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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
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
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.