Getting Around Hexham Without a Car

Hexham is one of those market towns where you genuinely do not need to drive. The centre is compact enough to cross on foot in ten minutes, the railway station sits right on the edge of town on a busy cross-country line, and buses link the town to Newcastle, Carlisle and the villages of the Tyne Valley. Add the seasonal Hadrian's Wall bus and some of the best cycling in the North East, and it is easy to arrive, live or visit here without a car. This guide runs through each option in turn, with practical detail and pointers to where you can check live times.

Train

Hexham railway station is on the Tyne Valley line, which runs across the country from Newcastle to Carlisle. All services are run by Northern, and it is a frequent, useful line: several trains an hour head east to Newcastle, with roughly two an hour continuing west to Carlisle. The journey into Newcastle Central Station takes around 35 to 40 minutes, making a car-free commute or day out entirely practical, and the westbound trains open up Corbridge, Haydon Bridge, Haltwhistle, Brampton and Carlisle.

At Newcastle you connect straight into the East Coast Main Line for London, Edinburgh and York, and into the Tyne and Wear Metro for the coast and the airport. The station itself is a short walk or bus ride from the Market Place, and it is one of the oldest purpose-built stations in the world, opened by the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway in the nineteenth century.

Best for: Best for commuting to Newcastle and for onward travel. The Tyne Valley line is fast, frequent and drops you straight into Newcastle Central for national connections. Check live times with National Rail Enquiries or the Northern app before you set off.

Bus

Hexham bus station is in the centre of town, a short walk from the Market Place, and it is the hub for local and valley services. Go North East runs the X85 (Tynedale Links) between Hexham, Corbridge and Newcastle, giving a second route into the city alongside the train, and the 10 links Hexham to Newcastle via Corbridge, Prudhoe and the MetroCentre. The 685, run by Stagecoach, is the long-distance workhorse of the corridor, running between Newcastle, Hexham and Carlisle and calling at the villages in between.

Buses are often the better choice for reaching places off the railway, the smaller villages, outlying estates and destinations without their own station, and for shorter hops around the immediate area. Timetables and operators do change, so it is worth checking before you travel rather than relying on a printed sheet.

The AD122 Hadrian's Wall bus

The AD122, named after the year the Emperor Hadrian ordered the Wall built, is the visitor's key to the Roman frontier without a car. Operated by Go North East, it links Hexham bus station and rail station with Haltwhistle, calling at the major Wall sites along the way, Chesters Roman Fort, Housesteads, Once Brewed and Steel Rigg, Vindolanda, the Roman Army Museum and Walltown. It runs to a seasonal timetable, most frequently through the spring and summer and more limited in winter, so always check the current Go North East AD122 timetable before planning a day on the Wall.

Best for: Best for exploring Hadrian's Wall car-free. The AD122 connects the train at Hexham directly to the Roman forts, so you can arrive by rail and spend the day on the Wall without ever getting behind a wheel. It is seasonal, so check dates and times first.

Walking

Hexham rewards walking more than almost any town its size. The historic core, the Market Place, the Shambles, Fore Street, Priestpopple and the Abbey grounds, is pedestrian-friendly and small enough that most everyday errands are a stroll rather than a drive. From the centre you can walk down to the River Tyne at Tyne Green, up to the general hospital, or out to the racecourse without needing wheels.

The gradients around the town can be steep, Hexham climbs up from the river, so allow a little extra time and effort on the uphill return, but distances are short. For visitors, walking is simply the best way to take in the town's medieval streets and independent shops at a proper pace.

Best for: Best for everyday errands and sightseeing. Almost everything in central Hexham is within a ten-minute walk. Wear something comfortable for the hills back up from the river.

Cycling

Hexham sits on one of the country's flagship long-distance routes. Hadrian's Cycleway, National Cycle Network Route 72, runs coast to coast from Ravenglass in Cumbria to South Shields, and Hexham is often described as the finest town on the whole route. From here the way east drops down to the River Tyne and follows the river valley all the way to the sea, mixing quiet country lanes with traffic-free riverside path.

For everyday cycling, the flatter riverside stretches around Tyne Green make an easy, pleasant ride, while the roads up out of the valley reward stronger legs. The town is also a natural base for exploring the Wall country and the wider Tynedale lanes by bike. Bring your own machine on the train, or hire locally, and you have a genuine car-free way to cover far more ground than you could on foot.

Best for: Best for leisure and longer journeys. Hexham is a hub on Hadrian's Cycleway (NCN 72), with easy riverside riding on the doorstep and a coast-to-coast route running through town.

Taxis

For times when public transport does not quite reach, late evenings, awkward connections or a trip out to a village with no bus, local taxi firms fill the gap. There is usually a rank near the railway station and the bus station, and several private-hire and hackney firms cover the town and the surrounding valley. For airport runs, evenings out or getting home after the last train or bus, booking a local taxi ahead is the reliable option. It is worth keeping a couple of numbers saved for the times the timetable lets you down.

Best for: Best for late nights, village trips and airport runs. Taxis cover the gaps the timetable cannot, especially after the last train or bus. Book ahead where you can.

Planning your journey

For live, up-to-date times across trains and buses in one place, Traveline is the best planner for the North East, and National Rail Enquiries covers the railway in detail. Operators occasionally change routes and timetables, so a quick check before you set off will save you a wait. Between the Tyne Valley line, the valley buses, the seasonal Wall bus and a walkable, cyclable town, Hexham is one of Northumberland's easiest places to get around without a car.

Spotted something that needs updating, or run a local taxi or cycle business that should be listed? Get in touch.