Who? - What? - Where?

'Who are we'?

Hadrian's Wall Adventures are provided by Hadrian's Wall Ltd, which is in fact a small family-run local business, based at the Wall's most central point, working in partnership with other local businesses and employing folk in the local area.

The company was formed by myself (Gary Reed) and my wife Tracey just after the Hadrian's Wall Path opened in late 2003. I was born right next to the Wall (well, 200 yards north of it to be precise) and I'd been 'waxing lyrical' in lectures on it for the previous 20 years.

Back in the early 1980s I would run up and down the Wall as part of my fitness-training and rarely see a soul. I'd be asked after talks on the subject, whether anything of the Wall still existed and from then on, I realised that some day I was destined to find a way of encouraging folk to come and see for themselves.

It wasn't until the Hadrian's Wall Path National Trail opened that visitor access to much of the Wall was possible. So, with a combination of local knowledge, various academic qualifications, a number of years in the Royal Marines, followed by instructing in Outdoor Activities and travelling to far-flung parts as an Expedition Leader; 'Hadrian's Wall - the company' finally became a reality.

My passion for the area and a love of the outdoors, is shared by Tracey and the direction of the business has been very much influenced by our travels together - especially our experience on a rather strenuous (unsupported) Heritage Walk along the Inca Trail in Peru, in the mid-1990s. Yes, a lesson not just in 'how to do it', but also 'how to make things difficult for yourselves'.

Tracey now runs the Office side of things, while I run most of the Outside bits, being occasionally assisted by our eldest son Finan and various other able hands. Our two youngest sons (Ruairi & Fergus) are steadily picking up the ropes (Tent ropes that is) and they often wonder whether life is easier when they are at school.

'What do we do'?

If we had to put a label on 'what we do', I like to think of it as 'Time Travel', or should I say 'Travelling Back In Time' - but there again, that could be perceived as standing still in another dimension. So, in order to emphasise that we're in the business of encouraging folk to physically engage in what's here, it's probably more helpful to say 'Active Heritage' - that is, enabling people to 'Actively Experience our Heritage Landscape'.

We were the first to introduce Camping Treks along Hadrian's Wall in 2004 and still are the sole providers of them. Demand has grown steadily over the years, to the point that we now run them every week from early Spring to late Summer.

'Where are we'?

We're often asked 'where are you based'? We have the great fortune to be living and working on the World Heritage Site that is Hadrian's Wall. Right in the middle of it, to be precise - literally at its most central point, just below the Wall's highest peak on Winshields Crag, beside Milecastle 40, in between the stone Wall and the Vallum ramparts - where you get to at the end of your third day of walking.