Day out at Hadrian’s Wall for kids, Northumberland

Celebrating an astonishing 1,900 years since the Romans first started laying stones for their famous border wall, there’s never been a better time to visit Hadrian’s Wall for kids.

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Whether you’re looking to discover more about Roman life, why the wall was built, or to take a walk along it, it’s easy to spend a whole day at Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland with kids – or longer!

There are more stretches of the wall to discover in Cumbria too, of course, along with other Roman sites in the north east, but with Northumberland’s key location clustered close to each other, here is my pick of the best places to visit on Hadrian’s Wall for families.

Hadrian’s Wall for kids: the essentials

Hadrian’s Wall is easily one of the best-known Roman sites in the UK, stretching for 73 miles and coast to coast.

Once the northern edge of the Roman Empire, it’s named for the emperor Hadrian who ordered its building to keep the Caledonian Picts on the other side out – for a while at least, before a later emperor decided to push the borders a bit further into what’s now Scotland.

You can still walk along sections of the wall, as well as following the route from Northumberland to Cumbria (or vice versa) if you’re looking for a serious family adventure.

But if you only fancy an easy stroll or a chance to discover what life would have been like when the wall was newly built and the Roman Empire at its height, there are plenty of sites to visit at Hadrian’s Wall for kids as well.

From forts to former towns, Roman baths to museums plus The Sill visitor centre, the majority of the family days out in Northumberland are based around Hexham.

Sadly the famous tree of Sycamore Gap was cut down in September 2023, although there is hope that it will regrow on the spot, with saplings from the original being planted around the UK

We managed to fit three places into one day, which I think is realistically the limit of what’s possible while still having enough time to explore – we could happily have spent longer at each site too.

But if you do only have one day, the combination of the Roman Army Museum, Vindolanda and Chesters Roman Fort is a good one to give an overview of life at Hadrian’s Wall, the military side at one of the key forts and a taste of Roman Britain in one of its towns.

English Heritage lists 20 sites on Hadrian’s Wall so you have plenty of choice though! There are few places in the UK better if your kids love the Romans.

If you want to base yourself in the area for more than one day’s exploring in the area, YHA The Sill at Hadrian’s Wall has private rooms for up to four people or you can find self-catering accommodation, glamping sites and hotels nearby on booking.com

Chesters Roman Fort

The remains of Chesters Roman Fort make an ideal location to get a sense of how the legions would have lived – and it’s not all military style efficiency.

Among the ruined stone walls, which would have been crammed with around 500 soldiers and their horses, there’s a more luxurious house for their commander, complete with underfloor heating, not to mention the baths down by the river.

With the usual succession of rooms at different temperatures, space to socialise as well as staying clean, you can still make out the outlines with signs giving some more information on what each section would have held.

Visiting in the school holidays, my daughter had a fun trail to complete, designed like a mini newspaper with quizzes, challenges and other puzzles to bring the ancient stones to life, as well as learning about the man whose passion for archaeology helped preserve this historic spot.

And there’s also an impressive little collection in the site’s museum, with Roman objects and inscriptions from the fort but also from elsewhere along the wall.

Around six miles from Hexham, this site is all outdoors apart from the museum but while it’s reasonably spread out, it’s also a good option with younger kids as it’s more sheltered than some other spots, and not too hard to walk around.

Vindolanda, Bardon Mill

Life at Hadrian’s Wall wasn’t only about armed soldiers braving the weather to keep out the ‘barbarians’ – and Vindolanda is one of the best places to discover this.

To start the visit, you’ll find some recreated buildings, including a temple and displays on life for children, which really appealed to my daughter – however interesting Roman history is, there’s nothing like being able to imagine themselves living in the Roman Empire to make Hadrian’s Wall for kids really engaging.

But once you’ve strolled around these, you can head up to discover the remains of the town outside the fort, with shops and houses, as well as a temple to Jupiter, mausoleum and even an old well.

Excavations are still ongoing so who knows what else remains buried!

As a bonus, two towers from the wall have been recreated in wood and stone to give an idea of how the actual milecastles – the little fortified sections placed one Roman mile apart along the wall – would have fared after they were constructed.

Near the little village of Bardon Mill, your ticket also gets you entry into the Roman Army Museum but there’s a great museum at Vindolanda itself as well.

Along with lots of different finds excavated up on the windswept hill, including shoes, coins and skulls, there were also some great exhibits about religion.

Roman Army Museum

If you’re combining the Roman Army Museum with some of the other sites at Hadrian’s Wall with kids, it’s well worth starting here – although if, like us, you end up visiting it last, it’s still one of the best places for families.

There’s a 3D film along with lots of other interactive displays, so it’s a nice contrast to exhibits behind glass and ancient stones too.

And this museum really brings home the reality of life on the outer edge of the Roman Empire – while it’s been high on my wishlist to visit for years, Roman soldiers would have been a lot less enthusiastic!

Some of the videos include individual soldiers telling their stories, with everything from the danger of attacks in the forest to life off duty, gambling with their fellow legionaries.

I practically had to drag my daughter away, otherwise I suspect she’d have watched the videos from start to finish and then round again. While we stayed 90 minutes here, after exploring Chesters Roman Fort and Vindolanda, we could easily have spent double.

There are displays of Roman artefacts as well, with a big emphasis on the military side (as you’d expect from an Army Museum), but also some fun touches like the holographic teacher holding a Latin lesson as well as the tent where a Centurion tries to persuade you to sign up for the army too.

Housesteads Roman Fort & Museum

Not far from Vindolanda, you’ll find the Housesteads Roman Fort & Museum, one of the most complete examples of a Roman Fort in Britain.

The fort was one of 16 permanent bases along the wall with views out for miles, and as one of the biggest draws at Hadrian’s Wall for kids, you can see some of the world’s oldest loos.

The Roman communal toilets here are one of the best preserved sets, and guaranteed to raise a fascinated euuuurgh!

There are also some great views out across the countryside and the wall, you really can see for miles here and it’s a great place for a picnic if the weather’s good. You can even borrow picnic blankets.

The little museum has a film with recreations of the original Roman buildings – younger visitors are led around by Felix – along with a collection of finds including jewellery and weapons, plus some impressive statues and the chance to dress up as a Roman soldier.

Corbridge Roman Town

It’s easy to think that all the Roman sites along the wall were forts packed with soldiers, but towns grew up here as well – someone had to supply food for starters!

And as at Vindolanda, Corbridge Roman Town is a great place to see the non-military side of Roman Britain in the shadow of Hadrian’s Wall, with a settlement here until the 5th century. You can still wander along what would have been the main street and even make out where the shops would have been.

Items from the Corbridge Hoard – one of the most important finds from the period – are still on display at the museum, including armour as well as trinkets, writing tablets and other essentials of daily Roman life. Don’t miss the famous stone Corbridge Lion while you’re there.

It’s around eight miles from Chesters Roman Fort, so it’s easy to combine these two sites if you’re not planning to visit Vindolanda – although as with most of the places to visit at Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland, you’re never too far from the next one.

You can also follow the Corbridge Roman Town trail towards Heddon-on-the-wall and Roman sites beyond

The Sill, Hexham

Close to Housesteads and Vindolanda, The Sill is officially the National Landscape Discovery Centre – a stone’s throw from Hadrian’s Wall itself, it’s close to Milecastle 39.

But as well as being a great place to start a walk to Hadrian’s Wall, with maps to pick up, ideas for walking routes and the option to book guided tours, there are also exhibitions to discover.

Free to enter (although you have to pay for parking (currently £3 for two hours, then £1 per hour up to a maximum of £6), it’s also got a fun grassy rooftop to discover plus a cafe if you need to refuel before or after your walk by the wall.

As well as regular temporary exhibitions, there’s a permanent display showcasing the incredible landscape in this part of Northumberland – a mix of interactive displays, artwork, videos, and geological exhibits.

Designed to help visitors learn more about life here, you can even design your own digital landscape along the way.

Walking Hadrian’s Wall with kids

The Hadrian’s Wall Path is an 84 mile long National Trail running between Wallsend, Tyne & Wear, and Bowness-On-Solway in Cumbria – but while you could hike the entire route, especially with older kids or keen hikers, the chances are you’ll be looking for a shorter walk to discover Hadrian’s Wall with kids.

One of the easiest options is to start from The Sill and walk to Sycamore Gap and Milecastle 39 – Sycamore Gap itself is around 1.4 miles away, and you can find a loop walking route to cover both.

Don’t forget to take the right gear before you set out on a hike, including decent walking boots

In school holidays or when the weather’s good, you’ll inevitably find quite a few people with the same idea, but there are some other family-friendly walks along Hadrian’s Wall including Cawfields Quarry and Walltown Quarry Country Park, as well as to Crag Lough.

You can connect a couple of sites at Hadrian’s Wall on foot too: this circular walk between Housesteads and Steel Rigg passes The Sill. Or there’s a walking route from Hexham to Chesters Roman Fort, as well as Hexham to Corbridge Roman Town.

You can also find walking maps at The Sill for more ideas.

For more things to do in Northumberland with kids, check out my top picks

Hadrian’s Wall, Cumbria

Hadrian’s Wall famously stretches across the whole of northern England, so it’s not just Northumberland which has sites to explore. And although the majority of places to see along Hadrian’s Wall with kids are in the North East, there are a few great sites for families in Cumbria too.

Tullie House Museum, Carlisle, Cumbria

Carlisle was home to not one, but two forts along Hadrian’s Wall including Uxelodunum, the largest of all the forts on the Wall.

Sadly, this fort is buried beneath a suburb so it can’t be visited. However, the nearby Tullie House Museum houses a number of amazing Roman artefacts that include what may be the first written reference to the name Britannia.

While the Roman collection is likely to appeal more to older kids, the entire museum has received the Telegraph Kids in Museums Family Friendly Museum Award.

Birdoswald Roman fort, Cumbria

For an idea of just how impressive Hadrian’s Wall would have been when it was at its height, you can see the longest remaining stretch at Birdoswald Roman Fort.

There are also the ruins of the Roman fort to explore, along with a milecastle and turret, so you get a sense of all the key features of the Roman fortifications here, plus a quest for kids with clues to crack as you explore.

There’s an exhibition in the gatehouse visitor centre too to provide some more background, with chances to get hands on – including getting the same view as a Roman look-out peering out across the wall by peeking through the periscope.

Or take a quiz to find out what your role might have been, play the signalling game to marshall your troops and have a go with a crane to see if you could have built the wall.

If you want to make a day of it, you can even follow the Birdoswald Roman trail, taking you our across the Cumbrian countryside

More Roman sites in the North-East

If you’re looking for more Roman sites to visit with kids in the North East, there are several places which are easy to combine with a trip to Northumberland if you’re looking for more things to do near Hadrian’s Wall.

Segedunum Roman Fort Wallsend, Tyne and Wear

At the eastern end of Hadrian’s Wall, around half an hour from Corbridge Roman Town, sits a garrison that was in use for nearly 300 years – today it’s the most thoroughly excavated fort along Hadrians Wall.

There’s also an interactive museum at Segedunum, which includes a full-scale reconstruction of a bathhouse and a 35-metre high viewing tower to look out across the World Heritage Site.

Arbeia Roman Fort, South Shields, Tyne & Wear

20 minutes away from Segedunum, Arbeia is an amazing reconstruction of a Roman Fort and a great option if your kids are struggling to visualise how the ruins would once have looked.

You can also see some of the remains of the original barracks too, built to help supply Hadrian’s Wall from the sea.

There are also characters dotted around the fort, both ancient Romans and native Britons, and it holds some of the most memorable events you’ll find at any Roman site, including gladiatorial battles, falconry demonstrations, and Roman re-enactments that all ages will love.

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Chesters Roman Fort/Vindolanda/Roman Army Museum/signpost images copyright MummyTravels, all others courtesy of Depositphotos/Adobestock/Picfair

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