Getting There -- Take one of the many daily trains from London's Kings Cross Station to Newcastle upon Tyne. At Newcastle, change trains and take one in the direction of Carlisle. The fifth stop after Newcastle will be Hexham. For schedules and information, call tel. 0845/748-4950 or visit www.nationalrail.co.uk.
Hexham lies 23km (14 miles) southeast of Hadrian's Wall. If you are primarily interested in the wall (rather than in Hexham), get off the Carlisle-bound train at the third stop (Haltwhistle), which is 4km (2 1/2 miles) from the wall. At either of these hamlets, you can take a taxi to whichever part of the wall you care to visit. Taxis line up readily at the railway station in Hexham but less often at the other villages. If you get off at one of the above-mentioned villages and don't see a taxi, call tel. 01434/321064 and a local taxi will come get you. Many visitors ask their taxi drivers to return at a prearranged time (which they gladly do) to pick them up after their excursion on the windy ridges near the wall.
National Express coaches to Newcastle and Carlisle connect with Northumbria bus no. 685. Trip time to Hexham from Carlisle is about 1 1/2 hours; from Newcastle, it's about 1 hour. For information, call tel. 0871/781-81-81 or visit www.nationalexpress.com. Local bus services connect Hexham with North Tynedale and the North Pennines.
If you're driving from Newcastle upon Tyne, head west on the A69 until you see the cutoff south to Hexham.
Visitor Information -- The Tourist Information Centre at Hexham is at the Wentworth Car Park (tel. 01434/652220). It's open from Easter to October Monday to Saturday 9am to 6pm (Oct until 5pm) and Sunday 10am to 5pm; November to March, hours are limited to Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
