Can anyone recommend the most historic and interesting area of Hadrian's Wall to visit

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A. There are many great parts of the wall to visit, the most historic area is probably the artefacts contained in the Senhouse Roman Museum (Tel: 01900 816168) in Maryport (nearest station Maryport). They date back to 1570. One of the most interesting is probably found at the Birdoswald Roman Fort� as this is one of the only places along the wall that remains intact, together with a fort and a milecastle at Harrow's Scar. It also has a visitors centre - Tel: 016977 47602.

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Another great site of interest is found at the Housesteads Roman Fort and Museum (nearest station Bardon Mill) it contains the only visible example of a Roman hospital in Britain, complete with Roman latrines with a flush system that works.

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Other places of interest include:
The Roman Army Museum (nearest station Haltwhistle) - This museum contains models, displays and artefacts that trace the role of the Roman Army and garrisons of Hadrian's Wall.

Chesters Roman Fort and Museum - Built just after the wall was completed in AD 123, Chesters is the best-preserved Roman Cavalry Fort in Britain. It contains the famous Clayton collection of sculptures and Roman inscriptions.

Tullie House Museum & Art Gallery (Tel: 01228 34781) (nearest station Carlisle). An award-winning museum containing Roman and Celtic shrines.

Banks East Turret & Pike Hill Signal Tower (nearest station Brampton) - A well-preserved Turf Wall turret with characteristic plinth and a pre-Hadrianic signal tower.

Cawfields to Winshields (nearest station Haltwhistle) - This is one of the most rugged sections of the Wall, which reaches its highest point at Winshields Crag.

Walltown Crags, Wall and Turret (nearest station Haltwhistle) - Over 300 metres of wall and a turret pre-dating the Wall.

Corbridge Roman Site and Museum
Excavated remains providing evidence of forts, a military depot and a town at Corbridge on what was, in Roman times, the main road from York to Scotland. The museum displays artefacts from the site, including the famous Corbridge Lion.

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Q. When was the wall built and why
A. Work first began on the wall in AD122 at the request of the Roman Emperor Hadrian. It took six years to build and spans 73 miles from Bowness-on-Solway to Wallsend-on-Tyne. Historians believe that the wall was initially built so that Hadrian could mark the northern boundary of his empire.

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Today you can visit milecastles, turrets and forts along the wall, or their remains - originally a milecastle marked every Roman mile (about three quarters of a mile) along the wall and it was guarded by eight soldiers; between each milecastle there are two turrets, which also housed a soldier on look out; and forts which also housed soldiers.

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Q. Why is Hadrian's Wall important today
A. Because it was the most important monument built by the Romans and as such is now the only Roman World Heritage Site in Britain. It continues to be a site of great archaeological significance and research.

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Q. How many visitors does it attract
A. Recent figures have topped 1.25 million visitors per year.

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Q. What is the best part of the Wall in which to walk
A. The most beautiful walk is within the Northumberland National Park for 12 miles between Sewingshields and Greenhead.

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Q. Is it possible to have a guided tour of the wall
A. Yes, a few organisations provide these throughout the year. These include:
Cumbrian Discoveries - they can be contacted online at http://www.cumbria.com/cumbrian/� or by telephone on 017683 62201 or
Derventio Heritage Tours - they can be contacted online at�http://www.derventio.co.uk� or by telephone on 01900 825 796.

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Q. How would I get to the wall
A. The two main transport links to the wall - Carlisle and Newcastle serving as the western and eastern gateways to the wall respectively - can be reached from anywhere in the UK by coach, train, car or by air.

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Rail: Frequent intercity services operated by GNER and Virgin all stop at Newcastle or Carlisle. Full details on all train services within the UK are available online at��� http://www.railtrack.co.uk/travel.

Road: There are many motorway connections to the region, depending on where you're travelling from. Access from the west is via the M6, the A74 (M) from Scotland, the A1 (M) to Newcastle. The A69 between Newcastle and Carlisle runs parallel to Hadrian's Wall and is the main strategic access route.

Air: There are regular flights to Newcastle airport from London, Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol and Southampton. Flight information hotline: 0191 214 3334

Bus: There is a Hadrian's Wall bus service serving the entire wall, full details are available from the official Hadrian's Wall website at: http://www.hadrians-wall.org

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Further information on all aspects of tourism at Hadrian's Wall is available from:

Hadrian's Wall Information Line: Tel: 01434 322002 or email: [email protected]
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Hadrian's Wall Tourism Partnership, 14b Gilesgate, Hexham. Northumberland NE46 3NJ
Tel: 01434 602505� Fax: 01434 601267
Email:�� [email protected] . Internet:�http://www.hadrians-wall.org/

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By Karen Anderson