Travel Suggestions for the Hadrian's Wall area

When I first visited Northumbria about 15 years ago it was primarily because I had this odd idea of walking clear across England.  I probably would not have taken it much further if not for the fact that the Romans had also noticed long ago that this was a narrow section and so decided to fortify it with Hadrian's Wall.  Dangle something tempting in front of me and I'll likely grab at it, so spring time in beautiful England, a chance to do refreshing walking and of course, lots of Roman stuff.  Off I went.

Here's a list of suggestions for people interested in visiting the area.  As with all such lists I caution that things can change.  I'm mainly going to focus on the central part of the Wall country as this is the best preserved section.

1. Old Roman Stuff to See.   Well for me the ongoing draw is Vindolanda.  It is a fabulous site to visit casually.  Lots to see above ground, you can watch the excavators at work, the on site museum is very well done.  Only one request:  if you get a notion to come excavate personally stay clear of April and May.  That's when I like to sign up and the competition for spots is fierce!  There are of course many other sites worth a look, and the Wall proper merits a bit of casual strolling even for the automobile based tourist.  But Vindolanda is the best.

If you do opt for a bit of walking most accommodations will help you with baggage transfer and such.

2. Places to stay and eat. 

Bowes Hotel in Bardon Mill. Nice people, excellent food, comfortable rooms.  Not a big place, if you are going to eat there you'll need to make a reservation to be sure of a table.  Best Steak Pie I've ever eaten, also very good curry dishes.

Mile Castle Inn near Haltwhistle.  Another small, cozy pub with good food.  You can stay there as well but I've never done so.  The food and drink has been consistently good through several ownership changes.

A place just opening near Hexham is worth a mention as I know the proud new pub keeper.  Queen's Head in the small village of Great Whittington.  David has a long track record in the industry and will do things up right.

In Haltwhistle, The Black Bull is a nice traditional pub.  

And as a place to stay Hadrian's Holidays near Greenhead has very comfortable "pods" that have all the real essentials....hot water showers and perhaps the most comfortable bed I've slept in while in the UK.  Oh, and there's a castle ruin right down the street.  Walkers in particular need to be fed and watered.  The best pub locally is The Sampson, although I have this more on the basis of high praise than recent experience.  There are also two carryout Fish and Chips shops a couple of miles away....said to have portions suggesting small whales rather than cod and haddock.

3. Things to do other than/in addition to walking the Wall path.

Hexham has a fun "car boot sale" on Sunday mornings.  At least in Spring/summer/fall.  It has a decided old time flea market feel to it and has lots of curious British stuff for sale.  Regular readers may already know that I've been less than "chuffed" as the Hadrian's Wall area has gone to more upscale tourism.  But if a person was interested in say, Stargazing, the Twice Brewed Inn has been emphasizing this.  Biking seems to be increasing in popularity, just be careful when selecting your routes, as traffic is problematic on the bigger roads.  

And of course I'd be up for any specific questions....see the contact email and feel free to ask.