Hadrian’s
Wall
Country
A thriving market town. Rich in history and culture.
The perfect year-round base for taking in Hadrian’s Wall and many of Roman Britain’s top sites.
Hexham is one of the North of England’s most rewarding market towns – a compact, walkable destination with more than 1,300 years of layered history, outstanding architecture, and easy access to some of England’s finest landscapes.
Nine reasons you’ll love Hexham
Key facts about Hexham
Hexham: History, Heritage and the Heart of Northumberland
Hexham’s ancient abbey
Hexham Abbey was founded in 674 AD and it dominates the centre of this market town. Its Saxon crypt — constructed partly from stone taken from nearby Roman forts — is among the oldest intact structures in Britain. Inside, visitors can explore seventh-century sculptures, fifteenth-century painted wooden panels, and a space that has served as a place of worship for over thirteen centuries. The abbey survived Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries and continues to welcome visitors as an active church. It’s also a wonderful venue for cultural events throughout the year.
Across from the abbey, the Queen’s Hall Arts Centre occupies what was once the town’s corn exchange. Visitors to the elegant Queen’s Hall can enjoy a year-round programme of comedy, music, theatre, dance, and visual art. It is also home to Hexham’s public library and Tourist Information Centre.
England’s Oldest Purpose Built Gaol
Hexham Old Gaol, dating to 1333 AD, is widely recognised as the first purpose-built prison in England. Built using stone from the Roman site at Corbridge, the gaol now operates as a heritage museum. Visitors can explore dungeons, handle artefacts, and try out the stocks!
The Border History Library within the building holds an extensive collection of photographs, books, poetry, and music relating to the Border Reivers — the notorious raiding clans who terrorised the Anglo-Scottish borderlands for centuries — and the wider history of this frontier territory.
Green spaces and riverside
Hexham’s three town-centre parks are a genuine highlight with acres of peaceful spots to relax in. The Abbey Grounds feature a Victorian bandstand and stretch along Hexham’s elegant Beaumont Street; the Sele park (at the far side of the Abbey Grounds) is the perfect place for a good run around and has a wonderful hill for sledging; whilst the grounds of Hexham House are more formal and home to a traditional outdoor bowling green.
At the edge of town, Tyne Green Country Park sits on the banks of the River Tyne offering the perfect place for a stroll or a run through mature woodland, and views across to Hexham Bridge.
Food, markets, and independent shops
Hexham Farmers’ Market takes place on the second and fourth Saturday of every month and is well regarded for its local and regional produce. The Shambles market runs on Tuesdays and there are a small number of traders there in the market place from Tuesday-Saturday.
Hexham has a strong independent retail offering, including a bookshop and specialist stores selling antiques, art, sourdough, records, toys, handmade jewellery, lingerie and more. You’ll also find four major supermarkets here, including a Waitrose, and plenty of high-street favourites.
A base for Hadrian’s Wall and glorious Northumberland
Hexham sits at the centre of Hadrian’s Wall Country and makes a very practical base for visiting the Wall’s key Roman sites. Housesteads Roman Fort, Chesters Roman Fort, Vindolanda, and the Roman Army Museum are all within a short drive and can also be reached from Hexham on the AD122 bus.
Hexham is surrounded by nature: Northumberland National Park — one of England’s most sparsely populated and least light-polluted national parks — sits just north of the town whilst the North Pennines National Landscape is to the south. The latter is a UNESCO Global Geopark!
Hexham on screen
Hexham is a seriously photogenic town that looks great on screen (and on your phone). Recent productions filmed here include episodes of Vera, the ITV drama series set in Northumberland, Robson Green’s Weekend Escapes and Forever Home, an adaptation of Graham Norton’s novel of the same name.