Signature - Hadrian’s Wall Walking Weekend
Make like a Roman over two days of guided walking along the Hadrian’s Wall in the UNESCO World Heritage Site, staying in a country inn.
Experience Type: Multi-Day Experience
Duration: 2 nights
Accommodation: Country Inn
Group Size: Maximum 12
Level: Active
Age: 18+
Dogs: No dogs, except trained assistance dogs
In a Nutshell:
Head out for feel-good guided walks along Hadrian’s Wall with a small group.
Enjoy 2 nights of accommodation in a characterful country inn, with twin/double and single rooms and hearty meals - a great Large Outdoors Signature experience.
Meet a great group of friendly, easy going people keen on getting out and enjoying the great outdoors.
Let your Large Outdoors guide take care of the logistics and navigation whilst you soak up the scenery and explore the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
How do we grade our walks?
Walk in the footsteps of the Romans on a sociable walking weekend
Hadrian’s Wall is renowned the world over as a feat of Roman construction, celebrated by its UNESCO World Heritage Site status. It’s a bucket-list visit for walkers and history lovers from around the world, and it’s one of our favourite places to guide walking groups.
The Wall stretches for 73 miles across Northumberland and Cumbria. It’s a long walk, and not all of it is as picturesque as the rest (though, to be fair to the Romans, they probably didn’t have long-distance hikers in mind). We’ve designed our Hadrian’s Wall Walking Weekend to show you some of the best bits, combined with a stay at a lovely local country inn.
Let our expert guides plan and navigate the routes, leaving you and a group of fellow outdoors-lovers free to fully immerse yourself in the experience.
Suggested Itinerary
Here’s what we’ve got planned - of course, we may have to offer alternatives or make amendments if the weather misbehaves or other unexpected situations arise!
Day 1
You are welcome to arrive at The Twice Brewed Inn any time after 2:30pm to check in. You’ll be able to meet your Large Outdoors host in the bar from 4pm, who’ll help you settle in and introduce you to the other participants. We’ll have a table booked for dinner at 8pm.
Please note: If you’re booking a Bed in a Shared Room, these rooms are set up as twins with two single beds, so you will never be sharing with more than one person. If you book separately but wish to be in the same room as a friend, just email the office in advance so we can arrange this.
Tonight, your only task is to relax in our accommodation’s comfy bar or outdoor seating area and enjoy great company over a cup of tea or your favourite tipple. Tonight we will eat at the Inn at 8pm - dinner and drinks are not included in the cost of this trip. Your host will outline plans for the upcoming weekend adventure and you can get to know your fellow participants. After dinner, if it’s a clear evening, make sure you head outside for a spot of stargazing!
Day 2
After breakfast and picking up our packed lunches for the day, our transport will collect us from outside the Inn and drive us a short hop down the Wall. Today we are offering a walk that will start at Birdoswald Roam Fort, a spectacular site of historical interest and a breathtaking place to set out from!
Today, we want you to see as much of the wall as possible, and so to maximise our time on the wall this walk is linear, with us walking back to our accommodation. Our 10 mile route takes us along a great section of the Wall as it follows the route of, and crosses, the pretty River Irthing. You’ll see the remains of turrets, milecastles, and a Roman bridge as you head along the wall, through undulating pasture. Marvel at the ingenuity and sheer determination of Roman construction as you traverse a section of this 73-mile defensive wonder. This section will take you through the pretty village of Gilsland.
The route continues on to Cawfields Quarry, along with the historical sites mentioned above, you’ll also have the opportunity to see the famous Walltown Crags and the Quarry.
The walk ends back at our accommodation and the chance to enjoy some well deserved refreshment. Kick back in the bar with a cuppa or explore the finest ales from the on-site brewery. Then it’s time to enjoy dinner - still buzzing from a fantastic day out exploring one of the UK’s most fascinating walks.
Day 3
After breakfast we’ll check-out of the accommodation and set out from the door on a circular walk of approximately 6 miles, to soak up more of the scenery on a different section of Hadrian’s Wall. Perhaps you might wish to join your fellow participants for either lunch together at The Sill’s café, with its panoramic views of the surrounding fells, or head back to the Twice Brewed Inn for a pub lunch before heading home.
Essential Information
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Meeting Time: You are welcome to check in to The Twice Brewed Inn from 2:30pm. You’ll be able to meet your Large Outdoors host in the bar from 4pm. We’ll have a table booked for dinner at 8pm.
Meeting Location:
The Twice Brewed Inn
Bardon Mill
Hexham
Northumberland
NE47 7ANParking: There is free parking at The Twice Brewed Inn for guests, please register your car with reception on arrival to avoid any parking fines.
Public Transport: The Twice Brewed Inn is located 15 miles from Hexham Train Station, with services to/from Newcastle and Carlisle. There are regular buses from Hexham Train Station to The Sill Discovery Centre, which is next door to the Twice Brewed Inn. Please check service/timetables before travelling.
Finish Time: We aim to finish on the final day between 1pm and 3pm - the exact finish time may depend on the planned/chosen activity, group dynamic, weather conditions, whether the group chooses to grab a coffee or lunch together during/after, etc. If you’ve travelled via public transport, please ensure you book onward travel accordingly (i.e. an open return ticket), to allow for flexibility.
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Set just a stone's throw away from Hadrian's Wall, and surrounded by some of England's most breathtaking scenery, The Twice Brewed Inn is a popular country pub and bed and breakfast in the heart of rural Northumberland. Serving hearty, home-cooked meals and an impressive selection of home-brewed ales and spirits, the accommodation offers the perfect base for this Large Outdoors’ Signature weekend.
Bedding and a towel are provided - but don’t forget your own toiletries.
Accommodation Address:
The Twice Brewed Inn
Bardon Mill
Hexham
Northumberland
NE47 7ANRoom Types:
You can book one of the following options, subject to availability:
Bed in a Shared Female Room
Bed in a Shared Male Room
Twin/Double Room (en-suite)*
Single Occupancy Double Room (en-suite)There are Shared Rooms, where you’ll be sharing a twin room - with two single beds - with one other participant (en-suite bathrooms). Twin/Double Rooms (en-suite bathrooms) sleep up to two participants booking together, with two single beds. *If you would prefer a double bed instead of a twin set-up please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate your request. However, this is based on room availability at the Inn. Single Occupancy Double Rooms (en-suite bathroom) are for one participant and have a double bed.
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Included:
2 nights’ accommodation at The Twice Brewed Inn.
A Large Outdoors host/guide to welcome you and deal with the logistics for your experience.
Guided walks along Hadrian’s Wall on Days 2 & 3.
Transport from the accommodation to the activity start point, for Day 2’s walk.
A hearty cooked breakfast each morning, prepared by the accommodation.
A packed lunch for Day 2’s walk, prepared by the accommodation. Please ensure you bring a lunch box or dry bag - to reduce waste, we do not supply cling film or sandwich bags.
Complimentary tea and coffee provided in your room at the accommodation, but please ensure you bring sufficient water bottles or carriers to fill up with tap water and take out with you.
Bedding and a towel - but don’t forget your own toiletries.
The chance to make new friends and meet like-minded people - Large Outdoors is all about making outdoor adventures sociable.
Pre-event support from the Large Outdoors team - give us a shout if there’s any advice or information you need and check out our Blog for useful articles too.
Not included:
Travel to and from the meeting location.
Dinner each evening - we’ll have a table booked at the accommodation to enjoy dinner as a group and you can purchase whatever you fancy from the menu available.
Any extra (i.e. not mentioned above in ‘Included’) excursions or activities that you may partake in which incur a cost.
Alcoholic drinks - the accommodation has a licensed bar if you wish to purchase alcohol.
Any food, drinks or goods you choose to purchase at any shops, restaurant, pubs or cafés visited.
Travel/activity insurance - we recommend having insurance to cover, at a minimum: cancellation and curtailment; medical and emergency expenses (including repatriation); personal accident; injury and death.
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Please see our Residential (Walking) Kit List.
The compulsory items are selected for your safety, which is of paramount importance to us at Large Outdoors. Each participant should have the items listed.
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What level of fitness is needed?
This trip is graded as Active. Click here to see Large Outdoors’ Experience Levels.Can I attend on my own?
Absolutely. The majority of our participants are solo travellers and adventurers. Plenty of fun, laughter and numerous long-term friendships (and a few marriages!) have begun on Large Outdoors experiences since 2008, so there’s no need to feel worried about your first experience, or indeed trying a new type of outdoor activity, with us.I am currently on a specific diet / have an allergy - can you cater for me?
Unfortunately, we are generally unable to cater for a wide variety of diets or food preferences due to the nature and cost of our catered trips and/or the use of shared kitchens. However, we can offer vegetarian meals, vegan meals, provide meals with gluten* free ingredients, and/or provide dairy* free meals - these options can be selected when booking. *Please see our general FAQs for more information about dietary options.This particular experience offers a little more flexibility catering wise, as breakfast and evening meals are taken at the accommodation, so please contact us if you’d like to check whether it is suitable for your dietary needs.
What transport is provided during this experience?
We offer transport from the accommodation to the walk start point on Day 2. The walk on Day Car Free Experiences3 starts and finishes at the accommodation. This is one of Large Outdoors’ Car Free Experiences.Can I bring my dog?
Dogs are not allowed on this experience, except for trained assistance dogs. If you wish to bring your trained assistance dog, please let us know in advance of booking so we can discuss the itinerary and any activity/equipment/accommodation, and of course additional safety requirements or considerations that may be necessary.
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Running nearly 80 miles from coast to coast, the ancient fortification of Hadrian’s Wall was the northern frontier of the Roman Empire. From the modern cities of Carlisle and Newcastle, it runs in a near-straight line across the hilly interior, over the hills and moors of Northumberland and gazed down on by the mighty moors of the North Pennines. In this central section much of the wall remains, at least to a metre or so above the ground, and there are also plenty of other forts and ‘milecastles’ to be seen.
Following the wall along its length is the Hadrian’s Wall National Trail, and there are lots of other paths criss-crossing it, meaning the area is excellent for walkers and there are multiple options for exploration of this great piece of British history.