The best hotels near Hadrian's Wall
An insider's guide to the best hotels near Hadrian's Wall, featuring the top hotels for comfy bedrooms, hearty food and stylish country house décor in locations close to the Hadrian's Wall Path, the Roman forts and Northumberland National Park.
A long-established market town inn with smart, compact rooms, The Angel is also a locals' favourite on account of its food and real ales. The solid, white-washed, 18th-century exterior hides a relaxed, contemporary interior. There's a Soho House-style, clubby lounge with wood panelling and battered leather seating (popular with lunching ladies) and a smart, rustic bar-cum-dining room with scrubbed tables and eau-de-nil tongue-and-groove walls. Mainly a short-stay place (rooms aren't big), it attracts enthusiasts of outdoor pursuits – particularly fishing and shooting. Hadrian's Wall is just a 15-minute drive away.
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This is a rural bed and breakfast for outdoorsy types who like their comforts. The guest rooms are spread across a large, 18th-century stone farmhouse and a new chalet-style lodge that has been traditionally built using stone and slate. The accommodation is very high-spec, and the views from the large windows are terrific. It's ideal for empty-nesters and younger couples who want a country escape but without fancy hotel prices, and – with Hadrian’s Wall on the doorstep – it’s well-placed for both walkers and history-lovers as well.
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This is the real deal: a 14th-century castle – all battlements and seven-foot thick walls – where you can swan around in grand rooms with window seats and huge fireplaces. It plays the medieval card well with exposed stone walls, wood panelling, wrought-iron candelabras, suits of armour plus gilt-framed portraits and assorted heraldry. There’s an impressive staircase, a drawing-room knee-deep in sofas, a traditional, beamed dining room, and acres of red and gold drapes. Hadrian's Wall is visible from the battlements, and is a 20-minute drive away.
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This is a stately pile of a hotel: an impressive, 19th-century Gothic mansion sporting vast mullioned windows, a balustraded roof and towering chimneys, although the owners have managed to add a new wing, modern spa, leisure centre and golf courses without the house losing its grandeur. The 16 rooms in the original house are very grand with magnificent windows overlooking the golf course or woodland, some with plasterwork ceilings and four-poster beds or fireplaces. It's around a 30-minute drive to Housteads Roman Fort – the remnants of one of the original bastions on Hadrian's Wall.
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A stylish yet relaxed country pub, the Duke of Wellington's seven bedrooms all feature a softly played Northumbrian countryside theme – perhaps fishing, hunting, birds or horses – reflected in handsome feature wallpapers, original paintings and prints, and Farrow and Ball colours. Chesters Roman Fort on Hadrian’s Wall is 20 minutes away. Walkers and cyclists are welcome, with secure bicycle storage and drying facilities. Maps showing walks from the pub are available while Hadrian’s Wall walkers on the Wallsend-Housesteads section can be collected and dropped off for no charge.
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This modest-looking, pearly-grey Georgian house is larger than it looks. A simple porch leads into a vast, marble-tiled hall while, around the corner from the entrance, the main façade is a long and handsome series of sash and bay windows. The 10 rooms and suites are comfortably traditional, with light colours on the walls, a mix of bespoke hand-painted and faux-Georgian furniture, quirky, fabric-covered wardrobes and the prettiest of Wedgewood china for tea. Hadrian’s Wall is just yards away, and the hotel will provide packed lunches for guests looking to walk the footpath that runs alongside it.
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An elegant and uncluttered b&b in a large Victorian house in Hexham, offering five simple but tastefully furnished bedrooms. Colours are light while furniture is largely Victorian or vintage. The principal sites on Hadrian’s Wall, such as Housesteads and Vindolanda, are a 20-minute drive away, and the starting points for many of the related walking routes are also close by. There are OS maps and hiking guides to borrow, and there is secure bike storage in the hotel's yard.
