The Roman fort and associated civil settle and Hadrian's Wall and vallum between the trac
Plan this ride
Recorded distance
186 km
Riding-time estimate
2 h 44
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.
A 186 km round trip from Annan - roughly 2 h 44 in the saddle. On the way it passes Watchclose Roman temporary camp, Hadrian's Wall and vallum between the road, Hadrian's Wall and vallum between the trac and back through Hadrian's Wall and vallum between the road. It was put together for the scenery rather than the shortest line.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. The Roman fort and associated civil settle
Bowness-on-Solway is where Hadrian's Wall ends, or begins, depending on which way you are walking. This quiet village on the southern shore of the Solway Firth sits on top of the Roman fort of Maia, the second largest on the Wall, and its civilian settlement, which together make up the site on the label, part of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire World Heritage site. Almost nothing of the fort survives above ground, as much of the stone went into the houses, church and farm buildings of the village, but you can find Roman stones reused in walls if you look closely.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
The Roman fort and associated civil settle is where the day begins. Next is Watchclose Roman temporary camp.
2. Watchclose Roman temporary camp
East of Carlisle, between the villages of Brampton and Wetheral, the countryside rolls gently towards the Pennines, with green fields, hedges and patches of woodland. Somewhere in these fields lie the faint traces of Watchclose, a Roman temporary camp, one of many marching camps built by soldiers on campaign or during the construction of Hadrian's Wall. These camps were enclosed by a ditch and bank and used for a night or a season, and today they are often visible only from the air or as slight undulations in the grass. Watchclose is part of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire World Heritage site.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Watchclose Roman temporary camp comes up 34 km in. Next is Hadrian's Wall and vallum between the road.
3. Hadrian's Wall and vallum between the road
Around Haltwhistle the wall climbs on to the Whin Sill, a hard ridge of dark volcanic rock that runs across northern England like a spine, and the effect is among the most dramatic on the whole frontier. The wall rides the crest of crags, rising and falling over the rock, with a steep drop to the north and long views over moorland, and the Roman engineers made full use of the natural defence. The vallum, a broad flat-bottomed ditch with mounds on either side, runs in the valley to the south, and it marks the boundary of the military zone behind the wall.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
68 km in you reach Hadrian's Wall and vallum between the road. Next is Hadrian's Wall and vallum between the trac.
4. 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.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
The Roman fort and associated civil settle closes the day.
Leg by leg
The Roman fort and associated civil settle to Watchclose Roman temporary camp
The Roman fort and associated civil settle → Watchclose Roman temporary camp is 34 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Watchclose Roman temporary camp to Hadrian's Wall and vallum between the road
Watchclose Roman temporary camp → Hadrian's Wall and vallum between the road is 34 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Hadrian's Wall and vallum between the road to Hadrian's Wall and vallum between the trac
Hadrian's Wall and vallum between the road → Hadrian's Wall and vallum between the trac is 34 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Hadrian's Wall and vallum between the trac to back through Hadrian's Wall and vallum between the road
Hadrian's Wall and vallum between the trac → back through Hadrian's Wall and vallum between the road is 34 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Hadrian's Wall and vallum between the road to back through Watchclose Roman temporary camp
back through Hadrian's Wall and vallum between the road → back through Watchclose Roman temporary camp is 34 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Watchclose Roman temporary camp to The Roman fort and associated civil settle
back through Watchclose Roman temporary camp → The Roman fort and associated civil settle is 34 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.