In this guest post, Emily Starbuck Gerson from Austin, Texas who runs the travel blog Maiden Voyage, geared toward travelers in their 20s, tells us about her trip to Hadrian’s Wall Country in Northumberland, England one of the best places in Europe that she visited.

Hadrian’s Wall, Northumberland, England

Two summers ago, I was traveling throughout the UK with my mother. She won a grant to study English literature and had the whole trip planned out, and many of the places we were headed were small towns I had never heard of. I was just along for the ride.

One day, we rode a train into the tiny, quaint town of Haltwhistle, which is located along Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland and claims to be the center of Britain. It is a popular destination for hiking, walking, and cycling. I love the hustle and bustle of Edinburgh. I love the fact that there is never a lack of things to do in London. I’m a city girl, so to be honest, I was not looking forward to this leg of the trip. I knew nothing about this town and didn’t like the thought of being far out in the country. As it turned out, my time in Haltwhistle was one of my best travel experiences to date.

At the tiny Haltwhistle train station, Tracey Reed greeted us. She and her husband Gary, a native Northumbrian and former Royal Marines officer, run Hadrian’s Wall Adventure Tours. They offer various types of tours in Hadrian’s Wall country, and my mom had booked a half-day driving tour of the wall for us. They can book local accommodations for you, so they took us to a nearby bed and breakfast, Burnhead.

Emily with Gary Reed of Hadrian’s Wall Adventure Tours

Burnhead is a charming bed and breakfast in a stone house literally located right on Hadrian’s Wall, an incredible stone wall built by the Romans under Emperor Hadrian. It was originally 73 miles long, though today, the best-preserved part is a 30-mile stretch. Burnhead is owned by Christine and David Hunter, a lovely retired couple who took over the home in 2006. They were so kind and helpful, and passionate about the Hadrian’s Wall area. The home was charming and comfortable and we enjoyed meeting the other guests at breakfast.

Later on, Gary picked us up at the B&B in his Northumbrian tartan for our half-day tour in his off-road Land Rover. A native to the area, Gary’s passion for this country and its history are palatable. We learned about the history of the Scottish border reivers, who were raiders along the English and Scottish borders from the 13th through 16th centuries (Gary delighted in this part of the experience, as he is a descendant of the reivers).

Gary drove us through hills and valleys of Hadrian’s Wall country. He took us to one of the best-preserved parts of the wall, where we walked amongst roaming cattle and saw ancient Roman carvings in the stones. We explored other ruins and I loved learning about the area’s history from him. Gary took us to some of the highest points of the countryside, overlooking craggy cliffs spotted wit sheep and sweeping green valleys. I had never seen anything like it. We drove through tiny towns and even stopped at the Roman Army Museum, where we saw ancient Roman artifacts, learned about Emperor Hadrian, and viewed images and videos of what the massive wall looked like when it was originally built. I was taken aback by the beauty of the area and the rich history it had.

Hadrian’s Wall, Northumberland, England

After spending most of the day exploring miles upon miles of Hadrian’s Wall, we were hungry for dinner. Christine and David pointed us to a nearby inn that had a restaurant inside. We took a long countryside stroll from the B&B to the inn, which had a warm and rustic feel. I had a delicious English meal of lamb with mint jelly and Yorkshire pudding and could not have been more satisfied.

Before we left, we took some time to stroll through the main square of Haltwhistle. It is a market town with many quaint shops and eateries. It features the Holy Cross Church, which was built in the 13th century. There was a beautiful park in the middle of town. It was a peaceful place, and it actually felt nice to be away from a big, busy city.

I arrived in Haltwhistle expecting a boring rural town, though it was anything but. The town itself was charming, but the hospitality and passion of the people who live here, the ancient history that this town holds, and the gorgeous rolling countryside are incomparable. I learned that I should not be hasty to judge a destination before I even arrive there, because you never know what treasures you will find. I hope you all have the chance to go to Haltwhistle and Hadrian’s Wall country someday.