Hadrian’s Wall: Carlisle to Hexham
Roman forts, a museum of soldiers’ letters and the wall riding its cliffs along the old Military Road.
- Distance
- 74 km (46 mi)
- Driving
- 1 h 02 min
- Suggested days
- 2
- Stops
- 7
- Countries
- United Kingdom
- Updated
- July 4, 2026
At a glance: 2-day road trip of about 74 km (46 mi) with 7 stops, from Carlisle to Hexham. About 1 h 02 min of driving in total.
Route description
Carlisle has a red sandstone castle and cathedral and a good museum on the Roman frontier. Head east on the A69 and minor roads to Birdoswald, a fort above the river Irthing with a long section of wall standing beside it.
Haltwhistle is a handy stop for supplies. Just beyond, join the B6318, the Military Road built in the 18th century partly on top of the wall. At Steel Rigg the wall climbs along a line of crags above Crag Lough; walk east along it towards Sycamore Gap for the classic views.
Vindolanda, in a valley just south of the road, is where the famous writing tablets were found, and excavations continue every summer. Housesteads, a few kilometres east, is the most complete fort on the wall, laid out on a ridge with wide views over the moors.
End the day in Hexham, a market town around an abbey founded in the 7th century. The Military Road is long, straight and hilly with few passing places for overtaking, so drive it patiently; in summer the AD122 bus links the main sites if you prefer to leave the car.
Stop-by-stop itinerary
In driving order. Distances are estimates between consecutive stops.
- 1Start
Carlisle
United Kingdom - 230 km
Birdoswald Roman Fort
HistoryGilsland, United KingdomA Roman fort above a bend of the river Irthing, next to one of the longest continuous stretches of Hadrian’s Wall.
- 312 km
Haltwhistle
United Kingdom - 47 km
Steel Rigg
ViewsOnce Brewed, United KingdomThe wall at its most dramatic, riding a line of cliffs above Crag Lough. From the car park a rough path follows it to Sycamore Gap, where the famous tree stood until 2023.
- 53 km
Vindolanda
HistoryBardon Mill, United KingdomAn excavated Roman fort and village where archaeologists still dig each summer. Its museum holds the wooden writing tablets, letters written by soldiers and their families.
- 64 km
Housesteads Roman Fort
HistoryHaydon Bridge, United KingdomThe best preserved fort on the wall, spread across a windswept ridge. It is an uphill walk of about 10 minutes from the car park.
- 719 km
Hexham
United Kingdom
