FAQs on Trek

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The Trek

Where does the Trek start from?

The Trek starts at Bowness-on-Solway and ends at Wallsend. Your first night's camp is on a small campsite near Bowness and your last night's accommodation is after your last day's walk, which would normally be in the Bunkhouse just outside Newcastle (unless an alternative accommodation has been arranged for you).

How many miles do you walk each day?

The length of the Trail is 84 miles and you have six walking days to complete this distance. Your daily walking mileage averages between approximately 12 - 15 miles a day. That said, your consideration should be more with 'terrain' rather than 'miles', which is why we tend to think in terms of 'time' as opposed to 'distance', and the time taken on each leg tends to vary anywhere between five and eight hours - depending on the pace you are comfortable with and what you choose to explore along the way.

Day 1 (5 - 6 hours*) is a relatively flat walk overlooking the Solway Firth (AONB - Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) to your second night's camp on the western edge of Carlisle - which should help stretch your legs and ease your way into the Trek.

Day 2 (5 - 6 hours*) heads off by the banks of the River Eden, past Carlisle into the gently rolling terrain of the north-east Cumbrian countryside and along the route of Hadrian's Wall - the second night's camp being next to a small village overlooking the Pennine Hills and the distant fells of the Lake District.

Day 3 (7 - 8 hours*) starts with a mildly undulating walk past Birdoswald Fort in the morning, progressing on to the higher ground by the Roman Army Museum near Walltown in the afternoon and the more dramatic undulations of the Whin Sill - eventually arriving at the third night's camp at the mid-way point of the Trail, overlooking the highest point on Hadrian's Wall (Winshields Crag - 345m).

Day 4 (5 - 6 hours*) continues along the Whin Sill, past the Wall's highest point, by Steel Rigg and Peel Crag, as well as Sycamore Gap, Crag Lough and Housesteads Fort - camping on the high ground just beyond Limestone Corner (the northern-most point of the Roman Empire) overlooking the North Tyne Valley.

Day 5 (6 - 7 hours*) begins by dropping into the North Tyne Valley, crossing the river and then regaining the high ground on the other side. From then on, the terrain evens out, as it passes the Port Gate (the junction with old Roman road of Dere Street), alongside the Military Road to a village just outside Newcastle, for the first of two nights back under a normal roof.

Day 6 (5 - 6 hours*) is generally a flat walk along the banks of the River Tyne, some of it on the trackbed of the first railway line in the world, past the sites of Newcastle's old industrial heritage, under its famous bridges and ultimately on to the end of the Trail at Wallsend.

* Timings are approximate, being based on covering an average distance of 2 miles per hour, over a full day's walk

Do I have to walk as part of a group?

The Trek is a Self-Guided Walk - who you choose to walk with or not walk with, is entirely up to you. In effect, the group is accommodated in the same location each night, however, how folk get between those locations is down to individual choice. So if you prefer to walk in your own company at your own pace, you can do. Equally, if you find like-minded souls who would like to share the walking experience, then the opportunity is there for you too.