Hadrian's Wall and Housesteads Fort

Hadrian's Wall, begun in AD 122, ran 80 miles from the Solway coast to Wallsend, and the National Trust cares for six of its most dramatic miles, from Sewingshields to Cawfields, where the Wall rides the crags of the Whin Sill inside Northumberland National Park; the frontier has been a World Heritage Site since 1987. At its heart is Housesteads, a remarkably well-preserved Roman fort owned by the Trust and run by English Heritage, once home to around 800 soldiers, with signs explaining each block down to the famous communal latrines, and a small museum of leather and wood finds. From the visitor centre a waymarked 5-mile walk follows the Wall west past Milecastle 37 to Sycamore Gap, where the stump of the felled tree remains. Reviewers praise the free guided tours. Tips from visitors: the car park is pay on entry and charges apply even to Trust members, it is a steep fifteen minute climb through sheep fields to the fort, dogs stay on short leads, and the exposed ridge is bitterly windy.