Hadrian’s Wall & Roman Fort

See the best-preserved section of the wall that the Roman emperor Hadrian ordered to be built in the second century and then visit one of the ancient forts along the wall.

After departing from the pier, you will soon find yourself in the rolling hills west of Newcastle, an area that once formed the northern border of the Roman Empire in Britain. In 122 A.D., the Roman emperor Hadrian ordered a wall to be built here as a defense against attacks from barbarians to the north. Much of the wall is still standing and other parts of it are scattered along the course of Military Road, which you will follow from Newcastle.

Upon arriving in Heddon on the Wall, you will pause for photos of the longest and best-preserved stretch of Hadrian’s Wall. The wall was built to a thickness of nearly10 feet, which was soon reduced to 8 feet, presumably to speed up construction. It’s a fascinating sight, especially considering that the wall was 73 miles long and 15 feet high with a tower every third of a mile.

Forts were also constructed along the wall, and you will tour one of the finest remaining examples: Chesters Fort. To understand what life would have been like at the time, you might wander around the excavated officers’ quarters, baths and steam room with underground heating.

Later, on the return to the pier, you will stop briefly at Homesteads, where you will see Chesters Fort from a different perspective as it sits perched high on the now-distant ridge.