Jane Cotter traverses one of the most famous English trails, the 135-kilometre Hadrian's Wall Path.

Put a queue in front of an Englishman and he'll jump in it, or so the old saying goes. The same could be said for walking paths. The English love walking, no more so than on the long-distance footpaths that zigzag the country.

The best of them, arguably, is the 135-kilometre path that tracks Hadrian's Wall across England, from Wallsend near Newcastle-upon-Tyne in the east, to Bowness-on-Solway in the west.

The Roman Emperor Hadrian could not have imagined when he commissioned his expanse of wall in AD122 that it would become one of the world's great trails nearly 2000 years later. First-time visitors are awed not only by the beauty of the English countryside but also by the engineering and surveying feat that is Hadrian's Wall.

Constructed over six years in the second century to "separate the Romans from the Barbarians" in the north, the wall supported nearly 250 years of Roman rule. Remnants of the wall now sit alongside charming English villages such as Corbridge, Twice Brewed, Greenhead, Birdoswald and Chollerford.

Opened in May 2003, Hadrian's Wall Path National Trail is well signposted and easy to follow, though not overcrowded with visitors. The walk is mainly on private land with public access pathways. The trail weaves through rich green pastures and patchwork farmland, as well as backyards and country laneways. Stiles and "kissing gates" allow for continual access to the path over and through fences, and keep cows, sheep and the occasional bull from escaping. A daily bus - route number "AD122" - travels the length of the wall collecting the weary or rain-soaked.

Like any good defensive structure, the wall has been built along hilltops. In most places the path beside it is an easy walk. However, there are stretches of uphill treks followed by steep descents.

In parts, the wall has been painstakingly preserved but now, at best, it is no more than three metres high and a couple of metres wide. Over the centuries, the stones - ready cut and accessible - have been used by locals to build houses and roads. Particularly in the west, little of the six-metre-high structure is left. Still, the wall is visible for about two-thirds of the trail.

Almost all of the preserved parts of the wall are the result of the ingenuity of Englishman John Clayton in the mid-1800s. The wall became his obsession and he bought large tracts of land surrounding it. Successful farming ensured cash flow, and he began to progressively restore sections, putting a stop to the pilfering of stones by locals.

Unfortunately, after his death Clayton's heirs mismanaged his fortune as well as the ongoing restoration. Today with more than 100 different owners - including private individuals, local authorities, government bodies and farmers - Hadrian's Wall Heritage Ltd, a not-for-profit organisation, manages and promotes the structure. Walkers can choose to tread the entire length of the wall over a few days.

There are also good day trips ranging from a one-hour stroll to a full day's circular hike. A Roman fort, museum and information centre are located at Housesteads, near the halfway point. A passport and certificate scheme is available for day trippers.

Good-quality bed and breakfasts, youth hostels and several campsites are located within easy access of the path and local pubs serve excellent food and pints of well-earned bitter.

Several travel companies run personalised tours, including daily transport of luggage. Weather can be unpredictable, and it is a good idea to take rain gear all year round. Some days can be dazzlingly clear, while foggy weather adds an element of Dickensian intrigue. Best from May to October, walking is discouraged in the winter months due to heavy rainfall and possible snow - erosion of the wall structure from walkers' feet is greatest in the wet.

Hadrian's Wall lies within Northumberland National Park and the entire Roman wall is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

While damaged in the past, the wall's keepers today have strict rules about conserving the earthworks around the structure and respecting the monument itself.

It is forbidden to walk on the ancient structure (with the exception of a public right of way at Housesteads Roman Fort) and signs along the trail ask walkers to avoid making well-worn pathways.

FAST FACTS

Getting there There are regular shuttle flights from London's Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports to Newcastle International Airport with British Airways, Easyjet and Jet2 .

Fast, frequent rail services also run between London and Newcastle/Carlisle.

By car, Hadrian's Wall is a five-hour drive from London.

More information See www.hadrians-wall.org. For wall enthusiasts Hadrian's Wall by David J. Breeze and Brian Dobson (Penguin, 1991) is a worthwhile read.