We contacted several companies prior to booking with Hadrian's Wall Ltd., which was not only the cheapest option, but also offered the friendliest customer service. Pre-trip, we were sent a large packet of information that included a guidebook, packing list and bus schedules in addition to a list of accommodations that had been booked for us. We opted for the "Six Day Self-Guided Trail Walk" at the IV Denarii price point, which promised "Beyond the Ordinary" B&B accommodations, a expert guide rendezvous option at the start of the walk, and entry passes to the Roman Army Museum.
At the advice of the team at Hadrian's Wall Ltd., we opted to walk from east to west so that the wind would be at our backs (and true to their word, we did see people walking past us in heavy jackets, while we wore wicking shirts and no jackets. The direction of the wind really does make a huge difference, and I would strongly recommend the Carlisle to Newcastle walk).
Here's where the problems started. Our first hotel, the Hallmark of Carlisle, was hardly what I would call "beyond the ordinary." You can read my review for a full run-down of the issues there, but let's keep it simple and say I did not appreciate finding the former occupant's trash in the middle of our first hotel room, nor did I expect to find cigarette burns, peeling wallpaper and a sagging mattress in what was supposed to be a semi-luxury hotel. The B&Bs that we stayed in after the Hallmark Hotel, including Abbey Bridge, Saughy Rigg Farm and the Battlesteads Inn, were more in line with what I would expect from a III Denarii accommodation than a IV (reviews have been posted for all). In fact, we actually started to question whether we had accidentally booked the III Denarii option instead of the IV! Only one of our five accommodations was in a category that either of us (my partner is from the UK) would consider "beyond the ordinary," and that was Close House Hotel in Heddon-on-Wall. We were indeed quite disappointed with the quality received and at times wished we had booked our own accommodations.
The "rendezvous" with the guide at the start of our journey was more confusing than helpful. He arrived with a map and proceeded to take us through all six days of the journey, circling points of interest and noting the time at which we would either arrive or need to leave. The problem was, he didn't label what those points of interest represented, so on more than one occasion, we missed something of importance. For example, there was a 2:00 p.m. note next to the Roman Army Museum on our fourth day of walking. We arrived at the museum at 2:15 p.m. thinking we were right on schedule. As it turns out, we were supposed to leave the museum by 2:00 p.m. so we could catch a ride to our B&B at 5:00 p.m. several miles away. We missed the ride and ended up walking in a downpour another mile to our accommodation. Lesson learned: next time, take better notes. I can't help but think, however, that the guide was not terribly helpful.
And we were a bit surprised that after the expert guide rendezvous, we never heard from Hadrian's Wall Ltd. again. They didn't call to check-up on us during the walk, and they never called after the walk to see how we enjoyed our experience. I'd like to think the hotels would have called them if we hadn't appeared one evening, but to be honest, I'm really not certain whether anyone would have noted our absence. It's a bit scary to think about.
That being said, it was very nice to have somebody else do the planning and take care of our baggage transfers while we focused solely on the walk itself. If the accommodations had been better, I would give Hadrian's Wall Ltd. a four star rating, but I was disappointed with both the quality of the accommodations and the lack of customer service during/following the walk. read more
