Hadrian's Wall and vallum in wall mile 10 and Hadrian's Wall and vallum between the fiel

Waypoint introductions and full write-ups

1. 1. Hadrian's Wall and vallum in wall mile 10

   Heddon-on-the-Wall is aptly named. Just west of Newcastle, on a ridge above the Tyne, the village sits right on the line of Hadrian's Wall, and at its eastern edge is the longest surviving stretch of the broad wall still visible in the east, a section of thick, solid masonry about a hundred metres long, complete with the foundations of a medieval kiln built into it. Wall mile 10 is the stretch around here, counting westward from Wallsend, and it is part of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire World Heritage site. South of the wall, the vallum, a huge ditch flanked by earth mounds, can still be traced across the fields.

   Read the complete Hadrian's Wall and vallum in wall mile 10 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 in wall mile 10 is where the day begins. Next is Hadrian's Wall and vallum between the trac.

2. 2. 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 comes up about 18 km into the recorded legs. Next is Housesteads fort.

3. 3. Housesteads fort

   Of all the forts on Hadrian's Wall, Housesteads is the one that most people picture. It stands on the edge of the Whin Sill, high above the moors, with long grey walls running along the ridge on either side and an enormous view in every direction. The Romans called it Vercovicium, and from the road it takes about ten minutes to walk up the hill from the car park and museum to the gate, with the wind in your face.

   Read the complete Housesteads fort write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   about 39 km into the recorded legs you reach Housesteads fort. Next is Hadrian's Wall and vallum between the fiel.

4. 4. Hadrian's Wall and vallum between the fiel

   West of Birdoswald the Wall changes character. The central crags fall behind, the River Irthing loops through its gorge below, and the frontier runs across gentler farmland towards Banks and Hare Hill, where one of the tallest surviving fragments of the Wall still stands, patched by later hands. Here too the vallum, the great earthwork south of the Wall, can be traced across the fields, and the remains of turrets at Banks East and Pike Hill sit right beside the road. It is a quieter stretch than the famous sections further east, and all the better for it.

   Read the complete Hadrian's Wall and vallum between the fiel 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 fiel, about halfway. Next is back through Housesteads fort.

5. 5. back through Housesteads fort

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Housesteads fort write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   back through Housesteads fort sits at 100 km, about halfway. Next is back through Hadrian's Wall and vallum between the trac.

6. 6. back through 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 through Hadrian's Wall and vallum between the trac comes up about 105 km into the recorded legs. Next is Hadrian's Wall and vallum in wall mile 10.

7. 7. Hadrian's Wall and vallum in wall mile 10

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Hadrian's Wall and vallum in wall mile 10 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 in wall mile 10 closes the day.