Hadrian's Wall Highlights: Corbridge to Bowness on Solway

Corbridge to Humshaugh

Corbridge is a pleasant market town on the banks of the South Tyne. From Corbridge you head up to the wall at Port Gate, where you begin your walk along the vallum, through rolling Northumbrian countryside, past turrets and milecastles. The final 2 miles are marked by a descent through attractive parkland to the North Tyne Valley and the picturesque villages of Wall, Chollerford and Humshaugh. (All of which we use for overnight stops). The nearby Chester’s fort is also worth a visit.

Humshaugh to Twice Brewed

The route soon reaches the Northumberland National Park and classic Roman Wall country with expansive views and undulating moorland. The route climbs steadily at first, past turrets and a Brocolitia Roman fort; it then becomes more steeply undulating on reaching the Whin Sill escarpment. The views of open moorland, the South Tyne Valley, the Pennines and of the wall itself following ridges ahead are breathtaking. The route passes the well preserved Housesteads Fort and continues in a similar dramatic fashion to Twice Brewed and on to your accommodation.

Twice Brewed to Gilsland

Twice Brewed is a good place to schedule in a rest day, so you have time to explore the Vindolanda or Housesteads Roman forts. The route continues to follow the escarpment, over the rugged crags of Winshield, equally as impressive of the previous section. It passes the remains of Great Chester’s Fort and the Roman Army Museum, and continues to the pretty villages of Greenhead and Gilsland.

Gilsland to Carlisle

Just after Gilsland the fort of Birdoswald is reached, the route then continues high above the steep sided Irthington Gorge, before beginning a gradual descent at the village of Banks. Rich agricultural landscape and parkland replaces the moorland as the route drops steadily through the villages of Walton and Irthington before reaching the River Eden for the final section into the historic border city of Carlisle. Carlisle’s history is very much evident with its cathedral, castle and old city walls.

Carlisle to Bowness-on-Solway

The final section is a complete contrast to all that has gone before; Initially along the banks of the Eden and then across the pancake flat salt marshes of the Solway Firth. The mountains of the Lake District are visible to the south and Scotland is just across the water to the north. This expansive estuary is internationally renowned for its thriving bird life and the area has a peaceful charm of its own.

Easy to Moderate

Of the National Trails we cover, this is the easiest. The route covers rolling countryside and moorlands, but not mountains. Many people with limited walking experience have completed this route.

Terrain:  Rolling moorland & agricultural land up to 350m

What’s it like underfoot? Pretty good. Well maintained paths throughout, although sections can get a bit muddy in wet weather .

How much up & down? Numerous short steep climbs, but they never last that long.

Signposting: Good.

Navigation: Pretty straightforward. Well defined paths, and good signposting.

Good accommodation and friendly hosts are an essential part of any holiday. We understand this and go out of our way to find the best. We put a great deal of effort into hand picking our accommodation and matching it to individual customer requirements. As well as visiting the accommodation ourselves, we ask all our customers to complete a short evaluation on each night’s accommodation, which then gives us an insight into the day-to-day operation and lets us spot any potential issues before they become a problem.

We use a variety of accommodation. Over the course of your trip you might stay in a village inn, a bed and breakfast in a converted barn, a Victorian guest house, or on a working farm. In selecting the accommodation we look for helpful, friendly hosts with good quality, characterful accommodation close to the trail. Occasionally we may use a chain hotel.

We always try to arrange en suite accommodation, i.e. rooms with their own bathrooms for each night of your stay. However, in some of the more remote locations accommodation is limited and occasionally we may have to book rooms with shared bathrooms for one or two nights of your holiday, (especially if the booking is made at short notice), but we will always let you know if this is likely to be the case.

We are happy to book single rooms on our holidays but cannot normally book more than two for any one group. Single room bookings include a supplement.

Here are some examples of the accommodation we use along the Hadrian’s Wall path:

A warm welcome awaits you at the award winning Brookside Villa. Keen walkers Denise and Gerry will be only too happy to share their in-depth knowledge of Hadrian’s Wall, as well as always going out of their way to ensure your comfort and enjoyment. Visit their website

Samantha is your host at Vallum Lodge. Her family run guest house offers excellent en suite accommodation and personal service. Such is their proximity to Hadrian’s Wall that the vallum, built 2000 years ago as part of the wall’s fortifications, actually runs through their back garden! Visit their website

General travel information on the Hadrian’s Wall area will be in your holiday pack including train and bus timetables where available.

Detailed instructions on getting to your first night’s accommodation by car, or on foot from the nearest train or bus station, will also be included in the holiday pack on individual accommodation maps.

To view train times please visit trainline where you can also purchase tickets in advance. For information on bus timetables please visit traveline

If you require car parking whilst walking this route, we can usually arrange for you to leave your car in Corbridge and then you return to your car by public transport or taxi – please contact us for detailed information.

Getting There:
By Air: Newcastle International Airport (NCL) has its own Metro station (you will need some change for the ticket machine). The journey time from the airport to Newcastle Central Station is around 20 minutes. From Central Station take the train to Corbridge (half hour travel time).
By Public Transport: There is a train station in Corbridge, visit qjump for train times.
By Road: Turn off the A69 at the main Corbridge roundabout, onto the B6529 towards the town centre; follow the directions to your accommodation on the individual map supplied in your holiday pack.

Returning from Bowness on Solway:
Take the bus from Bowness on Solway to Carlisle (approx 45 min) there is a bus at 07:35 and 10:12. There is a train station at Carlisle for onwards travel.

Twice Brewed

Twice Brewed is an excellent place for a rest day - in the middle of the most dramatic section of the wall, and close to the best preserved Roman forts. Vindolanda can take the best part of a day - there are extensive remains, a comprehensive museum, and often an archaeological dig in progress. Housesteads and the Roman Army Museum are also close by.

Carlisle

Carlisle is an historic border city, complete with castle and cathedral. Tullie House Museum has a lot of Roman artefacts and is worth a visit. The cathedral was founded in 1122 and is open every day. The castle has dominated the city for 9 centuries, and also houses a military museum – there are guided tours daily. There are plenty of shops and lots of places to eat or have coffee.