Hit the wall: Hadrian's Cavalry

Hadrian's Wall in northern England has long been a popular tourist spot, not only for history buffs but also for walkers and cyclists keen to take in some of the UK's best vistas along the sprawling coast-to-coast trail. This year, there are more reasons than ever to visit, as Hadrian's Wall will be celebrating its 30th year as a Unesco World Heritage Site with a major six-month exhibition that will run from April to September.

Taking place in locations around the wall's spectacular 150-mile stretch, which runs from Bowness-on-Solway in the west to Wallsend in the east, the exhibition will offer numerous insights into the day-to-day life of the Roman army's cavalry forces and the challenges they would have faced in defending one of the most powerful empires in the world.

There will be a number of attractions along the wall, as well as in museums located on the sites of the Roman forts Arbeia in South Shields, Segedunum in Wallsend, Chesters in Chollerford and Housesteads in Bardon Mill. These museums will display artefacts from their existing collections alongside helmets, armour and weapons on loan from national and international museums. Each museum will focus on a different topic, from the importance given to horses in Roman culture to the military tactics used to prepare cavalry for battle.

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The main draw, however, will be the re-enactments that take place on 1 and 2 July. The largest of their kind in the UK, these exciting events will see 30 Roman cavalrymen perform the kind of training exercises used by Hadrian himself 2,000 years ago.

Hadrian's Cavalry 2017 will takes place in various locations from 8 April to 10 September 2017; hadrianswallcountry.co.uk