Dia duit agus fáilte – that’s Irish for hello and welcome – to my blog. In this post, I am sharing our Top Tips for Walking Hadrian’s Wall with you. I hope you find the tips below helpful when you are dreaming and planning your own long-distance walking holiday, whether along Hadrian’s Wall or not.
As I sit to write this, I am still quite chuffed that we recently finished walking Hadrian’s Wall – a (supposedly) 84 mile walk across the northern part of England. The path is alongside the Roman wall built in 122 by (you guessed it) Emperor Hadrian. We have done other long-distance walking holidays – Tom and I did the Camino Português in 2022 and my sisters and I did the Camino Inglés in 2016 so we figured we knew what to expect. The truth is, there were many similarities – more mileage than planned every day and inclement weather to dampen our spirits – but there were also many differences and in this post I’m giving you 7+ tips for walking Hadrian’s Wall.
This post is not written specifically for people with chronic pain, rheumatoid arthritis or other autoimmune diseases but because this is what I live with daily, every post I write takes these factors into account. One of my goals with this blog is to encourage and inspire those with chronic illnesses to live the biggest, grandest life they desire. If you want more info on living with RA, read this post or this post.
Table of Contents
Tip #1: Choose your direction carefully
From what I have read, most people begin their walk in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne and head west to Bowness-on-Solway and we certainly met oodles of folks doing just that. If there is one thing you take away from these 7 tips for walking Hadrian’s Wall, please consider very carefully whether you begin from the east or from the west.
Why we chose to go from Bowness in the west to Newcastle in the east
My strong recommendation is to begin in Bowness and end in Newcastle and I have several compelling reasons why this will prove to be the most enjoyable direction.
- The most important factor in making the decision to go from west to east along Hadrian’s Wall is the prevailing winds; blowing from west to east. The winds are blustery, often cold and carry with them plenty of precipitation. With my back to the wind, I often felt like I was being “carried” just a little and on the tough climbs, that belief buoyed me. It rained 6 out of 8 days we walked in early June and every time we passed a poor soul heading east, the rain and wind blasting them full in the face, my heart went out to them!!
- The second reason to begin in Bowness is the terrain. Our first day was a combination of pavement and grass which I believe helped our legs and feet adjust quickly and made for a less painful Day 1. Another aspect of the terrain that I had not paid much attention to before we walked was the elevation map. I always say about hiking that going up is hard but coming down can be scary, dangerous and rather painful, especially if, like me, you live with chronic pain, questionable joints and an uncanny ability to slip rather easily.
- The final reason I offer for walking from west to east is that you will arrive in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne on your final day and I found this quite a pleasant part of the walk. Yes, those last 16+ miles/26+ kms will on be on pavement but by then, my legs and feet were well used to long walking days. We walked through neighborhoods and close to the city centre, we strolled beside the Tyne and along Quayside. The food options for snacks and lunch were the most diverse we experienced while on the walk and it felt great to walk past people knowing I had just achieved something pretty special. It was also lovely to get to Segedunum, take the train back to our lodging in the city and then have endless food options for dinner and a slow wind-down wander.
Please comment below if you have walked HW path and share your thoughts about the direction you chose and how you feel about it after the experience.
#2 tip for walking Hadrian’s Wall: Go slowly
Before we left on our travels, I read blogs and travel guides about walking Hadrian’s Wall path and many of them suggested a 6-day itinerary. Now that we have walked it, I wonder if that is because many people can only take a single week off work and 6 days allows them to complete the walk.
As someone who needs to be kind and gentle to my body every day, I knew that such a grueling pace would cause pain and therefore be anything but an enjoyable experience for me. We chose to walk an 8-day itinerary and if I were to do it again, I would extend that to 9 or even 10 days. Because we are retired, we don’t have the same time restrictions for our trips and that is such a gift. Please think seriously about this tip for walking Hadrian’s Wall and see if you can stretch the walk a few extra days. If, like me, you have chronic pain, rheumatoid arthritis or other health concerns, this will be a very important decision.
If you have rheumatoid arthritis or another chronic illness, then it is even more important to listen to your body, take your time and consider adding rest days to your itinerary. There are a few towns along, or close to, Hadrian’s Wall path that would be lovely to visit for an extra day or 2 – Carlisle, Corbridge and Gilsland pop to mind.
The reality of walking an 84 mile (135km) path
The official length of Hadrians’ Wall path from Segedunum to Bowness -on-Solway is 84 miles (135 km) but we walked almost 96 miles (154km) because of detours and the occasional misdirection! If you calculate the daily mileage for a 6-day walk, based off our actual mileage, you will need to walk 15+ miles (24km) daily, though with the limited options for accommodations, it is unlikely you will be able to divide it so neatly.
Compare this more challenging pace to an 8-day walk: 12 miles (19km) daily or even better, a 9-day experience: 10+ miles (17km.)
If you have completed Hadrian’s Wall path, please comment below how long you walked, your daily mileage and how you felt about it during and after your experience.
Tip #3 Choose accommodation close to the path whenever possible
I used to believe I would and could hike the Appalachian Trail which involves carrying a tent and a sleeping bag (and then sleeping in these every night) as well as carrying a week’s worth of food or more. Hahaha!! Well that dream is long gone and I am okay with letting it go. Now I understand my body would not be up for that; I need a bed at the end of the day, I appreciate eating food that is not dehydrated and I want to hike with as light a pack as possible.
The reason I am sharing this is because once you have decided on the direction of your walk and how many days you plan to be on the path, you will then be able to start thinking about accommodations which often dictates food options. My suggestion is to begin planning as early as possible so you have the best possible choices. I began to make bookings just 2 months out and this meant many places I would have selected were already full and I had limited options.
A tip for walking Hadrian’s Wall for those of us who like comfort
I don’t want to pitch and pack up a tent daily, I don’t want to share a room with four other travelers. I like sleeping in a comfy bed and having my own bathroom. We chose to stay in B&Bs and made all of our accommodations through Booking.com There are cheaper options including hostels and dorm-style pubs. Wild camping is not allowed along Hadrian’s Wall path.
My 3rd tip for walking Hadrian’s Wall is to find a place to sleep that suits your needs, desires and budget either on or very close to the path. We stayed in the same place just outside Carlisle for nights 1 & 2 which was a good idea. Unfortunately, it was too far from the actual path which meant Day 1 included an extra 2+ miles. We were able to find lodging directly on the path just 3 of the 8 nights we were walking. The last night was a train ride into our city centre flat in Newcastle while the other four nights added at least 4-6 miles onto our mileage total.
This may not sound like a lot but at the end of a long day, that extra mile or 2 feels much further. We wanted to visit Carlisle and chose to stay a little off Hadrian’s Wall path; the castle was definitely worth the visit but the extra mileage was not.
We met one group of walkers who chose to stay in just two accommodations (Carlisle & Corbridge) and taxied every morning and afternoon. Yes, this adds to the cost and might be a tad inconvenient but if this is what would help you sleep better and be able to look after your health needs properly, then I think it’s a great option.
One thing to keep in mind – many of the accommodations along Hadrian’s Wall path can be pricey. That said, we also chose places that offered breakfast which certainly made starting the next morning a simpler option. Having a hearty full-English breakfast was a great start to each day, especially as there aren’t many food options along certain parts of the path. Because some accommodations are quite isolated and not close to towns or villages, several of the places we stayed were also the only viable option for dinner in the area. On the one hand, this limits choices, on the other (and much friendlier to aching bodies) food was available downstairs.
#4: Plan to spend more than you expect
After walking 2 caminos, we thought we knew what to expect with regards to the cost of walking every day. Yes, we knew that England would be pricier than Spain or Portugal but we did not appreciate just how much more expensive. Our budget was not even close to realistic! We reckon we spent close to £200/€237/US$254 per day.
At the time of our trip (June 2024) our average cost for accommodations along Hadrian’s Wall path was £120/€142/US$152, which included breakfast for 2 every morning. On the 2022 Camino Português, our average night cost £42/€50/US$53 and breakfast for 2 cost about £12/€14/US$15. As you can see, a significant difference.
We noticed a similar trend when it came to lunch and dinner and most meals cost much more than expected. Along Hadrian’s Wall, an lunch of soup and a sandwich each or quiche and chips (fries) ran £30/€35/US$38 while dinner cost at least 20% more.
You may also need to factor in any taxis and bag shipping costs. We paid anywhere from £10/€12/US$13 to £20/€24/US$25 for taxi rides (and they were all about the same distance!!) and bag shipments were £10/€12/US$13
I hope this information is helpful; it is certainly not meant to deter you from walking this fabulous path. I just wish we had known ahead of time how pricey the 8-day hike would be.
#5 Tip for walking Hadrian’s Wall: Take practice walks with a pack
In rain or shine, I walk most days and log anywhere from 3.5-7 miles (5-10km.) I hike fairly often, practice yoga and lift weights very regularly. I am not telling you this to brag but to point out that by any “normal” standard, I am in pretty good shape. And still there were days when my poor little legs, feet and back ached.
If you have chronic pain concerns, please strongly consider shipping your bags every day or staying in fewer places for more nights and taxiing daily.
Carrying an 8-10kg (17-22lb) pack makes walking significantly more challenging. You will need to decide if you want to carry all your belongings every day or a simple day pack for water, snacks and a raincoat. More on that below.
Quick fitness tips for walking Hadrian’s Wall: Practice more often than you think you need; take several longer walks in the weeks prior to your trip; carry whichever pack you plan to carry daily; walk in the shoes or boots you plan to wear for walking the path and don’t forget leg day!!
More details for the fitness tips for walking Hadrian’s Wall:
- Make those practice longer walks at least as long as your planned longest day. It’s great to have an idea of what 14 miles will feel like before you head off on your journey.
- Be sure to train on some hills as there are plenty of hills in the middle section that demand a lot of uphill effort and downhill caution.
- Wearing the shoes/boots you plan to walk in allows you to be certain they are the right option for you. I’d say test them out for at least a month and go up and down hills to see how they feel, especially on the downhills with toes pressing into the front of the boot.
- Whether you plan to carry a bigger pack with all your belongings (like we did) or ship your stuff daily and carry a day pack, your back and shoulders (and maybe knees and hips) will appreciate working up to that weight over a longer period of time.
- I love working out but leg day is my least favorite day. The middle few days are hills and valleys and you will be happy your legs are strong…don’t skip leg day!!
- Pay attention to how hungry you feel during your practice walks so you know whether to carry a full lunch or just snacks for those days when you might struggle to find a place to eat.
6: Decide how much “touristing” you want to enjoy along the way
There are a lot of things to see across the length of Hadrian’s Wall, some right on the Wall, others further afield. There are castles and Roman forts, churches and quaint villages. Unless you plan to take 10+ days to walk the 84mi path, chances are you won’t have enough energy to visit and enjoy everything along the way.
Some tips for enjoying the sites as you walk Hadrian’s Wall:
- Do research ahead of time and figure out the sites of greatest interest to you. It is easy to enjoy Roman ruins – there is the Wall itself and along the way, there are milecastles and bigger ruins right on the Wall that you can enjoy free of charge. If you want to spend more time exploring Roman ruins and diving deeper into the history, plan to take a few detours to enjoy Chester’s Fort, Vindolanda and Housesteads.
- We met several groups of people who chose to stay in the quaint village of Corbridge for several nights and taxied back and forth to the wall. Download a taxi app for the area (ask your accommodation host for suggestions) to make it easy to call for a taxi when/if needed. They all said how happy they were to have made the choice to stay in Corbridge as it is quite lovely and allowed them to really experience an English village community.
- Newcastle and Carlisle both have impressive castles and sites of historical interest including museums and churches. We had a very short Day 2 and spent the afternoon exploring Carlisle. We chose to extend our stay in Newcastle so we could explore the city as well as head out to Tynemouth Priory.
Tip #7: Managing your luggage
You have 2 options – carry your belongings in a pack with you along the walk or ship the bag from lodging to lodging every day. The first can be exhausting and certainly limits what you can bring with you. The latter allows you to pack more stuff (there is a weight limit of 20kg) but costs £10/€12/US$13 per bag per stage.
If you choose to carry all your belongings with you and then decide it’s too much, you can ship your bag from one lodging to the next. At the time we walked, a brand new company (ask your host for the name as I didn’t catch it) had just started, giving walkers a second option to Hadrian’s Haul. The cost was £10/€12/US$13 per bag with a 20kg limit.
We chose to carry our full packs most days. Because we stayed in the same hotel 2 nights, we walked Day 2 without packs – a great advantage of multi-day stays in one lodging. We decided to ship one pack on our last day as it was one of the longest days and mostly on pavement.
If you’re not sure which option to take, consider carrying your bag on Day 1 – you will be fresh and if it’s too much then use the shipping company going forward.
Bonus Tips for walking Hadrian’s Wall
This final section includes seven bonus tips for walking Hadrian’s Wall.
- Bring hiking poles. Even if you usually hike without poles, you will find them very helpful and at times, even essential. There are hills and steps, especially in the middle sections and you will appreciate poles as you trek up and down, up and down. There are plenty of boggy, muddy and marshy fields along the path; poles make navigating these much easier. We had several days when our poles allowed us to wade through marshy mud puddles safely and dryly!! Be sure to get the soft tips for your poles, otherwise you will be clickety-clack on all the pavements.
- You might not always be able to find a loo along the way; be prepared to wee and poo behind a bush. Always carry toilet paper with you and a Ziploc bag or two to carry your waste with you. Always take any waste with you to the next rubbish bin. One important caution: there are LOTS of nettles in English woods and fields; please look around carefully before you choose the perfect spot.
- Decide ahead of time where you will stop for food; there might be days when you need to carry lunch with you. (Many accommodations offer packed lunches if you request them the night before.) We had one day where we did not follow this tip and we were both so hungry by the end of our walk, the last 2 miles were so much harder than they needed to be.
- Prepare your feet ahead of time. Use a pumice stone and slather your feet with lotions; give them extra care so they are soft and callous-free when you begin your walk. I coat my feet with coconut oil, petroleum jelly or an intense foot lotion most days because I walk so much and I rarely get blisters. But also, carry enough plasters/bandaids just in case, all different sizes. And keep your toenails clipped throughout the trip – there’s no need to add to foot discomfort because your toenails are hitting the tip of your boot, especially on the downhills.
- I take medication and supplements. I don’t want to carry my large pill container in my pack so I wrap each day’s tablets in a half sheet of paper towel and tape it closed. This way, I can grab a single day’s packet on my way to breakfast and also, the stash shrinks every day!! I also keep my meds with me rather than shipping them as losing them would be very bad for my health!!
- Be prepared to “meet” lots of animals. Sheep and their lambs were in abundance and we loved every minute of them…so damn cute. There were too many fields of cows for my liking. I thought I would be fine with them but on Day 1 we were challenged by an unhappy cow and ended up scrambling through the gate with too little time, in my opinion. We also walked through fields of horses, past plenty of chickens and dogs and saw the occasional fox and stoat.
- Read about the history of the Wall as well as the arrival of the Romans in England. I love historical fiction and one of my faves for early English (Brittania) history is The Eagle and the Raven, 1978, by Pauline Gedge, set in the years of the Roman invasion.
Final thoughts
Whether you are actively planning to walk Hadrian’s Wall or simply dreaming and adding to your bucket list, I hope this collection of tips for walking Hadrian’s Wall gives you things that will make your trip (or dreams) more enjoyable. I hope they give you greater confidence in your abilities to successfully complete the entire 84 (supposedly) miles. I wish you all the best along the way; may it be the trip of a lifetime.
Please comment below before (perhaps with questions or concerns) or after (to share your experiences and top tips.)
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