hexham

discover a warm welcome in this historic market town

Hexham is a traditional market town located on the banks of the River Tyne, just off the A69, about 25 miles west of Newcastle Upon Tyne. Hexham is one of the gateways to Hadrian’s Wall, served by a railway station and bus station providing easy access to the Heart of Hadrian’s Wall.

The town’s landscape is dominated by both the Abbey, overlooking the busy Market Square, and the “Shambles” a Grade II covered market built in 1766. As a traditional market town, it has a long history of hosting a regular weekly Tuesday market, something that still takes place today, as well as hosting the local farmers market on the second and fourth Saturday of every month. Hexham is also home to a busy cattle mart (other farm animals are accommodated too) at Tyne Green, serving the local farming community. Hexham was well renowned for its manufacture of leather, particularly for making gloves known as Hexham Tans, now the name of a vegetarian restaurant in the town, and evidence of this can still be seen in the place names in the Gilesgate area.

Hexham has had a chequered history, greatly suffering from the border wars between England and Scotland, seeing the town burnt down in 1297 by William Wallace, threatened by Robert the Bruce in 1312, followed by a sacking of the monastery in 1345 by King David II of Scotland. During the Wars of the Roses, the Battle of Hexham was fought somewhere to the south of the town in 1464, and in 1715 a banner was raised for James Francis Edward Stuart in Hexham as part of the Jacobite Rebellion.

Hexham has a lot to offer and is extremely popular with visitors to the area. The Abbey was originally founded as a monastery in 674 by Wilfrid. The Crypt of the original monastery still survives, and can be visited, and was believed to be constructed from stone taken from nearby Roman structures including Hadrian’s Wall. Opposite the Abbey, across the Market Square, stands the Moot Hall, a 15th Century gatehouse that was part of the defences of the town, and behind the Moot Hall is the Old Gaol, one of the first purpose-built jails in England.

Hexham houses a huge range of independent, innovative and specialist shops, pubs and coffee shops. It also has several golf courses and a picturesque and highly regarded racecourse in the hills above the town, which holds steeplechase races throughout the year. The Forum Cinema, overlooking the historic marketplace, is a vibrant independent, commercial cinema and hub for film in Hexham. The Queens Hall, near the Abbey, is a Theatre, Studio and Art Space offering a range of shows, exhibitions and other events. The Wentworth Leisure Centre has a stunning 25m swimming pool and children’s splash pool, state of the art gym, ten pin bowling and a soft play area for children and is conveniently located next to a large car park, parking discs can be purchased for the car park within the Wentworth Leisure Centre.

You can enjoy walks along the riverbank at Tyne Green or stop and watch the rowers, as they practice and compete, on the River Tyne. Hexham is also the home of the famous Tyne Tour, Europe’s largest mass participation canoeing event. The River Tyne is England's best Salmon fishing river, and every year people gather on the bridge across the River Tyne at Hexham to watch the fish jumping up the weir to spawn further up-stream. Rich in history, surrounded by stunning countryside, and perfectly placed as a gateway to Hadrian's Wall, Hexham invites you to explore, shop, dine, and unwind. Whatever brings you here, you'll find a warm welcome and plenty to discover.