Hospitality in Hadrian's Wall Country

The 18th century Boatside Inn nestles between the river South Tyne and the slopes of Warden Hill. It was previously named Boat Inn, and the place of a ferry until the toll bridge was built across the river. The toll house still stands, but the toll bridge was replaced in 1904.  

The Boatside Inn is only an hour’s drive from the DFDS Seaways terminal in North Shields which is connected to IJmuiden (Amsterdam) in the Netherlands, and a convenient stopping point for visitors from mainland Europe on their way to the Lake District, the Scottish Highlands and Islands, or Ireland, and boasts an exciting and varied menu, as well as superbly appointed accommodation.   

There is much to warrant a longer stay, and choose the superb B&B or self-catering accommodation at The Boatside as a convenient and comfortable base (electric car charging point available).

The UNESCO World Heritage site Hadrian's Wall and Chesters, Housesteads and Vindolanda Roman Forts are close by.

The nearby market town of Hexham is well worth exploring too, e.g. Hexham Abbey, founded in the old Kingdom of Northumbria in AD674-8 by St Wilfrid, the Victorian Queen's Hall Arts Centre, and the Old Gaol, England's oldest purpose-built prison. 

It's a gentle hour's walk from The Boatside Inn in Warden to Hexham, and the path follows the course of the River South Tyne, passes Watersmeet (the confluence of the North Tyne and South Tyne) and then follows the Tyne. The river is renowned for rich offerings of salmon and trout.  

A recommendation for cyclists: Hadrian's Cycleway which starts on the Cumbrian Coast and ends in North Shields at the mouth of the river Tyne passes The Boatside Inn.

And a 3-mile recommendation for walkers: In January 2022, The Boatside Inn was recommended in The Guardian as "refuel stop" on one of the 10 best walks with a surprise discovery in the UK. The surprise is an Iron Age Hill fort on Warden Hill which offers extensive views of the North and South Tyne Valleys. Warden Hill comes from the Old English for a "lookout hill". The verb to warden derives from wardein in Middle English, warein in Anglo-Norman, wardein ("to guard") in Northern French, and is related to wartēn ("to watch") in Old High German.  

Do visit https://www.facebook.com/Theboatsideinn/ for the latest news.