Self-catering accommodation near Hadrian's Wall

Hadrian's Wall  was built across northern England around 122 AD. The only time that it was visible from space was on the thirteenth of March in 2010 when Nasa recorded the ceremony marking the 1,600th year since the end of Roman occupation when the entire 73 miles of the wall were illuminated by five hundred flaming torches all the way from Carlisle to Newcastle.

Much of the wall has been plundered over the centuries and the stone incorporated into local cottages and buildings. People who like to ramble and love the outdoors like to come up to the English Scottish borders to walk, mountain bike or cycle. This is rugged country; visitors should be properly prepared with walking gear and carry mobile phones. The wall passes several towns and villages such as Gilsand, Haltwhistle, Bardon Mills, Haydon Bridge, Corbridge - all suitable places to stay and buy rations.

There is a Hadrian's Wall cycle trail and a Hadrian's Wall Path which allows walkers to follow much of the course of the wall itself.  A walking break is a history lesson on the hoof. View the same landscapes the Romans saw and find out about life in this region.

It is suggested that one purpose of the wall was to act as a customs post exacting taxes and controlling passage between England and Scotland. It will be interesting to note whether history will repeat itself in the Scottish vote for independence. Small turrets can be found at regular intervals. These stretch all the way to the Cumbrian coast and end at Bowness on Solway. There are various tourist attractions along the way that serve to inform and entertain. English Heritage offer tours of Housesteads Roman Fort which is the best preserved structure of its kind in Britain. Corbridge Roman Town is another fascinating place to visit.

Find a good comfortable cottage en-route for your Hadrian's Wall walking holiday and enjoy discovering the north of England, its past and present.