Getting ready for our Hadrian’s Wall walk

We spent today in Carlisle, Cumbria, excited to begin our coast-to-coast walk across England via the Hadrian’s Wall National Pathway. This trail runs from Bowness on Solway in the west, to Wallsend, east of Newcastle upon Tyne.

Carlisle Castle, which is along Hadrian’s Wall.

I’ve dreamed of doing an epic hike for a while. This is far from a 500 mile Camino, but it is our first multi-day hike. Hopefully all goes well and it won’t be our last – if only to make use of all the gear we acquired in preparation for the trip. After the walk I’ll post a complete itinerary, including a list of all our gear, and what we used and what we didn’t.

Our Route

Hadrian’s Wall National Trail follows the line of Hadrian’s Wall, 84 miles from coast to coast in northern England. It typically takes about a week to complete.

We’ve planned to complete the walk in six days, mainly because that’s how it worked out booking our accommodations. There are limited options for rooms near the path, so reservations must be made in advance of the trip. I’m looking forward to staying in these small B&B’s, and finding some interesting pubs for dinner along the way.

Our walk begins tomorrow, so I’ll let you know how it goes!

About Hadrian’s Wall

The Wall is one of Britain’s most impressive Roman sites. It forms part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site ‘Frontiers of the Roman Empire.’

The Roman Emperor Hadrian ordered the wall built in about 117AD as the northern border for Roman Britain. It was a massive project, taking about 15,000 soldiers to build. Along the wall there were 80 milecastles, as well as many observation towers and forts.