faint line in the pasture or a slight ridge followed by a hedge. The vallum, the great earthwork that ran behind the wall, sometimes shows as a shallow trough in the fields. Yet this quiet stretch is part of the same World Heritage site as the dramatic crags further east, and walking the Hadrian's Wall Path through it gives a sense of continuity across the whole country.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Hadrian's Wall and vallum between Birky La comes up 63 km in. Next is Rise How tower 25a.
3. Rise How tower 25a
Hadrian's Wall does not simply stop at the Solway. Beyond Bowness, the Romans extended their frontier down the Cumbrian coast with a chain of milefortlets and towers, watching the shore against raiders crossing from what is now south-west Scotland. Rise How tower 25a is one of them, on the low cliffs just south of Maryport near Flimby, part of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire World Heritage site. Little is visible above ground, but standing here and looking out over the water, you can see why they bothered.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Back at Hadrian's Wall and vallum between the road. That is the ride.
Leg by leg
Hadrian's Wall and vallum between the road to Hadrian's Wall and vallum between Birky La
Hadrian's Wall and vallum between the road → Hadrian's Wall and vallum between Birky La is 62 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Hadrian's Wall and vallum between Birky La to Rise How tower 25a
Hadrian's Wall and vallum between Birky La → Rise How tower 25a is 63 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Rise How tower 25a to back through Hadrian's Wall and vallum between Birky La
Rise How tower 25a → back through Hadrian's Wall and vallum between Birky La is 63 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Hadrian's Wall and vallum between Birky La to Hadrian's Wall and vallum between the road
back through Hadrian's Wall and vallum between Birky La → Hadrian's Wall and vallum between the road is 62 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.