Things to Do in Hexham: The Complete Guide

A Town Built on History

Hexham has been a place of significance for over 1,300 years. Perched above the River Tyne in the heart of Northumberland, this compact market town packs an extraordinary amount into its medieval streets — from a Saxon crypt that predates most of England's great cathedrals, to one of the country's oldest purpose-built prisons, to a thriving arts scene that punches well above its weight.

Whether you're planning a day trip from Newcastle (it's just 25 miles west) or using Hexham as a base for exploring Hadrian's Wall Country, this guide covers everything worth knowing.

Heritage & History

Hexham Abbey

Hexham Abbey is the undisputed heart of the town. Founded in 674 AD when Queen Etheldreda of Northumbria granted land to St Wilfrid, Bishop of York, it is one of the oldest continuously used Christian sites in England. Wilfrid built his church using stone salvaged from nearby Roman forts — a detail that gives the building a layered history stretching back to antiquity.

The Saxon crypt beneath the nave survives from that original 7th-century structure, making it one of the oldest intact buildings in Britain. Above ground, the abbey was substantially rebuilt in the 12th century; look out for the carved Roman gravestones incorporated into the walls, and the Acca Cross, a rare piece of 8th-century Northumbrian stone carving. The frith stool — a 7th or 8th-century stone throne — is believed to have granted sanctuary to anyone who reached it. Entry to the abbey is free.

Hexham Old Gaol

A short walk from the abbey, Hexham Old Gaol has the remarkable distinction of being the earliest recorded purpose-built prison in England. Commissioned in 1330 by William Melton, Archbishop of York, and completed in 1333, it was constructed using stone quarried from Corbridge Roman Fort, three miles to the east.

The gaol held prisoners from Hexhamshire awaiting trial at the Moot Hall next door, and in the 16th century also housed prisoners from the English Middle March. It operated as a prison until 1820, before later serving as a bank and solicitor's offices. Today it functions as an atmospheric heritage museum where visitors can explore the dungeons, handle artefacts, and learn about the realities of medieval justice.

The Moot Hall and Market Place

Standing at the edge of the Market Place, the Moot Hall is a four-storey medieval gatehouse completed around 1379. It served as the main courtroom of the former Liberty of Hexhamshire for centuries, and is considered one of the best-surviving examples of a medieval courthouse in northern England. Together with the Old Gaol, the Moot Hall and the abbey create one of the most concentrated clusters of medieval heritage in the north of England.

Hexham's Market Place itself has been the commercial heart of the town since the market was first granted a charter in 1239. It remains a lively hub today.

Outdoor Activities

Walking the Tyne Valley

Hexham sits at the centre of some of the North East's best walking country. The riverside paths along the Tyne are accessible directly from town, with routes stretching east towards Corbridge and west towards Haydon Bridge. The wider Tyne Valley offers gentle, well-marked trails through agricultural land and woodland with views across to the North Pennines.

Allen Banks & Staward Gorge

Around 10 miles west of Hexham, Allen Banks and Staward Gorge is one of the finest National Trust properties in the north of England. The 250-hectare site contains the largest area of ancient semi-natural woodland in Northumberland, threaded by the River Allen as it cuts a dramatic gorge through the landscape.

Three waymarked routes range from a gentle 1.5-mile loop around Morralee Tarn to a 3-mile walk through to Plankey Mill. Wildlife is exceptional: over 70 bird species have been recorded here, alongside red squirrels, otters, dormice, and roe deer. Parking is free for National Trust members; non-members pay a small fee.

Hexham Racecourse

Hexham Racecourse occupies a spectacular position 800 feet above sea level on Yarridge Heights south of the town. Horse racing has taken place here since 1793, with the first official National Hunt meeting recorded in 1890. The course is left-handed with notable undulations and a steep climb to the finish, hosting fixtures between March and June and September to December. Race days here have a distinctly local, unpretentious character that larger courses rarely match.

Arts & Culture

Queen's Hall Arts Centre

Queen's Hall Arts Centre is Hexham's cultural flagship, occupying a handsome building on Beaumont Street that dates to 1866 — originally built as a corn exchange and town hall. The building became an arts centre in 1983 and today houses a 350-seat main theatre, a 50-seat studio space, and art galleries.

The programme is impressively diverse for a town of Hexham's size: theatre, comedy, live music, dance, and visual arts run year-round. The building also houses the public library and Tourist Information Centre, making it an easy first stop for visitors.

Forum Cinema

Hexham's Forum Cinema has been part of the town's cultural life since 1937. As the only cinema in Tynedale, it shows a broad range of current releases alongside special screenings and events, and has been updated with modern projection while retaining its community-cinema character.

Hexham Book Festival

Every spring, Hexham hosts one of the most respected literary festivals in the north of England. The Hexham Book Festival runs for ten days in late April and early May, principally at the Queen's Hall but with events spread across the wider town. The festival brings together novelists, historians, poets, and public figures. A Schools Festival runs in parallel, extending the programme into local classrooms.

Shopping

Hexham's retail scene rewards those who explore on foot. The Market Place has been hosting traders since 1239, and a general market still runs on Tuesdays, with a well-regarded Farmers' Market taking place on the second and fourth Saturday of each month, drawing producers from across Northumberland and the North Pennines.

The streets surrounding the Market Place — including Fore Street, Battle Hill, and Priestpopple — offer a mix of independent and high-street retailers. The most atmospheric shopping lane is St Mary's Chare, a cobbled street of Victorian shopfronts a few steps from the Market Square. This is where you'll find Cogito Books, an acclaimed independent bookshop established in 2001 with a carefully curated stock and a welcoming atmosphere — widely considered one of the best independent bookshops in the region.

Food & Drink

Hexham has a quietly excellent food and drink scene for a town its size. The streets around the Market Place and Fore Street offer a range of cafes, pubs, and restaurants covering everything from traditional pub lunches to contemporary dining. See our separate guides to the best restaurants, best pubs, and best cafes in Hexham.

Day Trips: Hadrian's Wall Country

Hexham is the ideal base for exploring Hadrian's Wall, the Roman frontier built on the orders of Emperor Hadrian from 122 AD. Three of the most significant sites are within easy reach:

Chesters Roman Fort, just six miles from Hexham at Chollerford, is the best-preserved Roman cavalry fort in Britain. Managed by English Heritage, it offers exceptionally well-preserved bathhouse remains, officers' quarters, and a museum with one of the finest collections of Roman inscriptions found along the Wall. The AD122 bus runs from Hexham station and stops at key Wall sites.

Vindolanda, south of the Wall near Bardon Mill, is one of the most active Roman archaeology sites in Britain. The Vindolanda tablets — thin wooden writing tablets that preserve the everyday correspondence of Roman soldiers and their families — were discovered here and represent some of the oldest surviving handwritten documents in Britain.

Housesteads Roman Fort offers perhaps the most dramatic setting of any Wall site, perched on the exposed Whin Sill escarpment with panoramic views across Northumberland National Park in both directions.

Families

Hexham is a genuinely good destination for families. Sele Park, a short walk from the abbey, is a spacious green space with a playground and open hillside — popular with local families in all seasons, and famously good for sledging in winter.

Wentworth Leisure Centre, located centrally at Wentworth Place, includes a six-lane 25m pool, a studio pool, and splash areas aimed at younger children. Swim lessons follow the national Learn to Swim programme.

For older children and teenagers, the combination of the Old Gaol museum, the abbey's Saxon crypt, and a race day at the racecourse provides a genuinely varied and memorable day out.