Hadrian's Wall from Hexham: A Visitor's Guide

Hexham sits at the heart of Hadrian's Wall country. From the town's railway station you can reach some of the most remarkable Roman remains in northern Europe within a short bus or car journey.

Getting There Without a Car

The AD122 bus — named after the year Emperor Hadrian ordered construction of the Wall — runs year-round from Hexham Bus Station, calling at Chesters, Housesteads, The Sill, Vindolanda, the Roman Army Museum, Walltown, and Haltwhistle. Show your bus ticket at English Heritage sites for a discount on admission.

Chesters Roman Fort and Museum

Distance from Hexham: 5.5 miles north | Admission: ~£11.80 (save 15% online)

Chesters (Cilurnum) is the best-preserved Roman cavalry fort in Britain. Built around AD 124 to guard the Wall's crossing of the River North Tyne, it housed around 500 cavalry troops. The highlight is the bathhouse — the finest example of a military bath complex anywhere in Britain, where you can trace the hot room, warm room, cold plunge pool, and changing room. The Clayton Museum houses a superb collection of inscribed altars and sculptures.

Vindolanda

Distance from Hexham: ~20 miles west | Admission: ~£14.40 online

Vindolanda predates the Wall itself — the fort was established in the late 1st century AD on the Stanegate frontier road. It is still being actively excavated — visit in spring and you may see archaeologists at work. The site's greatest treasures are the Vindolanda Writing Tablets — the oldest handwritten documents found in Britain, including a birthday party invitation and a soldier's request for beer. The modern museum is one of the richest Roman collections outside London.

Housesteads Roman Fort

Distance from Hexham: ~12 miles west | Admission: ~£12.50

Housesteads (Vercovicium) occupies the most dramatic position of any site on the Wall, perched on the Whin Sill escarpment with panoramic views across Northumberland National Park. Built around AD 124, the remains include barracks, granaries, a headquarters building, and the famously intact Roman latrines. The walk west along the Wall from the fort is one of the most rewarding short walks in the north of England.

Corbridge Roman Town

Distance from Hexham: 3 miles east | Getting there: 5-minute train ride

The closest major Roman site to Hexham and the most overlooked. Corbridge (Coria) functioned as a supply base and market town where Dere Street crossed the Stanegate. The Corbridge Hoard — the contents of a Roman workshop hidden and never reclaimed — is the site's most remarkable find.

Planning Your Day

A practical day-trip: catch the morning train to Corbridge (1.5 hours), return to Hexham, pick up the AD122 bus to Chesters (1.5 hours), continue west to Housesteads (2 hours including the crag walk), then bus or taxi back. English Heritage membership pays for itself in two visits.