Holiday break in the Northumberland
There can be no doubt that anyone on a self-catering holiday break in the Northumberland and Borders region has to cite Hadrian's Wall, one of our finest UNESCO World Heritage Sites, as a must-see attraction. It is certainly one of our best-known and most loved.
What is absolutely amazing is to stand by it – and so much of it still remains to this day – and ponder that it was once patrolled by guards, Centurions and soldiers from all four corners of the Roman Empire. Yet it is still possible to allow your imagination to run rife and get a feeling for what life was like for those Romans stationed there. And to bear in mind that they were not just an aeroplane journey from home.
Although Hadrian's Wall was certainly Roman Britain's most major building project ever, it only took eight years. When you think of the time it takes to construct five miles of motorway using modern diggers, excavators and earth movers, and that it only took eight years to construct the 73 miles of wall and outpost buildings almost two thousand years ago, is a truly remarkable testament to Emperor Hadrian and the Romans.
If you are renting a cottage, lodge or other self-catering accommodation with a view to exploring the wall and surrounding regions, the most outstanding parts of it are located in the western area of Northumberland. Many people base themselves in and around Hexham, which gives great access to the wall and many other attractions in the region.