Why this ride
From Hexham it runs 223 km to Hexham; allow about 3 h 22 of riding. The stops in between: Written Rock of Gelt: Roman quarry inscrip, Bank Mill tower 15a and back through Written Rock of Gelt: Roman quarry inscrip.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Hadrian's Wall and vallum between the trac and Bank Mill tower 15a
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 223 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 3 h 22
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Hadrian's Wall and vallum between the trac
Just north of Hexham, the A road climbs out of the Tyne valley and meets the Roman frontier on a high, windy shoulder of Northumberland. Here, near Acomb, Wall and the crossing of the North Tyne at Chollerford, the line of Hadrian's Wall and its vallum runs across open farmland, sometimes visible as a low bank, sometimes followed by the road itself. Like every stretch of the frontier, it belongs to the UNESCO Frontiers of the Roman Empire, and this middle section is where the wall starts to feel serious, heading west into the wild central crags.
Read the complete Hadrian's Wall and vallum between the trac write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Hadrian's Wall and vallum between the trac is where the day begins. Next is Written Rock of Gelt: Roman quarry inscrip.
2. Written Rock of Gelt: Roman quarry inscrip
Beside the river Gelt, a small stream that runs through a wooded sandstone gorge east of Carlisle, a smooth face of rock bears an inscription cut by Roman soldiers some eighteen centuries ago. This is the Written Rock of Gelt. It marks the quarry where legionaries cut stone for the western part of Hadrian's Wall, and it records their work, with names and dates, in neat Latin letters that are still readable though weathered by the rain.
Read the complete Written Rock of Gelt: Roman quarry inscrip write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Written Rock of Gelt: Roman quarry inscrip comes up about 51 km into the recorded legs. Next is Bank Mill tower 15a.
3. Bank Mill tower 15a
Hadrian's Wall did not stop at the sea. West of Bowness, the Romans continued their frontier along the Cumbrian coast with a chain of milefortlets and watchtowers, guarding against raiders who might sail across the Solway Firth. Bank Mill tower 15a is one of those coastal towers, set on the low ground near Silloth, and its remains are slight, though the logic is clear: from here, a sentry could see the whole estuary, and a signal could pass quickly along the line. The coast defences belong to the same UNESCO frontier listing as the wall itself.
Read the complete Bank Mill tower 15a write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 111 km into the recorded legs you reach Bank Mill tower 15a. Next is back through Written Rock of Gelt: Roman quarry inscrip.
4. back through Written Rock of Gelt: Roman quarry inscrip
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Written Rock of Gelt: Roman quarry inscrip write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Written Rock of Gelt: Roman quarry inscrip, late in the day. Next is Hadrian's Wall and vallum between the trac.
5. Hadrian's Wall and vallum between the trac
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Hadrian's Wall and vallum between the trac write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Back at Hadrian's Wall and vallum between the trac. That is the ride.
Leg by leg
Hadrian's Wall and vallum between the trac to Written Rock of Gelt: Roman quarry inscrip
Hadrian's Wall and vallum between the trac → Written Rock of Gelt: Roman quarry inscrip is 51 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Written Rock of Gelt: Roman quarry inscrip to Bank Mill tower 15a
Written Rock of Gelt: Roman quarry inscrip → Bank Mill tower 15a is 60 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Bank Mill tower 15a to back through Written Rock of Gelt: Roman quarry inscrip
Bank Mill tower 15a → back through Written Rock of Gelt: Roman quarry inscrip is 61 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Written Rock of Gelt: Roman quarry inscrip to Hadrian's Wall and vallum between the trac
back through Written Rock of Gelt: Roman quarry inscrip → Hadrian's Wall and vallum between the trac is 51 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.