HADRIAN’ S WALL

NORTHERN ENGLAND

One of the most rugged and rewarding walks in Britain is along Hadrian's Wall, the 74-mile stone barrier that the Romans built to keep the Picts and Scots out of England. Created in 2003, the Hadrian's Wall Path runs ten miles longer, stretching literally from coast to coast, starting at Barrow in Furness on the Cumbrian coast and ending at the aptly named Wallsend near Newcastle. Except when passing through a few towns and villages, visitors follow not just the route of the second-century AD wall, but the vallum itself which is the longest Roman remain in Europe. Some keen walkers aim to complete it over a long weekend, but there is a lot of up and down. The Romans, believing in straight lines, when they came to a cliff or hill just went straight up and over it. Better to aim for a five-day trek and enjoy some of the agreeable hotels and inns along the way.

Where to stay

The String of Horses, Great Corby

The String of Horses is a traditional coaching inn six miles south of the wall near Carlisle. It dates from 1659 and is built around a large courtyard where tired steeds could be changed for fresh ones (hence the name “String of Horses”). Inside there is plenty of oak panelling and roaring fires in the evening. It's everything you'd expect of a British coaching inn.