Haltwhistle to Carlisle
There’s an impressive section of Wall from Greenhead snaking across the Whin Sill’s Walltown Crags and yielding panoramic views - everything that you’d hoped Hadrian’s Wall would be.
The village of Gilsland is an ideal base for visiting the surrounding area and well placed for Birdoswald. With its inspiring Visitor Centre, original turf Wall, later stone Wall and well-preserved defences, Birdoswald gives a cracking insight into the Roman world. Just north, enter the non-Roman arena at Bewcastle Roman Fort, and St Cuthbert’s Church, home to the magnificent Anglo-Saxon Bewcastle Cross. Decide for yourself whether Arthuret Church in Longtown is really King Arthur’s burial place. Or whether that’s just another good tale to be found in Hadrian’s Wall Country.
Brampton village acted as a temporary HQ for the Jacobites during their ill-fated rebellion. As it’s a prime location for both the Wall and the trio of Banks, Leahill and Pipers Sike Turrets, it could be a good place for you to head for as well – you’re guaranteed a more successful outcome than the Jacobites had. All three turrets are on the National Trail and the early turf Wall at Appletree can also be seen.
Henry VIII dissolved the Augustinian priory at Lanercost but the 13th-century Church, built largely out of Roman stone, is still in use. It was the scene of many a Scottish raid as Border warfare raged over the adjacent Wall.
Into Carlisle which is a thriving regional city with contemporary shopping, art and culture as well as a firm footing in the past. Tullie House Museum & Art Gallery showcases a host of treasures from many millennia, including a Roman section with finds from across the Wall and its sphere of influence. Carlisle Castle still welcomes visitors as it has done since Mary, Queen of Scots and Bonnie Prince Charlie’s Jacobites, and the medieval Cathedral has been in daily use for 900 years. For walkers and cyclists, both Hadrian’s Wall Path National Trail and Hadrian’s Cycleway edge the city.
