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Voykit pocket guide · United Kingdom
Hexham
Stay 1–2 nights for the abbey and Hadrian’s Wall; the AD122 bus runs daily mid-Apr–Oct, with reduced seasonal service outside that period.
Hexham is a market town in the Tyne valley, 24 miles west of Newcastle, with a 7th-century abbey and a medieval gaol. Many visitors use it as a base for Hadrian’s Wall, about 4 miles north, and nearby countryside. Allow two nights for the town and a full day exploring the wall; check AD122 service dates before travel.
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Jan–Feb (cold, short days, some wall buses off)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- GBP
- Money
- Currency is the pound sterling (GBP, £). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere; some places are card-only.
- Daily spend
- Budget £45–70 excl. bed (2026 estimate) · Mid £70–110 excl. bed (2026 estimate) · High £110+ excl. bed (2026 estimate) (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- EE, Vodafone (merged with Three in 2025) and O2 run the networks; prepaid SIMs sell in supermarkets, phone shops and airport vending machines, no registration needed.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 999 · Police non-urgent 101 · NHS non-urgent 111
- Plugs
- Types G · 230 V · 50 Hz · Three-pin Type G only; European, US and Australian plugs need an adapter. Bathrooms have two-pin shaver sockets only.
- Tipping
- Restaurant with table service: 10–12.5% if no service charge is on the bill; check before adding more.; Pub or bar: Not expected; 'and one for yourself' offers the bartender a drink.; Taxi: Round up or 10%.; Hotel porter: £1–2 per bag.; Tour guide: £5–10 per person for a day tour; free walking tours expect £10–15.
- Water
- Tap water is safe everywhere. Free refills are common; restaurants will bring tap water if you ask.
- Toilets
- Public toilets are scarce and some charge 50p–£1 or are card-only. Stations, museums, department stores and pubs (if you buy a drink) are the fallback.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or tea in a cafe | £3–4.50 (2026 estimate) |
| Pub main course | £12–18 (2026 estimate) |
| Restaurant dinner, mid-range | £18–30 (2026 estimate) |
| Pint of cask ale | £4–5.50 (2026 estimate) |
| Taxi across town | Check |
| Hexham Old Gaol adult entry | £7 (2026 estimate) |
| Hexham Abbey crypt | £2 (2026 estimate); check |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- NCL · Newcastle Airport
- About 20 miles away; public transport involves the Metro to Newcastle, then a train or bus to Hexham. Taxi fare: check.
Typical fares
- Train Hexham → Newcastle
- About 40 min; fare check
- Bus AD122 Hexham → Housesteads
- Seasonal service; fare and journey time check
- Taxi Newcastle Airport → Hexham
- Fare check
Get around
The town centre is walkable in 15 min end to end. For the wall, bus AD122 runs two-hourly between Hexham and Haltwhistle via Chesters, Housesteads, The Sill and Vindolanda: daily mid-Apr to Oct, weekends only mid-Feb to mid-Apr and Nov to mid-Dec. Taxis: EcoCabs and Advanced.
See and do
Known for
- Hexham Abbey and its Saxon crypt
- Hexham Old Gaol
- Hadrian's Wall and Chesters Roman Fort
- Hexham Racecourse
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Corbridge | Train from Hexham, about 6 min, or bus X84/85/10 | About 20 min |
| Hadrian’s Wall (Housesteads, Vindolanda, The Sill) | AD122 bus from Hexham; service is seasonal, so check dates and timetable | Check |
| Alnwick | Train to Alnmouth, then bus; check connections | Check |
| Lindisfarne (Holy Island) | Drive via the A1 to Beal, then the causeway; check tide times and safe crossing windows | Check |
| Berwick-upon-Tweed | Train via Newcastle or drive via the A1; check connections | Check |
Sleep
- Town centre (Beaumont St / Priestpopple)
- Walk to abbey, jail, Queen's Hall and both bus stops; the pick for a car-free wall trip.
- Railway station area
- Travelodge and Station Inn; 5 min walk to town, easy bags-on arrival.
- Hadrian's Wall corridor (Chollerford, Humshaugh, Langley)
- Country hotels and pubs right on the wall; you need a car or the AD122 bus.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Hello |
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Please | Please |
| Sorry | Sorry |
| Where is the bus stop? | Where is the bus stop? |
| Card, please | Card, please |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake at first meeting; 'hi' and first names quickly; avoid: Cheek kisses with strangers
- Conversation: Weather is a safe opener; understatement and self-deprecating humour; avoid: Asking about salary or class
- Queues: Join at the back; avoid: Pushing onto buses or trains before others get off
- Apologies: 'Sorry' is said constantly, even when not at fault; avoid: Taking it as an admission of blame
- Pubs: Buy rounds in a group; wait at the bar without waving money; avoid: Clicking fingers at staff
- Nations: Call Scots Scottish and Welsh Welsh; avoid: Calling the whole UK 'England'
Scams and watch-outs
- AD122 service varies by season: daily mid-Apr to Oct, with reduced weekend service in some shoulder-season periods; check dates and times before planning a wall visit.
- Hexham Old Gaol visitor opening is seasonal; check current dates and times before visiting.
- Sunday buses from Newcastle are less frequent than weekday services; check the timetable and consider the train.
- The bus station has no departure board; check departure details before setting out.
A low-crime market town; the real risks are weather on the wall, fast A69 traffic and dark unlit lanes after a country pub.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Hexham yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Hexham Abbey and its Saxon crypt
- Hexham Old Gaol
- Hadrian's Wall and Chesters Roman Fort
- Hexham Racecourse
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Visit Hexham — official tourism site: visithexham.com
- Visit Northumberland — Hexham Tourist Information Centre: www.visitnorthumberland.com/travel-tips/while-youre-here/tourist-information-centres/hexham-tourist-information-centre
- Go North East — bus AD122 Hadrian's Wall: www.gonortheast.co.uk/ad122/
- Hexham Abbey: hexham-abbey.org.uk/
- Museums Northumberland — Hexham Old Gaol: museumsnorthumberland.org.uk/hexham-old-gaol/
- Wikivoyage: Hexham, revision 5248212 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5248212
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Hexham
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Hexham; the US Embassy is in London. Check your country’s official listings for consular help.
Check whether individual businesses accept contactless cards; carry an alternative payment method.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/hexham). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.