Guided Walks and Tours

Why not engage the services of a local guide to walk you through the history of Hadrian’s Wall? Anna is an experienced and friendly Blue Badge tour guide who can help you understand the Wall and bring it to life.

Your tour can be completely personalised to suit your own particular interests and requirements. Choose which parts you want to explore or how long you want to spend at a particular place. Or ask Anna for some inspiring ideas. Either way, you will receive a tour that will immeasurably enhance your experience of Hadrian’s Wall and its surroundings.

Anna is a registered Blue Badge Tourist Guide for the whole of Cumbria including the Lake District National Park. If you wish to explore further afield, please contact us at Warwick Hall for more information.

To learn more about Anna and what she does visit her website www.discoverlakeland.uk

Hadrian's Wall Walks

Introductory tour (from Carlisle)

This informative one-day tour provides a full introduction to Hadrian’s Wall through a balanced mix of site visits and short walks. You will see examples of all the different types of fortifications – turrets, milecastles, fort, the north ditch, vallum and remains of a Roman bridge – and take away a thorough understanding of how the Wall operated, who built it and why.

Scenic Hadrian’s Wall & Vindolanda

If you prefer to stride out along one of the most scenic sections of Hadrian’s Wall, this tour includes an exhilarating 3-mile (4.5 km) walk from Steel Rigg to Housesteads Fort, rounded off by an afternoon visit to the incomparable Vindolanda – the only fort in the Hadrian’s Wall corridor undergoing complete excavation.

Mysteries of Hadrian’s Wall

A tour looking at some of the less well-known aspects of Hadrian’s Wall. Starting at Housesteads, we walk to Sewingshields Crags and ponder its age-old links with King Arthur. Further east, at Brocolitia, we view a Mithraic Temple to learn about the fascinating cult of Mithraism and its associations with ancient astrology. A short distance away, Limestone Corner captures a unique moment in time when the Romans were defeated by the hardness of the underlying rock. Finally, we end the day at Chesters Fort to hear about its unexpected archaeological finds.

Beyond Hadrian’s Wall

If you are already familiar with Hadrian’s Wall, this tour will take you to less well-known but equally fascinating sites that lie beyond the Wall. This absorbing guided tour will take you firstly to Burnswark – a prominent hill that once supported a sizeable Iron Age tribe. Here you will be able to clearly see the might of the Roman military machine in action. After a brief visit to Birrens outpost fort, we head across country to Netherby Hall (site of the Roman fort of Exploratorum) and on to Bewcastle. This tiny settlement in the far north of England just oozes history. From being a Roman outpost fort (Fanum Cocidii), it became a Norman stronghold and then a nefarious base for the infamous Border Reivers.

Lake District Walks

Ullswater

One of my favourite Lake District guided tours that combines the best of all worlds! The day includes a visit to Dalemain, a lake cruise on a ‘steamer’, a walk through ‘picturesque’ landscaping to view the impressive sight of Aira Force cascading down a wooded ravine, and ends with afternoon tea overlooking the lake.

Ten Lakes Scenic Tour

Come on a journey of discovery through outstanding scenery on a choice of Lake District guided tours. Experience the wonders of nine lakes (and one reservoir), four mountain passes and one unforgettable feast of scenic delights from the comfort of a luxury vehicle. Or, if you prefer, you can enjoy a shorter 5- or 7-Lakes tour with options to visit Castlerigg Stone Circle, Aira Force and Dove Cottage, and refreshment stops in Grasmere and Glenridding.

A Tale of Beatrix Potter

The inspiration for many of Beatrix’s much-loved children’s books was drawn from Cumbria. On this full day Lake District guided tour, we follow in her footsteps, visiting sites such as Wray Castle, Hill Top and Tarn Hows that played a key part in the story of her life and understand how she came to be one of the most generous benefactors of the Lake District. This tour can be undertaken by car or electric bicycle.

The Beauty of Borrowdale

Discover a landscape created by fire and carved by ice on a full-day walking tour through the valley. Follow medieval packhorse routes, climb to the top of an Iron Age hill fort, wander through temperate ‘rain forests’, walk through a glacial meltwater channel and spot roche moutonnees a plenty!

Rydal & Grasmere Circuit

Capture the essence of the Lake District on an easy 5-mile guided walk linking Rydal Water with Grasmere. Admire stunning views of lakes and mountains, discover the legacy of Cumbria’s slate quarrying heritage and follow in the footsteps of William Wordsworth with optional visits to Dove Cottage and Rydal Mount.