The Wall Path

NT–HWP · WALLSEND → BOWNESS-ON-SOLWAY · 135 KM

84 miles. Six forts.
One Roman frontier.

Illustrative cross-section of Hadrian's Wall and its earthworks, north (ditch) to south (vallum) North Ditch The Wall Military Way Vallum Earthwork South
Built
AD 122
Status
Frontiers of the Roman Empire — UNESCO World Heritage Site
Trail opened
2003
Begin at Wallsend → Read westward to Bowness →

Most Hadrian’s Wall content is either a tour operator’s sales page or a photo blog about “wild, windswept beauty.” The Wall Path sits in between: an independent planning resource covering what each fort is managed by, what it costs to get in, how to reach it without a car, and what’s worth seeing once you arrive, alongside a stage-by-stage breakdown of the walk itself for however many days you have. Start with why Hadrian built it in the first place, or go straight to the day-by-day route itself.

Surviving fabric, east to west

East West
  1. Mile 0 Reconstructed Roman viewing tower and excavated fort outline at Segedunum, Wallsend SegedunumWallsend · the wall’s eastern end
  2. ∼Mile 30 Roman cavalry bathhouse ruins at Chesters Fort beside the River North Tyne ChestersBritain’s best-preserved cavalry bathhouse
  3. ∼Mile 37 Housesteads Roman Fort ruins along the dramatic Whin Sill crags HousesteadsThe most complete Roman fort in Britain
  4. ∼Mile 44 Ongoing excavation trenches at Vindolanda Roman fort and settlement VindolandaBritain’s oldest handwritten documents
  5. ∼Mile 50 The longest continuous visible stretch of Hadrian's Wall near Birdoswald Fort BirdoswaldThe wall’s longest visible stretch
  6. Mile 84 The flat Solway estuary marshes at Bowness-on-Solway, the wall's western end Bowness-on-SolwayFort Maia and the quiet western finish

Rank all six by what they’re each worth →

Pick your days. We’ll pick your stages.

Six overnight stages make up the full walk. Most people don’t have all six — this shows which ones earn a place if you have fewer, and why.

    01

    The wall-top restriction

    Casual walking on top of the wall itself is permitted along only one 150-metre stretch — everywhere else, staying off it isn’t a suggestion. See the packing list and full rules before you go.

    Open the planning guide →
    02

    Not walking the whole thing?

    No six days or baggage-transfer booking needed — several documented circular walks reach the wall’s highlights from a single car park.

    See the day-walk options →