Should You Walk or Cycle Hadrian’s Wall?

The majesty of Hadrian’s Wall is available to anyone with a bit of stamina and a determination to explore. Without downplaying the effort, or the scale of the commitment required to walk it, Hadrian’s Wall Path is considered one of England’s most accessible and shortest national trails. Stretching back to Roman Britain, the route’s rich ancient history also makes it one of England’s most interesting trails. In simple terms, it’s a seven-day ramble along a grassy path through pleasant countryside full of places of historical value – a wonderful introduction to multi-day hiking.

During the summer, you’ll have plenty of other trail walkers and day-trippers to meet and chat to, adding to the social aspect of walking Hadrian’s Wall. If you’re looking for a bit more peace, time your walk for the shoulder seasons of spring and autumn. At this time of year, you’ll escape the busy summer months and can enjoy the must-see sights and finest views and have the trail mostly to yourself. English weather is usually fairly mild, making a spring or fall hike possible.

Essentially, you should cycle Hadrian’s Wall for all the reasons that you’d walk it; it’s a wonderful opportunity to ride coast to coast, journeying through landscapes and history, exploring the many vestiges of the Roman Empire encountered along the way.

Hadrian’s Cycleway starts by journeying up the Cumbrian Coast and making its way around the Solway Estuary, giving you an extended and alternative experience to the Hadrian’s Wall Path. The official bike route makes a good fist of shadowing the walker’s path and following the Wall.

From the moment that you encounter Hadrian’s Wall – following the climb to the village of Banks – see and explore the main Roman points of interest. Forts such as Birdoswald, Housesteads, Vindolanda, Chesters Roman Fort and Corbridge Roman Town are fascinating remnants of Roman Britain’s heritage. Hadrian’s Wall Cycleway happily passes through or close to each site.

Rather than remain entirely historically faithful, the bike route winds back and forth from the wall, dropping into bustling market towns and whipping along quiet roads before returning to the wall. Although this makes for a pleasantly varied pedal, one should note that the official cycle route does not include every section of Hadrian’s Wall. The descent to the town of Haltwhistle, often an overnight base, and the following valley ride bypasses one stretch of wall from Walltown Crags east of the Roman Army Museum at Carvoran across the rugged landscape east of Steel Rigg.

So why not simply walk the route? It’s a hugely satisfying challenge to cycle across the country. Of the routes running seashore to seashore in the north of England, there’s no doubt that the Hadrian’s Wall Cycleway is the most accessible. Despite being the least strenuous, Route 72 is not easy; you’ll need to be saddle fit to take it on. However, Hadrian’s Wall Cycleway is impressively bike-friendly and well signposted, making it uncomplicated to follow. The route predominantly follows minor roads, shared-use traffic-free cycle paths and dismantled railways, with far less time on or near busy roads than many cycle routes.

There’s low height gain in the early stages, and climbing is concentrated to the central Pennine sections of the route. This means there is considerably less ascent than on similar routes. The maximum elevation is less, too; Hadrian’s Wall Cycleway crests around 820 ft/250m above sea level, lower than even the walker’s path. To offer a comparison, England’s Coast to Coast trail climbs over 1968 ft/600m. The elevation isn’t everything, though – the Hadrian’s Wall Cycleway immerses you in the wild as you pedal through some of England’s emptiest landscapes.

Taking just three to four days, it’s an ideal beginner’s foray into long distance cycling, and as they say in the UK, it’s a “cracking” cycling tour. The route takes advantage of the same bunkhouses, B&Bs, hotels, guesthouses and inns along the walker’s path. It’s also flexible so you can easily adapt the schedule to your needs.

Got more time? Extend the trip and explore Hadrian’s Wall or discover the historic towns and villages you pass through. Got less time? No problem, push through on longer cycling days or condense the route to simply concentrate on the line of Hadrian’s Wall for the very best bits.