ONE DAY 12:30 10:30.

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THREE NIGHT STAY This three night, four day itinerary follows the path of the Romans along the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Hadrian s Wall, which stretches across the north of England.

1 THREE NIGHT STAY This three night, four day itinerary follows the path of the Romans along the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Hadrian s Wall, which stretches across the north of England. Travel the length of the Wall from the easternmost point in Wallsend and Newcastle upon Tyne, right through to the western coastal defences in Cumbria. Hadrian s Wall is one of England s greatest landmarks and the writer George RR Martin used it as inspiration for his own Wall in the bestselling books and hit TV series, Game of Thrones.

ONE 12:30 Blackfriars A restaurant in the oldest dining hall in the UK, which was established in 1239 as a Dominican friary Arrive into Newcastle International Airport, which has excellent transport

Check into your city centre hotel Newcastle is home to many big-name hotel brands like Hilton, Hotel Indigo, Marriott, Holiday Inn, plus UK brands Malmaison and Hotel Du Vin.

2 ONE 12:30 Blackfriars A restaurant in the oldest dining hall in the UK, which was established in 1239 as a Dominican friary Arrive into Newcastle International Airport, which has excellent transport links connecting to the city centre in just 15 minutes by car or by a 25 minute direct journey on the Metro light-rail system. Check into your city centre hotel Newcastle is home to many big-name hotel brands like Hilton, Hotel Indigo, Marriott, Holiday Inn, plus UK brands Malmaison and Hotel Du Vin. It also has a range of boutique and independent hotels including Jesmond Dene House or The Vermont Hotel, as well as a wide choice of budget accommodation so you re spoilt for choice on places to stay. As Newcastle sits at the heart of the North East region, it is the perfect base for exploring the wider region, with city centre restaurants, nightlife and culture all to hand. After checking in, spend the day exploring the Roman Heritage of Newcastle upon Tyne and the surrounding area, at the easternmost end of where Hadrian s Wall stood. Newcastle has a compact and walkable city centre, plus great public transport links, including the Tyne & Wear Metro Service, so it is easy to get around. A great starting point is to visit the Great North Museum, which is in the Haymarket area of the city. Here you can spend a couple of hours finding out all about the Roman Empire s influence on the North of England. The informative and interactive exhibition includes a large-scale interactive model of Hadrian s Wall, and it s completely free of charge to visit. 10:30 Great North Museum: Hancock Find out all about the Roman Empire s influence on the North of England. After a morning at the museum, enjoy lunch in the historical setting of Blackfriars a restaurant in the oldest dining hall in the UK, which was established in 1239 as a Dominican friary. Sample the traditional British menu, with local and seasonal produce you can even try some North East specialities like Pan Haggerty and North Sea mackerel.

ONE After lunch, travel to the coastal town of South Shields (just 25 minutes on the Tyne & Wear Metro) to visit Arbeia Roman Fort & Museum, which once guarded the entrance to the River Tyne and sits

) and the reconstruction of a Roman fort gateway, Commanding Officer s house and barrack block.

It s the most completely excavated fort on Hadrian s Wall and you can take in the whole site from its 35 metre high viewing tower Return to Newcastle for the evening, to make the most of its famous,

3 ONE After lunch, travel to the coastal town of South Shields (just 25 minutes on the Tyne & Wear Metro) to visit Arbeia Roman Fort & Museum, which once guarded the entrance to the River Tyne and sits four miles east of the end of the Wall. Explore the excavated remains (you can often see archaeologists at work!) and the reconstruction of a Roman fort gateway, Commanding Officer s house and barrack block. Alternatively, visit Segedunum Roman Fort, which is easily accessed from Newcastle city centre by a 15 minute Metro journey to Wallsend. It s the most completely excavated fort on Hadrian s Wall and you can take in the whole site from its 35 metre high viewing tower Return to Newcastle for the evening, to make the most of its famous, vibrant nightlife. Newcastle is well-known for its Brown Ale, but many craft breweries have also sprung up in the region, offering a wide range of authentic local ales. You can settle down for a pint that has been brewed on site in The Bridge Tavern s own micro brewery, and then enjoy dinner in the cosy gastro-pub surroundings of The Broad Chare which specialises in proper good-quality British pub food. 14:30 Arbeia Roman Fort & Museum Explore the excavated remains and the reconstruction of a Roman fort gateway, Commanding Officer s house and barrack block. 19:30 The Broad Chare Gastro-pub, specialising in proper good-quality British pub food.

two On the second day, after a hearty full English breakfast, you can start the journey west from Newcastle, following the footsteps of the Romans along Hadrian s Wall.

4 two On the second day, after a hearty full English breakfast, you can start the journey west from Newcastle, following the footsteps of the Romans along Hadrian s Wall. The best way to explore the Wall and rural Northumberland is by car (plenty of car hire options are available in Newcastle s city centre). For those who prefer to use public transport, the AD122 Hadrian s Wall bus service is a convenient way to travel. Travel to the luxurious Matfen Hall, which was recently voted the Best Large Hotel in the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2015 it s just a 30 minute drive from Newcastle. This former stately home is set in 300 acres of parkland and offers golf and spa facilities. Alternatively you may like to stay in a charming bed and breakfast in a Northumberland village like Corbridge or Haltwhistle. From your hotel base, you can travel west to explore the Northumberland section of the Wall, spending the first half of the day at the most iconic of all the Wall sites, Housesteads Roman Fort (a 30 minute drive from the hotel). Housesteads is set high on a dramatic ridge and is the best preserved of all the Roman forts along Hadrian s Wall. Here you can see the excavated remains of all the different types of buildings within a typical fort, including the barracks, headquarters block, commander s house, granaries, hospital, toilets and a complete circuit of walls. Hadrian s Wall itself runs across the north side of the fort from where there are dramatic views across the Northumberland landscape into barbaricum where the barbarians lived! 10:30 Housesteads Roman Fort The best preserved of all the Roman forts along Hadrian s Wall.

After enjoying tea and scones or a light lunch in the visitor centre at Housesteads, those who are feeling active can spend the afternoon on a five mile circular walk alongside the Wall to reach the

5 two 16:00 Roman Vindolanda Stunning excavated fort and civilian settlement with an extensive museum displaying artefacts from the site. 14:30 Sycamore Gap The highest remains of the Wall and the solitary tree from the film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. After enjoying tea and scones or a light lunch in the visitor centre at Housesteads, those who are feeling active can spend the afternoon on a five mile circular walk alongside the Wall to reach the famous Sycamore Gap where you will see both the highest remains of the Wall and the solitary tree immortalised in the film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, before returning via the Roman Military Way. Allow at least three hours for the walk. Alternatively, you can take the short drive west (under 10 minutes) to the next major attraction. Roman Vindolanda stands on the Stanegate frontier which pre-dated Hadrian s Wall. This stunning excavated fort and civilian settlement has an extensive museum displaying artefacts from the site, including some of the world-famous Vindolanda Writing Tablets which provide an astonishing glimpse into everyday life along the frontier 2,000 years ago. You can even watch some live excavations from April to September. Return to your hotel on the evening ready to rest and enjoy the fantastic spa facilities and enjoy contemporary dining in Matfen s 2 AA Rosette Library Restaurant.

14:00 three Carlise Castle A vital part of the defence of the city for nine centuries. After checking out of your hotel, you will continue your journey west along the Wall, heading into North Cumbria.

Spend the morning exploring the Fort and the visitor centre, to learn about the 1000+ soldiers who were once based here.

6 14:00 three Carlise Castle A vital part of the defence of the city for nine centuries. After checking out of your hotel, you will continue your journey west along the Wall, heading into North Cumbria. After a pleasant 50 minute drive from Matfen Hall, you will reach the Birdoswald Roman Fort, where you can see the longest continuous stretch of Hadrian s Wall. Spend the morning exploring the Fort and the visitor centre, to learn about the soldiers who were once based here. From Birdoswald, it s just a 35 minute drive west to the historic city of Carlisle, which is known as the great border city. Its location made for a turbulent past with frequent battles between the English and the Scots for possession and it was one of the most besieged place in the British Isles, having been held to siege 10 times in its history. Spend the afternoon at Carlisle Castle, which was a vital part of the defence of the city for nine centuries. Carlisle Castle remained a working fortress until well within living memory. At the Castle, you can visit the turret in which Mary, Queen of Scots was held captive from 1567 by order of her cousin Queen Elizabeth I. Linked to the castle by means of an underground public walkway is Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery which is well worth a visit, not just because of its Roman Frontier Gallery which draws together more pieces of the Hadrian s Wall story, but also for its exhibition on the ever-fascinating Border Reivers lawless gangs who survived by plundering livestock, but who also engaged in other practises such as kidnapping and racketeering. As Carlisle is Cumbria s capital city, there s a wide range of accommodation on offer, from luxury hotels, to bed and breakfasts and self-catering cottages. You may like to stay in the lavish Dalston Hall Hotel, which is just a 15 minute drive from the city centre.

four On your final day of the trip, you ll make you way to the end of the Wall on the Cumbria coastline.

But it s not the end of the Roman story in Cumbria, as the Romans continued by building coastal defences southwards.

The grassy remains of this 2nd Century fortlet show the defensive ditch and outlines of the Roman building foundations.

7 four On your final day of the trip, you ll make you way to the end of the Wall on the Cumbria coastline. The village of Bowness-on-Solway stands on the site of the Roman fort of Maia and marks the end of Hadrian s Wall. But it s not the end of the Roman story in Cumbria, as the Romans continued by building coastal defences southwards. Travel around an hour by car you ll reach the Roman coastal defences at Milefortlet 21. The grassy remains of this 2nd Century fortlet show the defensive ditch and outlines of the Roman building foundations. A further 15 minute drive will take you to Senhouse Roman Museum at Maryport, which is dramatically situated above the Solway Firth. The must-see museum includes the largest group of Roman military altar stones and inscriptions in Great Britain. During the summer months of 2015 the final phase of an excavation programme takes place with opportunities to join a guided tour of the excavation site. You ll be finished your Roman journey by lunchtime, leaving a little bit of time to explore the stunning Lake District area for the afternoon or why not stay a little longer and explore the Lakes further? Explore the quaint towns of Keswick, Bowness-on-Windermere or Ambleside. Don your hiking boots and enjoy a hike up one of the area s many mountains such as Scafell Pike, Helvellyn or Coniston Old Man or rent a boat and take to one of the lakes. You can also explore The Lake District s literary heritage with a visit to The World of Beatrix Potter, William Wordsworth s birthplace in Cockermouth, Wordsworth House, or Dove Cottage in Grasmere where he wrote some of his most famous poetry.

extra day Visit other UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the North of England.

Abbey, an elegant Georgian water garden and a medieval deer park. 2 hour 30 minutes by car.

model village. 2 hours 50 minutes by car. 2 hours 45 minutes by car.

8 extra day Visit other UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the North of England. Cumbria Coast (Maryport) Studley Royal Park and the ruins of Fountains Abbey - Visit the ruins of a Cistercian Abbey, an elegant Georgian water garden and a medieval deer park. 2 hour 30 minutes by car. Cumbria Coast (Maryport) Saltaire - Saltaire is an outstanding and well preserved example of a Victorian planned model village. 2 hours 50 minutes by car. 2 hours 45 minutes by car. Cumbria Coast (Maryport) Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City - Explore Liverpool s maritime history. At the time of its construction in 1846, the Albert Dock was a revolutionary docking system. 2 hours 45 minutes by car.

NEW YORK NEW NEWCASTLE. UNESCO World Heritage Sites NIGHT STAY THREE

NEW YORK NEW NEWCASTLE. UNESCO World Heritage Sites NIGHT STAY THREE NEW YORK NEWCASTLE NEW THREE NIGHT STAY UNESCO World Heritage Sites This three night, four day itinerary follows the path of the Romans along the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Hadrian s Wall, which stretches