Hexham: An Ideal Base To Explore Hadrian's Wall

The market town of Hexham is situated in Northumberland, England and is located to the south of the River Tyne. Certainly if you are looking for somewhere to stay in order that you can spend time exploring Hadrian's Wall or the Northumberland National Park this town is ideal. There are plenty of wonderful hotels, guesthouses and B&B's in Hexham where you can rest your weary feet after you have spent all day wandering around the area.

However along of course with spending time exploring Hadrian's Wall there are plenty of other attractions close to Hexham to be enjoyed. Below we take a look at a few of the places you may find of interesting whether on your own or with your family.

1.     Corbridge Roman Site was used by the Roman's as their main supply depot for Hadrian's Wall when their armies were building and guarding it almost 2,000 years ago.  Much of this Roman settlement has now been excavated and you can see some of the finest examples of Roman military granaries in England today. There is also a museum where you can see many of the artifacts that have been discovered on the site during the  excavations. These include the famous Lion of Corbridge, a stone fountainhead.

2.    Another popular tourist attraction is the Housesteads Roman Fort and Museum. It is the best preserved of all the Roman forts that were built along Hadrian's Wall during the Roman occupation of the area. But it is not just the fort that attracts visitors to the site it is chance for them to see what a Roman hospital looked like as well.

3.    Allen Banks & Staward Grange is a quiet place that will allow you to get away from the stresses and strains of modern day life. There are many marked walks both through ornamental and ancient woods to enjoy. Plus upon reaching Staward Wood you can explore the remains of a medieval Pele tower. There is a reconstructed Victorian Summerhouse at Allen Banks as well. The woodlands are cut in the middle by a river gorge and you can spend many a happy hour identifying the many plants and animals there.

4.    Alnwick Castle England's second largest castle that are still inhabited. Since 1309 this has been the home of the Earls and Dukes of Northumberland (the Percy's). However there is evidence in history books to show that a castle has stood on this site since around 1096 and was erected on the behest of Yves de Vescy who became Baron of Alnwick at this time. The 1st Lord Percy of Alnwick began restoration on the castle back in the early 14th Century. 

These are just a few of the attractions that you can visit when you stay in Hexham. But the one that is probably most likely to draw the tourists is of course Hadrian's Wall. Although not all the wall remains there are still many sites along the track it took in order to protect the Romans from the Scottish tribes. This ancient monument was classed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and since that time has been maintained by English Heritage.

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