Reid777

My group of 32 adults will be travelling by hired bus from Keswick to Edinburgh on Sat., Sept 17th. I would like to stop at 2 of the sights along Hadrian's Wall - Housestead and the Vindolanda. Are there any others that would be better than these two? How long should we plan for each sight, and do you think it is necessary to purchase tickets in advance? Also, can you recommend a town along the way to stop for lunch? Thanks in advance for any replies, Reid777

PalenQ

Hexsham, where I stayed and used as a base from which to hop to Wall sights is a lovely old market town - should be large enough restaurants and several.

At Vindolanda I saw an archaelological site but looked in vain for any traces of Hadrian's Wall there - maybe I missed something but trekked all around looking for some intact stretch of wall.

ron

The Housesteads website makes it totally clear that groups should book in advance, complete with a booking form, and an estimated length of visit.
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/d...oups-and-trade

I can't comment on Vindolanda, which I avoided when I walked the wall - seemed too tourist trappy to me. Both the Chesters Fort and the Corbridge Fort would be worthwhile visits.

Mimar

We did Housesteads and Vindolanda and found both very interesting. Housestead is a fort on the actual wall. Vindolanda was a fortress town, near, not on the wall. There we took a tour of the town (mostly foundation stones) led by an archeologist (dressed in his Roman Army kilt in which he must have froze in the stiff cold wind). And the Roman Army Museum at Vindolanda is very interesting. The letters they found preserved on wooden stationery were fascinating.

I'm very glad we did both. Both web sites have instructions for group visits.

We stayed at Haltwhistle, where there were several restaurants and pubs. But whether they could accommodate 32 people I don't know.

Reid777

Thanks for the quick responses. I will consider substituting Corbridge for the Vindolanda, however I was thinking that Housesteads and the Vindolanda would each be a very different experience from the other for my group. Are Corbridge and Housesteads very different from each other? If it was completely up to me, I would stop at every attraction I could along the Wall!!
Also, Hexham looks like a very lovely town. What would be your estimate for travel time for a bus from Hexham to Edinburgh on a Saturday afternoon? Again, thanks for the advice, Reid777

janisj

Chesters, Housesteads, Vindolanda and Birdoswald are all worthwhile.

But w/ a group of 32 you 100% definitely want to make pre-arrangements. I hope you are pre-booking other sites along your general itinerary and not just popping in places.

("<i>looked in vain for any traces of Hadrian's Wall there - maybe I missed something but trekked all around looking for some intact stretch of wall.</i>" That is good since Vindolanda isn't ON the Wall, like Housesteads is)

Reid777

Also, I will definitely book in advance! Haltwhistle also looks like a great suggestion - as we will not all be eating together, anyway. Many in the group, myself included, would rather go exploring on our own.

janisj

I didn't see your second post --I personally wouldn't substitute Corbridge . . . I'd go there if you had time to do the others too, but not <i>instead

janisj

Hexham to Edinburgh (of course it will make a difference <i>where</i> in Edinburgh) would take about 3 hours in a coach.

Reid777

Thanks to all and "Hi" to janisj - thanks so much for your response. I have read many of your posts and consider you both very insightful and knowledgeable. I have already booked a private tour in the Lakes District, including a boat cruise on Lake Windemere, a tour of Real Mary King's Close in Edinburgh and a tour of the Antrim Coast when we get to Belfast. I have given all in my group info on many of the day tours out of Edinburgh, which they can book on their own - do you have any recommendations? We are staying at the Ibis, right off the Royal Mile. I know it may not be the Ritz - but the price and location were both perfect for what we were looking for, as we will not have our bus while there. Although I have booked one attraction in each place we are staying, they are pretty much on their own for the rest of the time. Thanks again, Reid777

janisj

Oh - the Ibis is a prefect location for a large group that doesn't need/want to be connected at the hip 24/7. So many tour groups stay farther out and have to take their coach in/out of town. You guys will be able to walk <u>everywhere</u> from there.

Reid777

That is what I was hoping!! I think I will keep my original 2 stops along the Wall - the Vindolanda and Housesteads. How long do you think we should plan to stay at each? (hopefully the weather will cooperate)Thanks, Reid777

janisj

Housesteads takes significantly longer -- if simply because it is quite a walk from the coach/carpark. A group that large would probably needs 90 mins just to allow for stragglers. There is a lot to see/absorb.

At Vindolanda it will be easier to keep tabs of everyone so you can probably limit folks to 45 mins or so.

Mimar

On the other hand, there are both the excavations and the museum to see at Vindolanda. You can skip the short film about the Roman Army at the museum. But I still think at least 90 minutes for Vindolanda, maybe less for Housesteads.

janisj

OH -- I agree, Vindolanda is 'worth' an hour or two but w/ a group that size I just think Housesteads will take longer. Especially if anyone walks slow. From the coach park to the entrance and then onto the ruins could takes some folks 10+ minutes - so 20+ minutes just to/from.

So, if you have to rein in the time to get to Edinburgh on schedule-- Vindolanda is where you can economize. If you have plenty of time, then 90 mins at both sites would be good.

Reid777

Thanks for all the advice - as we can't check in to our hotel n Edinburgh until after 3:00pm anyways, I have allotted up to 90 minutes for each stop. Is there a possibility of our coach letting all of us, or even some that might find the walk too much, off at the entrance to Housesteads before parking?

janisj

"<i>Is there a possibility of our coach letting all of us, or even some that might find the walk too much, off at the entrance to Housesteads before parking?</i>"

Not that I can imagine. The car park is down on the road and then you walk up hill to the entrance bldg/small museum and then across a field to the ruins.

There are some provisions for disabled visitors to pre-arrange to drive up and park near the museum but I don't think there is any way a coach could drive up.

PalenQ

How about substituting the Wall, which IME may not fulfill the romantic picture of a Wall of China type image in your groups' minds and whose logistics are proving rather difficult for the Borders Abbeys - like in Melrose, Jedburg, etc. These are very easy to stop by with your bus without any pre-arrangements I would think and are very romantic - even the small town of Melrose is nice - great lunch stop. One of the abbeys is set in a wild-setting on a swift river - really romantic - these are ruined abbeys but IMO ruins can be more romantic than intact ones.

anyway your group may well savor a stop at one or two of these more than a perhaps disappointing stretch of wall.

PalenQ

How about substituting the Wall, which IME may not fulfill the romantic picture of a Wall of China type image in your groups' minds and whose logistics are proving rather difficult for the Borders Abbeys - like in Melrose, Jedburg, etc. These are very easy to stop by with your bus without any pre-arrangements I would think and are very romantic - even the small town of Melrose is nice - great lunch stop. One of the abbeys is set in a wild-setting on a swift river - really romantic - these are ruined abbeys but IMO ruins can be more romantic than intact ones.

anyway your group may well savor a stop at one or two of these more than a perhaps disappointing stretch of wall.

PalenQ

Oh and the abbeys are well situated and easy to reach and are only about an hour south of Edinburgh so even logistics of driving may be better.