From the coast where we live Hadrian’s Wall is roughly an hour and a half drive away but somewhere we had never visited until this half term. We had been meaning to go for a long time but just hadn’t got around to visiting. I’m now asking myself, ‘Why did we wait so long? ‘
Doing a bit of research before visiting it’s clear that there are many different places along the wall you can start your walk from. For me, I like to use the National Trust website for guidance and so we decided to head to Housesteads Visitor Centre as our starting point.
We arrived just before 10am and there were hardly any cars in the carpark, on our return however the carpark was nearly full making us pleased we’d made the decision to arrive earlyish. The charge for parking was £3 for 3 hours and you pay on the way out. Card was accepted.
The visitor centre staff were so friendly and really helpful, chatting to us about which way to walk. The lady I was talking to was very informative and we laughed about my map reading skills which is something I’m absolutely rubbish at. Needless to say we often get lost but I think that’s what makes the adventures more exciting!
The centre is dog friendly with a hydration station and a dog friendly cafe.
The Wall
From the centre, the wall is only a short walk away. Before reaching the wall itself you walk past Housesteads Roman Fort on your right, which to enter there is a charge. Or pay a visit to the museum which looked very popular with families when we were walking back down.
Once past the Fort you come to the wall. Heading west we were able to walk along the wall itself for the first 100 metres or so. You then reach a gate and you are asked not to walk on the wall from then on. We were fully prepared to have to walk Willow and Bobby on lead the whole way however we had a stroke of luck this day as the sheep had moved far enough away from the wall that it was safe for us to allow them off for spells of the walk. (When I say far enough away I mean not in sight at all. If we could have seen them then the spaniels would have stayed on lead) We did however put them on lead when you were told to via the little notices on the gates. Aswell as the probability of livestock it’s important to note that you are really high up and, in some parts, on the North side of the wall it is a sheer drop over the cliff so it’s important to keep dogs under control.
The views from the wall though are spectacular and while walking along you can’t help but think about the history of it all. With parts dating back nearly 2000 years it’s an extraordinary piece of history.
The walk along the wall is very much up and down hill and can be very slippy so you do need to be careful and wear sensible footwear. We enjoyed the views stopping here and there for a rest.
When you arrive at Hotbank Farm you see a couple of signposts. From here you can carry on to the iconic Sycamore Gap tree, famous for featuring in the blockbuster film Robin Hood Prince of Thieves. Or like us you can drop down onto Military Way, a Roman road which was constructed to the south of the wall. Being just grass and a lot flatter this is a much easier walk back to Housesteads Visitor Centre
All in all, if you can cope with keeping your dog on lead for what could be the majority of the way then it’s a worthy walk, steeped in history and with amazing views. We’ll definitely return.
The Robin Hood Inn Bar & Restaurant
After all that fresh air, and with tired legs and paws, the only thing we needed to finish off a wonderful day out was some good pub grub. We often just drive and most of the time when out in the countryside you stumble across the most inviting pub on the side of the road. And that’s exactly what we did.
We actually drove straight past the Robin Hood Bar & Restaurant and made a quick u-turn as it looked so inviting. I’m pleased we did. Luckily for us their bar is dog friendly.
It wasn’t at all busy so we easily got a table next to an open fire (not lit as it was a warm day) but I can imagine it would be super cosy during a winter visit. The spaniels settled down after their food, which I always take with us on a long walk and then we ordered. The menu was your typical, hearty pub grub and when it arrived we couldn’t wait to tuck in.
I went for the hot roast of the day sandwich while my husband chose a traditional steak pie, which was accompanied by, in his words, real mushy peas.
The Inn, which sits on the route of the famous Hadrian’s Wall and also serves as an official checkpoint, provides accommodation. Unfortunately the guest rooms aren’t dog friendly but we found the pub excellent value for money and would definitely return for a bite to eat next time we’re up that way.
Spaniels By The Sea 
This looks ideal! Love your write up. It’s so informative. Exactly what you need rather than having to search numerous different sites to be none the wiser. Well done 👏
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Thank you so much for your feedback 👍
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