Day 1: Eastern End of Hadrian's Wall

CORBRIDGE, CHESTERS AND HOUSESTEADS

Corbridge Roman Town is the closest major site to Newcastle upon Tyne, after you've left the city heading west. Although it's not on the Wall itself, Corbridge gives you a great insight to Roman life in Great Britain. The town pre-dates Hadrian's Wall and was still a vibrant community right up to the end of Roman period. Walk through the remains of Roman streets, and check out some astonishingly well preserved artefacts in the museum.

A quick 15 minute drive west is Chesters Roman Fort and Museum the most complete Roman cavalry fort in Britain. Chesters was once the home of John Clayton, the man credited with saving Hadrian's Wall in the 19th century. There's also an unusually well-preserved bath house (discovered accidentally by Clayton's workmen) and a huge collection of artefacts in the Clayton Museum.

The landscape of the central section of Hadrian's Wall is undeniably the most dramatic. There's a particularly scenic (though challenging) 13 mile stretch that you can walk around Housesteads Roman Fort, between Sewingshields Wall to the east and Walltown Crags further west. This passes the famous Steel Rigg and Sycamore Gap, Whinshields Wall and Cawfields too. 

Housesteads itself is the most complete example of a Roman fort in Britain, set high on an escarpment with incredible views. It's a great site for families, with an interactive museum and mini cinema, then up at the fort itself you can look out for the Roman toilets. The site is jointly run by English Heritage and the National Trust, who operate the visitor centre by the carpark.

Where to eat and drink

We asked our site staff and local members for their tips on places in Northumberland to eat and drink, and here's what they suggested. If you find somewhere you want to recommend, let us know on Facebook or Twitter.

• Warm up with a bowl of soup, a tasty bacon stottie or perhaps a slice of homemade cake at one of the many tearooms along the Wall. You'll find English Heritage tearooms at Birdoswald and Chesters Roman Fort, but there are plenty of places to grab a bite.
• Try real Cumberland sausages at the tearoom and farmshop next door to Lanercost Priory, along with a range of produce from local suppliers.
• One of the best-known pubs along the Wall is the Twice Brewed Inn, located midway along Hadrian's Wall near Steel Rigg.

Getting there and getting around

Hadrian's Wall runs 73 miles across the north of England. It's easily explored from the major cities at each end - Newcastle upon Tyne in the east and Carlisle in the west. The landscape is beautfully rugged, especially in the famous central section.

BY CAR: The A69 is the main east-west highway. A more scenic tourist route opened this year, marked by a Roman helmet symbol. You'll need £4 (in coins) for most of the pay and display car parks along the Wall, although at English Heritage sites this is refundable with your entry ticket. For Northumberland National Parks car parks, once you've bought a ticket it is valid all day at different sites. 

BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT (bus and train): The AD122 bus is the main route serving Hadrian's Wall, running from Hexham to Haltwhistle between April and September. This also connects with local bus services including the 185 which serves Birdoswald. A country line connects train stations between Carlisle and Newcastle - Haltwhistle and Hexham are handiest for exploring Hadrian's Wall. 

BY BIKE: The 174 mile long Hadrian's Cycleway runs from Ravenglass in Cumbria to South Shields. If you're just whizzing along, Sustrans suggest that it would take you around 3 days to cycle - longer if you plan to stop off and visit sites.

ON FOOT: It's possible to walk from coast to coast along the Hadrian's Wall Path, an 84 mile National Trail, but there are plenty of shorter routes and circular walks if you prefer a day out rather than a week-long hike.