Since Roman times, and before, the has been a frontier and as such has a rich and diverse story to tell. Overlaid onto this back cloth are the stunning range of wildlife habitats and the life they support.

The five themed circular walks described in this guide are a celebration of the natural and cultural heritage of the , itself designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). As well as being part of the Hadrian’s Wall World Heritage Site it is designated as a European Marine Site and a Special Area of Conservation. Most importantly though the area still retains its wild and unspoilt character.

Find out more at hadrians-wall.org Designed by: Michaela Corrie Design ([email protected]) and solwaycoastaonb.org.uk

Solwa y FiveCoas Circulart Walks Rambles around the Roman Frontier by Brian Irving

Photography: Brian Irving (HELM Images) & Charlie Hedley (Natural ) | Illustrations: Walter Graham Editorial: Bryan Scott | Design: Michaela Corrie Design | Published: Hadrian’s Wall Trust

Contents Introduction 4 The Roman Solway 6 Hadrians Wall Path National Trail 10 Solway Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty 12 Hadrians Wall World Heritage Site 14 Every Footstep Counts 16 Other Information - Access, Safety etc 18

Circular Walk One: Solway Wilderness 20 A circular walk across the mires of the Cardunock Peninsula Circular Walk Two: Discovery Centre to Grune Point 24 A circular walk from to experience the vast panoramas of the Solway Circular Walk Three: The Archbishop and the King 28 A circular walk around Drumburgh and Glasson on the shores of the Solway Firth Circular Walk Four: The Eden Estuary 32 A circular walk along the River Eden, starting in the beautiful village of Circular Walk Five: The Solway Villages 36 A circular walk through the sunken lanes of the , starting in Burgh by Sands King Edward I statue, Burgh by Sands village green. Local and General Information 41, 42 Cover image: Criffel across the Solway Introduction

This guidebook takes the walker through route and the maps themselves seek to what is probably the most tranquil place the walker in both time and space. backwater throughout the length of the The five themes are all unique to the area Hadrian’s Wall World Heritage Site. and they link important events and human The five themed circular walks are a endeavours creating a unique experience celebration of the natural and cultural for the walker to enjoy and absorb. heritage of the Solway Coast, itself Since Roman times, and before, the designated as an Area of Outstanding Solway Firth has been a frontier and as Natural Beauty (AONB). As well as being such has a rich and diverse story to tell. part of the World Heritage Site it is designated as a European Marine Site Overlaid onto this backcloth are the and a Special Area of Conservation. stunning range of wildlife habitats and I hope that you enjoy the life that they support. Most importantly though the area still your explorations on the retains its wild and unspoilt character. The Solway is important internationally Roman Solway and that the The walks take the individual through a for its bird populations and this provides Solway experience will a further breathtaking spectacle for the varied landscape and they reveal the history stay with you forever! of that landscape including its wildlife, walker to enjoy. habitats and its agricultural history. Places of interest are explored along each

4 Five Circular Walks around the Roman Frontier Five Circular Walks around the Roman Frontier 5 A wealth of Roman remains exist. These include the clear The Roman Solway earthwork trace of the Vallum and the network of roads that supplied the military when defending the frontier.

If you have explored other parts of The layout of forts and their adjoining Hadrian’s Wall you will no doubt have a highways has left us with a clear vision of what the wall looked like where understanding of the simplicity and it still stands as a monument to Roman elegance of the Roman military tactics. endeavour. The first line of defence, west of the However, on the Solway little survives of military fort at , is along the the wall fabric itself for a number of known line of Hadrian’s frontier. The line reasons. The mile fortlets and towers were stretches down the coast until Maryport. built of stone but their remains have been Behind this line is a secondary line of re-cycled into other buildings that still forts from Papcastle in the south to stand today. Probably due to a lack of Old Carlisle further north. quarry stone along the Solway, the wall was built of turfs, topped with a wooden By looking at modern maps it is relatively palisade fence, in archaeological terms this simple to pick out the lines of the type of structure has little chance of adjoining roads under the standard survival. However it can be seen in places principle that Roman roads were straight. as a linear earth feature. We can then extrapolate a further line The Roman occupation of the Solway Coast of communication as a third line of was purely a military operation to defend and supply and communication towards control the northernmost flank of the empire. Penrith in the south. When any army is deployed long term, on These supply lines were both for supplying frontier defence especially, the logistics of the garrisons with food but were also used supplying the troops must be considered, to bring pay to the troops and also as fast as does the re-enforcement of the frontier. routes for defensive purposes.

6 Five Circular Walks around the Roman Frontier Five Circular Walks around the Roman Frontier 7 The Roman Solway The Solway Coast, once it was colonised by the Roman army increased the local population by around 1000%. This meant that productivity had to rise to meet the demand for food. For example a garrison of 500 soldiers at Bowness on Solway would require 163,000 Kg of grain per year.

On the back of this food supply need, new routes had to be initiated linking frontier forts with secondary garrison forts throughout the Carvetii territory.

Under Roman rule the Carvetii would have had around 150,000 men provisioning around 9,000 Roman soldiers. Some will have become soldiers themselves whilst others will have been direct suppliers.

Most Roman forts and towns have an associated ‘Romano British’ It must have been important to the occupation of the Solway Coast and area. The evidence for the settlements settlement adjacent to them called a military regime to have these spurs close scrutiny may reveal other roads are hundreds of small trackways and ring ‘Vicus’. The Vicus was the equivalent because it would have been relatively not yet discovered. Before the Roman ditches. They knew how to farm the land of the modern market where most simple to supply troops and goods along occupation the Carvetii were the Iron Age in various ways from animal husbandry commodities were traded. The Roman the line of the wall and its associated inhabitants of the Solway Plain and were through to the growing of crops. soldiers brought wealth in their pay road ‘The Stanegate’. a small tribe within the area controlled and this was quickly returned to the Whilst these people were expert at However, the Romans chose to build on by the Brigantes, a larger tribe. local economy of the Solway Coast. feeding themselves, after the Roman extremely difficult terrain such as across Unlike other tribes, the Carvetii lived in conquest they were paid to supply the Toward the end of Roman peat bogs to connect to the second line small rural groups and not in large Roman military with food and other of military forts. occupation the Carvetii had lost densities in villages and towns. These provisions. Other than agricultural their independent identity and There are many other artefacts on maps small groups consisted of extended produce they would have supplied beer, name and became part of the new associated with the Roman military families and were scattered around the milk, game and fish. Kingdom of Rheged.

8 Five Circular Walks around the Roman Frontier Five Circular Walks around the Roman Frontier 9 Hadrian’s Wall Path National Trail

In May 2003, after a lapse of the Trail nevertheless endeavours to Visitors are also encouraged to 1600 years, an historic link between follow the historic course of Hadrian’s the Solway and Tyneside was Wall there are some important follow the tips and advice within re-established. For the first time exceptions - and for good reason. the World Heritage Site’s very own since the Roman occupation of In seeking to respect the internationally country code. “Every Footstep Britain ended, perhaps, the public can important nature conservation interests now follow an unbroken 84-mile of the Solway, the Trail has been Counts” is promoted right across signposted footpath between deliberately aligned away from the most the Trail and while some of its Bowness-on-Solway (the Roman sensitive sites so as to safeguard the messages relate more to the better Maia) and Wallsend on the Tyne birdlife and its habitats. (Segedunum). preserved archaeology further to Finding the right balance between access the east most also apply to the Of course over the years many other and conservation while respecting the Solway section of the route. The associations have connected England’s needs of farming is never an easy task. code, for example, explicitly narrow isthmus; George Stephenson, for Hadrian’s Wall Heritage and the Solway example, transported his locomotive Coast AONB unit work closely together advises visitors (and local walkers) Rocket from bound for to promote and help spread the benefits with dogs to keep them on a lead, Liverpool and the Rainhill trials in the of responsibly managed tourism on the important on the Solway both for 1820’s, but the creation of the Solway. The Trail is clearly signed and Hadrian’s Wall Path National Trail waymarked, important tide information its wildlife and farming. cements it for good. notices installed and there are maps, leaflets and guides to the route to help It passes through some of England’s you get the most from your visit. most beautiful and dynamic landscapes –the forces that shaped our island’s You do not have to walk all of the Trail geography have left behind a in one go, although many people do; it is kaleidoscope of scenery– from estuary just as popular as a short-stay mudflats and rugged moorland to the destination, perhaps walking a section vibrant cities of Newcastle upon Tyne over long weekend, or for a day walk. and Carlisle. The circular walks described will help you appreciate the unique natural and To the untrained eye, west of Carlisle cultural heritage of this special part of the Roman archaeology is scarcely Hadrian’s Wall Country. evident on the ground, however, while

10 Five Circular Walks around the Roman Frontier Five Circular Walks around the Roman Frontier 11 Solway Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

The Solway Coast Area of Outstanding Today, the marshes are still important for Natural Beauty (AONB) was designated local agriculture, and also support huge in 1964 and covers around 118 square flocks of wildfowl which have made the kilometres of the Solway Plain. The area Solway Firth renowned and gained it status is under management through the as a RAMSAR (internationally important Whatever makes the AONB special, Solway Coast Management Unit and is for wildlife) Site. management is needed to help maintain governed by a Joint Advisory Committee. As many local people know, the sand dunes and enhance those unique qualities. The Solway Coast is a unique landscape, are an important breeding site for the rare The AONB designation itself, National shaped by the sea, the wind, and the natterjack toad. Cumbrian shores provide a Nature Reserves, Sites of Special people who have lived and worked here. refuge for a third of the UK population Scientific Interest, Conservation areas, which is carefully nurtured by conservation It is the AONB’s air of wilderness, an all a Special Area for Conservation and a agencies with the all-important help of the too rare quality in today’s landscape, that Special Protection Area all bear witness landowners. is most important to some. The salt to the Local, National and International marshes and sand dunes can convey the Behind the coast, the agricultural land of recognition this very important illusion of being far from civilisation. the AONB is typified by the small fields landscape has already received, which are hard to find elsewhere. Many of and certainly deserves. In fact, the marshes have been farmed for these small enclosures probably date back centuries, probably first cultivated by the to medieval times and are another example monks of the Cistercian Abbey of Holm of the inextricable way the Solway Cultram, who raised more than 6,000 landscape is linked to history. sheep on the lush grasses. The buildings of the AONB are an Before the monks, the Romans set their important part of its landscape, too. mark on the landscape, wisely avoiding the Fortified buildings that reflect the area’s marshes and constructing a network of turbulent past are not picturesque ruins, forts which ran down the coast from the but still part of local community life. Squat western end of Hadrian’s Wall, at Bowness fishermen’s cottages and cobbled streets, on Solway. clay dabbin barns and red sandstone farms, In 1307, King Edward l died on Burgh long houses and Georgian Marsh, in view of the coveted Scottish terraces all give each village its own shores. character, and are a source of local pride.

12 Five Circular Walks around the Roman Frontier Five Circular Walks around the Roman Frontier 13 Hadrian’s Wall World Heritage Site Hadrian’s Wall World Heritage Site is unique. It is one of the wonders of the world and among the most important archaeological There can be few historical boundary of the mighty Roman sites that really capture the Empire from the windswept expanse monuments of the last two thousand years. hearts and minds of so many of northern Briton to the arid deserts of North Africa. people not just locally or regionally but across the This ambitious plan not only globe, yet Hadrian’s Wall is celebrates the historical wealth definitely one of those. of the Roman remains that encircle Europe and the Mediterranean but In 1987 the United Nations, will be a symbol physically expressing Educational, Scientific and Cultural the UNESCO message of Peace, Organisation (UNESCO) Inscribed Tolerance and Understanding. Hadrian’s Wall as the first of what would become the Frontiers of the Roman Empire World Heritage Site. Today it includes the German Limes

and Scotland’s Antonine Wall and Frontiers of the Roman Empire will ultimately reunite the ancient inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2005

14 Five Circular Walks around the Roman Frontier Five Circular Walks around the Roman Frontier 15 Every Footstep Counts Some useful tips to make the most of your visit: ­

Start and finish your Help to take pressure off walk along the Wall at the Wall itself by visiting different places, or follow a Roman fort as a part of a circular route. This your journey. They all way there will be half have visitor facilities and as much wear on the path will tell you all about next to the Wall. Roman life and times.

You can support the Use public transport people living and working including the Hadrian’s in the World Heritage Site Wall Country Bus AD122, by staying nearby wherever you can. whenever you can and using shops, restaurants and pubs in the area. You Take any litter away will be most welcome to with you and never come along to local light fires. events, too. Stick to the paths signed During the wet winter from the road with months the ground is coloured arrows. water-logged and this is when the risk of damage is greatest. Instead why Close all gates behind not try one of the you unless it is clear that alternative circular walks the farmer needs the around the Wall. gate to be left open.

Always keep your dog under close control. Your Never climb up or walk dog can scare or harm on top of Hadrian’s Wall. farm animals. Keep it on a lead around livestock, but let go if chased by cattle.

16 Five Circular Walks around the Roman Frontier Five Circular Walks around the Roman Frontier 17 GLASGOGLASGOW, THE NORTH B6320 N

DUMFRIES

Bellingham LANGHOLM, A7 TOURITOURISTST B6318 KIELDER WATER & FOREST PARK ROUTE TO EDINBURGEDINBURGHH CatlowdyCatlowd Wark Roman Army Housesteads Chesters Northumberland A68 Bewcastle Museum National Park Centre, Roman Fort Roman Fortort NorNortthh Birdoswald Once Brewed EDINBURGHEDINBURGH, THE NORNORTTHH A1 A7 Roman Fort Whitley Bay A74(M)A74(M) P SeaSea P A696A696 NEWCASNEWCASTLEWCASSTLETLE A75 NetherbyNetherby SegedunumSegeduedunum Chollehollerfrforordd UPONON TYNETYYNNEE Romanoma Fort, SCOTLANDSCOTLAND NORTHUMBERLAND P P BB6631318 BaBathsths & NATIONAL PARK Wall LongtownLongtown (Military Road) The Great MuseumM P P P NorthNorth MMuseuuseum B6318 A6079 Tynemouth Gilsland A6A688 GretnaGretna GreenGreen P P P Heddon-onHe A7 A6071 Lanercost Priory -t-the-Whe-Wall SouthSouth Haydon Bridge A69 ShieldsShields Greenhead WylamWy CorbridgeCorbr A69 Bardon Mill A74 HEXHAMM A695A695 P PPrudhorudhoee Blaydon HALTWHISTLE Metro CentreCentre Bowness GATESHEAD ArArbeiabeia RRomanoman FFortort -on-Solwa-on-Solway & Museumm SolwaySolway A689 SStocksfieltocksfieldd 44 A689A689 Roman SOLWAY COAST AREA OF Vindolanda FirtFirthh OUTSTOUTSTANDING NATURALTURAL BBEBEAUTYEAUTY BRAMPTON B6295 A68 A1 SUNDERLANSUNDERLANDD A69 Corbridge Roman Townn B5B5307307 4343 R Allendale

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A1 ((MM) M6 B5305300 WigtonWWigton tell someone when you plan to finish a walk, KeyA596A5 96to map MANCHESTERMANCHESTER & LIVERPOOL, A595A595 THE SOSOUTHUTH Alston The Tides Southwaite especially if you are factoring in a tide during Approximate line of Hadrian’s Roads The area marked red on the map above is the Wall World Heritage Site the walk. DURHAM Motorway area ofNOR mostTH PENNINES danger AREA OF to the walker. The Solway OUTSTANDING NATURAL BEAUTY I hope this short do’s and dont’s section has Aspatriaia Major Roman Site Firth has a very fast tidal surge and can Rail station* not dampened your enthusiasm as the Tourist Information Centre inundate large areas of saltmarsh and roads combination of tide, good walking andDurhamDur htheam TTeeeses Va lllleyey AirporAirportt P (year-round) Tyne & Wear Metro station very quickly. Where any of the walks are 20 miles spectacle of thousands of waterfowl and MaryportM within the area marked red the walker is YORKYORK & LEEDLEEDS,S, THE SOSOUTUTH Tourist Information Centre Airport wading birds will make your day even more (seasonal) asked to check tide times and heights. This worthwhile if it is associated with a tide. Ferry port information can be gleaned from the Internet, SenhousSenhouse Hadrian’s Wall Path RomanRoman MuseumMuseum National Trail Passport Stamping Station through tide books or through the CockermoutCocke h Clothing & Equipment Workingtorkinrkkink n Coastguard. There are also two tide boards at As with all walking on western coastal area’s Access and Safety Bowness on Solway and Dykesfield which you will be exposed to the prevailing wind HarringtoHa n The Map Key display tide tables. The routes will flood if the The terrain of the Solway Coast is quite from the southwest, this can be mild and The Map Key and Gradient Profile tide is above 8.5m and the duration of high warm or it can be wet and cold. Above all, varied and it is advised that hiking boots should provide you with a mental water where routes are impassable is around or shoes are used when following any of conditions can change very quickly, especially picture of what to expect along the one hour each side of high water. The when the tide turns. So waterproofs, extra Whitehaven the routes described. Some of the walks route of your walk including types frequency of high tides is around two four to clothes and warm drinks are essential if the must inevitably use the highway and in of stile, gate and bridges etc. It also five day cycles per month. The tables can only weather is changeable. certain places blind bends and fast describes the path surface but wet give you an estimate of the time and height sections will be encountered so always be Mist and fog can descend in certain St BeesBBee Egremontnt LAKE DISTRICT and icy conditions must be of the tide as they can change dramatically conditions so a compass and whistle is worth NATTIIONALONAL PARK aware of the dangers associated with the factored in before setting off. due to winds, barometric pressure and the putting in your backpack. road conditions. Off road, the walks are condition of rivers flowing into the Solway. A BraystonesBray all on well sign posted and fully The Key should also be useful combination of wind, low pressure and I have already mentioned good boots or shoes maintained rights of way. However, the for those walkers with limited flooded rivers can produce tides up to 3m but like me, always take spare socks. nature of the Solway area (low lying) can mobility or disability whereby they Seascaleeasc above their estimated height and upto an Dogs create very wet areas that are prone to can assess how far into a route hour earlier than their anticipated height. mudding and flooding. This situation can they could venture and without Finally, please keep dogs under control when These conditions can also extend the high you are close to stock and be aware that the Ravenglassglass be exacerbated where the route takes having to complete it, they could IrishIrish water period by a considerable amount. you down tracks used by farm machinery return by the same route. saltmarshes are grazed by both sheep and SSeeaa RavenglasRavenglass RRomanoman Bath As with mountain walking or sailing always cattle throughout the year. HousHousee and along routes used by farm stock.

18 Five Circular Walks around the Roman Frontier Five Circular Walks around the Roman Frontier 19 Solway Wilderness 1 Circular Walk One 9 miles (14.5 km)

1 Start in Bowness on Solway, on the 5 Back on Bowness Common think for This is a difficult walk and should only natural dome. As it dies, the dead corner by the Kings Arms Inn. Before a moment how old the raised mires be attempted by experienced ramblers. remains form peat, while more moss you leave the village, take a look at are. Peat takes a very long time to Conditions under foot can change grows on top. This mound of peat, holds the information board on the wall of form - for each metre depth of peat, dramatically due to rainfall levels. in water like a sponge so the bog keeps the Kings Arms Inn. a hundred years have passed. The swelling and growing. This walk should not be attempted surface you are walking on is without map and compass as mist and The mires were a source of fuel for local 2 As you walk down the road out of hundreds of years old and 80% fog can descend. The raised mires can be people. Most deeds on the older houses the village, look at the field on your water. The peat contains a perfect dangerous and the unwary could get near the mires had a Right of Turbary, right, opposite the Church. The record of past plant life and bogged down within areas of wet peat which was a licence to cut peat to burn. Roman Road which entered scientists can study preserved pollen deposits. Furthermore, this walk crosses Today Bowness Common and the other the Fort of Maia passed through and seeds from the mires to find out land owned and managed by the Royal raised mires are protected, but you can this field. what was growing before records Society for the Protection of Birds see the hollows and shallow ditches began. (RSPB) and as such they have asked that where peat was taken. 3 As you leave the road and walk walkers refrain from using this circular down onto Bowness Common, look 6 Following the track towards North walk from October through to June to at the Gradient Profile below. This Plain Farm, you will see ponds and avoid disturbance of grazing geese and shows clearly the slight dome which wet meadows which are a haven for breeding waders. gives the raised mires their name, local birdlife. These fields are owned Much of the Cardurnock Peninsula is contained by the higher ground and managed by the RSPB. covered by raised mires, or peat bogs. around it. Peat bogs can be They began forming 8,000 years ago, dangerous places to walk: in winter after the last ice age, but once covered a it is very wet, and the clumps of 7 If you are lucky, you might see far larger area. The mires have been heather and grasses make an lapwing, oystercatcher and teal on drained around their edges to provide uneven surface. There are also deep, Campfield Marsh Nature Reserve. grazing for farm animals. This probably hidden ditches and a risk of fire in started in medieval times, but the dry summers. process became much more common Please take care! during the 1800s when huge areas of common land were fenced off for 4 The farm of Rogersceugh rises out of farming, after the Enclosures Acts. Bowness Common on a steep knoll. It Where the raised mires survive, in spite is rare to find buildings in the middle of being drained and cut, they are still of a raised mire - they simply sink - growing. This growth depends on two but Rogersceugh is built on boulder things: a plant called Sphagnum moss, clay and not the dangerous peat of and a high rainfall. The moss will only the mires. grow in very wet places and forms a

20 Five Circular Walks around the Roman Frontier Five Circular Walks around the Roman Frontier 21 Campfield Marsh North Plain 1 Farm 7 Bowness on Solway Circular Walk One 2 MAIA Roman Fort (site of) ­This quiet Solway Wilderness is a haven for wildlife. On the raised mires you might expect to see birds like the curlew, redshank and snipe. On a calm day in Map Key summer butterflies flit between the flowers of heather 6 and bog asphodel, and dragonflies hunt over the pools Route and ditches. Gradient moderate steep There are also some more secretive creatures on the mires. Red grouse are usually only found on heather Road Bus moors on the high fells, but here you can find the only 1 group at sea level in England. Much heather habitat Bowness Common Point of Interest has been lost over the centuries, and grouse do not Access to Road 1 travel far, so this group of birds are now totally alternative shorter walk isolated from their relatives on the high moors. 3 Telephone Toilets Adders are also about on the mires. This snake has poor eyesight, but can sense Parking Refreshments the smallest vibrations on the ground. 5 Signpost Bridge A pair of binoculars would be a great 4 benefit on this walk as there is a Perch/Seat Step Stile stunning variety of bird life to see. Rogersceugh Gate Narrow Gate

Anthorn Kissing Gate View Point Path Surface

Grass Firm/Even River Wampool Soft Rough/Uneven

Gradient Profile Longcroft The highest point on this walk is 24m Heather The scale only applies to the horizontal Gradient Profile. Discovery Centre to Grune Point 2 Circular Walk Two 6.38 miles (10.26 km)

Before leaving the Discovery Centre it front houses at you will be yourself surrounded by gorse bushes, Hills. Follow the track through a series is advisable to check tide times, etc, as guided up on to the grass path, which will which are nesting areas for many of fenced off areas with public kissing the Grune itself can be dangerous on then lead you through a narrow gravel passerine birds including Linnet, gates. Along this footpath you will exceptionally large tides. And is track where you walk along a tarmac lane Stonechat and Whitethroat. In the notice some large blocks of concrete therefore not advisable unless with an between the houses. summer you may also hear the rubble, these were dumped here after experienced guide. occasional Cuckoo which will be up to war time coastal defences were removed. Note: on your left are the former 2 no good laying her eggs in others nests. They now form part of a sea defence Turn right outside the Discovery Centre, longhouses of Skinburness, which As the footpath narrows take a left turn protecting the Grune from erosion, also and walk past the Community School are reputed to be the haunt of through the gorse which will lead you to providing habitat for Rabbits, stoats, entrance, the Sports Hall, then onto a smugglers from Scotland. It was said the next kissing gate on your walk weasels etc. small path beside the Primary School that this area was the place in which (NY13300). You are now entering sheep playground. This takes you to the main Sir Walter Scott modelled the On your way up this track you will also grazing areas; it is advisable to keep dogs B5300 road, which you cross and go Crackenthorpe Inn mentioned in his notice that you are climbing a slight on a lead from here on. straight ahead into the Car Park beside book the Red Gauntlet. The gradient which eventually leads to a the pine tree compound (a major longhouses are now converted in to For a short distance the coastal fringe series of gorse and hawthorn hedgerows. Rookery in Spring and Summer). Pass the family homes. will be out of view, however, there is a It is worth spending a little time to look public toilets and carry on straight ahead well marked footpath which will over the Skinburness Marsh, where large Carry on along this small secluded lane, onto the promenade. eventually bring you to another gate, numbers of geese can often be seen and with the sea defence on your left. This was where you will be guided through a heard in winter. There is also the chance Heading North follow the put in place to prevent coastal erosion and 1 narrow gorse area leading on to a well of seeing Peregrines hunting these marsh promenade past the Coastal Way flooding. Cross the top of Dick Trod Lane walked path with plenty of way markers areas in pursuit of wading birds. finger post, and second car park and go though the gate with the cycle pointing the way. with toilets, (NY11416) then rack. (NY1246). Pass the large retirement You should now have gone through a towards East Cote Lighthouse, which home and its well manicured lawns on 3 In the distance, on the horizon to series of gate ways, and will be is quite a feature built in 1914 and your right hand side. the left of the Anthorn masts, you approaching the little Grune hamlet with is still in use today. will notice a former Second World Marsh Cottage, on your right, the first of Your walk will now continue over gravel War Pillbox. Here you can sit and these quaint coastal properties. As you Carry on along the promenade; eventually and eventually you will drop down onto enjoy the spectacular views over pass this cottage you will come to a you will come to a narrowing of the the beach, where the footpath was Moricambe bay; a bird watchers three way marker post (NY12916). Turn pathway which guides you up a ramp on severely eroded during heavy tides of paradise when the tide is coming right in between the houses and follow to the grass (NY11772). At this point you 2007. After a short distance you will be in, flowing up the River Waver the secluded country lane, which will have a choice you can stay on the lower guided back on to a grass path, which will Estuary. You are now at the half guide you back on to the Coastal way. narrow promenade path or join the grass lead you past a detached house which is way point of the walk. footpath on the roadside verge. If you in an idyllic location over looking the 4 You have now gone full circle, and decide to stay on the lower promenade Scottish coast; on passing this property For your return journey, turn right from simply need to retrace your steps footpath there are breaks in the sea note the view point opposite. The the Pillbox and follow the shingle-mud along the Coastal Way, defences to allow you to leave the lower outward views of the walk you will note track by the River Waver Estuary, taking before returning to the Solway path in an emergency. are of shingle, open sea and dunes. in the vast views of saltmarshes, creeks Coast Discovery Centre. and on a clear day the Lake District As you now approach the back of the sea Progressing along the path you will find

24 Five Circular Walks around the Roman Frontier Five Circular Walks around the Roman Frontier 25 Circular Walk Two 3 Grune Point Long House, on the beach at Skinburness, was immortalised by Sir Walter Scott in ‘Red Gauntlet’ as the inn where a meeting took place between Charles Edward Stuart (the ‘Young Pretender’ who’d stealthily Map Key landed on the Solway shore with his Jacobite supporters). It was from Skinburness quay that many troops from Route the north of England were shipped to the Crimean War. Gradient moderate steep Grune Point is a Site of Special Scientific Skinburness­ Interest (SSSI) becasue of its importance Road Bus for breeding Natterjack toads, wading 2 Silloth Promenade birds and over-wintering wildfowl. Point of Interest 1 Access to Road 1 Telephone Toilets Parking Refreshments Signpost Bridge Perch/Seat Step Stile Gorse at Grune Point Gate Narrow Gate 1 Kissing Gate View Point Path Surface

Grass Firm/Even Soft Rough/Uneven

Gradient Profile The highest point on this walk is 15m. 4 Silloth The scale only applies to the horizontal Gradient Profile.

Dick Trod Lane East Cote Lighthouse Longhouses Pillbox Discovery Centre 1 2 3 4 1 234567891011 2 343 4 565 6 The Archbishop & the King 3 Circular Walk Three 5.75 miles (9.5 km)

1 Start your walk from the centre of 5 As you travel along the road to It is hard to believe when the tide is in The Pope gave him a letter, which he Drumburgh. Glasson imagine how it must have that there are ways to cross the Solway was to deliver in person to the King. As looked when Robert of Winchelsea Firth on foot. The journey is dangerous things turned out, Robert was to have a 2 The walk now follows the bed of a was crossing the Solway. The road and many have tried and failed. Even wasted journey. After crossing the Steam Railway which ran between would have been little more than those who know the Solway ebb and flow Solway in fear of his life, he found that Drumburgh and the Victorian seaside a drovers track sitting on top of would not attempt the journey without a Edward’s army was already turning for resort of Silloth. The builders of this the Moss laid on bundles of wood guide. And yet in 1300, an Archbishop of home. line had many problems because of which provided a foundation in Canterbury made the trip across the four the boggy ground. The foundations the soft peat. The mires had not channels of the Bowness Wath, on a quest The countryside looked much the same of the line sank several times before been drained for farming then, and laid on him by the Pope himself. for centuries after Robert’s visit. It was the engineers finally managed to lay covered a much larger area. only 150 years ago that things began to The term wath is taken from the Norse a firm bed for the track. change when new transport links opened word ‘vath’, meaning ford of crossing. Glasson is an old farming up the wild Solway. 6 The reason why it is so difficult to cross 3 You are now skirting the edge of settlement which formed on the Solway on foot is that the exact The North British Railway ran from Drumburgh Moss National Nature higher ground overlooking the location of the waths changes over the Carlisle to Silloth, crossing the raised Reserve. Rare plants thrive in the mires and marshes. years. Part of the skill in crossing the mires where butterflies, dragonflies and special conditions this habitat estuary lies in being able to read the adders still thrive. provides. Insect eating plants such as 7 Back in Drumbugh, take a moment Solway’s shifting sands to see where the sundew and butterwort can be to admire Drumburgh Bastle. A The railway closed in the middle of the the wath is today. found here lying in wait for Bastle is a fortified manor house, last century, and now the natural world unsuspecting flies and bugs. or a mini-castle. This one was built Robert of Winchelsea, Archbishop of is laying claim to ground that was only around 1307, in the year Edward I Canterbury was sent to stop the war. borrowed by the machine age. 4 The River Wampool is one of two died. Like many of the buildings Edward 1 was waging on Scotland. small rivers that empty into along Hadrian’s Wall, it was built Moricambe Bay. It has a healthy with good, dressed Roman stone population of otter, although you from both the Wall and local forts. would have to be very lucky to see Look out for the Roman Altar by one. Otters are quiet, nocturnal the steps. creatures that live on a diet of fish, frogs and other river dwellers. Look out for otter paw prints under foot.

28 Five Circular Walks around the Roman Frontier Five Circular Walks around the Roman Frontier 29 Raven Bank

Glasson Circular Walk Three River Eden

If you have time, take a walk to Raven Bank along the rough track and then over the field. Here you can enjoy the view over the Solway Firth and the channel of the Map Key River Eden. (not on the Gradient profile). Route Gradient moderate steep 5 Road Bus 7 Drumburgh Point of Interest 1 1 Access to Road 1

2 Telephone Toilets Parking Refreshments Signpost Bridge 3 Perch/Seat Step Stile Gate Narrow Gate Drumburgh Moss Kissing Gate View Point Path Surface

Grass Firm/Even Soft Rough/Uneven 4 Otter paw prints River Wampool Drumburgh Gradient Profile Front Rear The highest point on this walk is 20m.

The scale only applies to the horizontal Gradient Profile.

Drumburgh Steam Railway Drumburgh Moss River Wampool Road to Glasson Glasson Drumburgh Bastle

0 kilometres 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 miles 1 2 3 4 5 The Eden Estuary Trail 4 Circular Walk Four 7.5 miles (12 km)

1 Start at the Greyhound Inn. As you Edward the First of England was King from The intertidal 3 walk out of Burgh By Sands you can 1274 to 1307 and spent most of his reign river Eden is see the history of the village come to in campaigning on England’s western and an ever- life through the range of building northern borders. He was known as changing environment styles. Boulder and clay barns known Longshanks, for his height, and the due to the locally as 'Clay Dabbins' can be seen Hammer of the Scots for his hard and twice-daily alongside thatched cottages and efficient pursuit of supremacy in Scotland. inundation Victorian brick built houses. of the river In the winter of 1306, while attempting to 3 The Edward I Monument was erected channel by quell another uprising he became ill and in 1685 to commemorate the site the incoming rested at Lanercost Priory for several tides. where the King died in 1307. Edward months. He died on Burgh Marsh, of This provides died whilst camped on the marsh dysentery, within sight of the shores of a spectacle close to the Stony Wath where his Also across the river is the village of Scotland which had plagued him for so long. for the birdwatcher all year round. army could cross to Scotland at low Rockcliffe, named after the The monument pictured here marks the tide. Please pause to read the panel in escarpment. The church in Rockcliffe place of his death, and although it was In Spring the Solway is a feeding area for font of the monument. is noteable for the height of its spire. slowly sinking into the marsh, engineers have those birds migrating north to their Churches of this grandeur are breeding grounds in more northerly 4 Old Sandsfield. As you leave the recently rescued and restored it, so that we uncommon, but Rockcliffe lies within countries. In Summer it is home to a large marsh and head up the River the can go on remembering Edward I, Hammer a large estate, and the church breeding population of gulls, terns, wading building on your right was once an inn of the Scots. probably benefitted from this wealth. birds, and other saltmarsh species. for those trading with Scotland across 7 Architecture on the Solway Coast is varied the Wath, or ford. Old Sandsfield Situated above the Eden, Beaumont and fascinating. Thatched cottages are rare appears in Sir Walter Scott’s “Red was probably founded by the Romans as a strategic point. The settlement is on the Solway. During late medieval times, Gauntlet”, as the inn called the Lady typical of the Solway Plain in that reedbeds were common, providing abundant Lowther, whose landlord was Father dwellings are set within the four raw materials for thatching. Later drainage Crackenthorpe. points of the compass which are works to improve marshes for rearing sheep, 6 Across the river, the red escarpment is marked by farms. meant that many wetland habitats called Red Rocks. The site is disappeared. Clay Dabbin barns geologically unique and has been 8 The remains of the wall are not are a relic of past times. They designated a Regionally Important easy to see on the Solway. This lane were constructed of frame Geological Site or RIGS. The outcrop is actually passes along the line of timbers or ‘crucks’, the walls made up of sandstone which was laid the Vallum, a complex of ridges were made from a mixture of clay, down as desert dunes around 300 and ditches which mirrors the line pebbles and straw. million years ago. of the Wall.

32 Five Circular Walks around the Roman Frontier Five Circular Walks around the Roman Frontier 33 4

Circular Walk Four Beaumont Church

Map Key Route 6 3 Autumn sees the return of Gradient moderate steep thousands of northerly breeding birds some of which are Solway Road Bus winter residents such as goldeneye, Point of Interest 1 barnacle geese, pink footed geese and whooper swans. Many are on passage Access to Road 1 to warmer wintering grounds such as Africa. In winter, due to the large Telephone Toilets concentrations of birds, predators Parking Refreshments abound such as peregrine falcon and its smaller cousin, the merlin. The walker Signpost Bridge is sure to see a wide range of bird Thatched Cottage species and should be on their Perch/Seat Step Stile guard for rarities at all times of year, Gate Narrow Gate as the inner Solway regularly produces notable Kissing Gate View Point species. Path Surface

2 Grass Firm/Even Please beware of traffic on Soft Rough/Uneven this road 1 8 Beaumont 7 Gradient Profile Burgh by Sands The highest point on this walk is 35m.

The scale only applies to the horizontal Gradient Profile. The Solway Villages Trail 5 Circular Walk Five 6.25 miles (10 km)

1 Start at the Greyhound Inn in the see dragonflies and damselflies. The Thurstonfield Lough, was used wildflowers flourish undisturbed. In traditional linear village of Burgh By Lough is privately owned, so please as the header tank for the water April and May, bluebells and primroses Sands. follow the signs and keep to the path. courses which run toward the emerge, followed by the nodding Solway. heads of water avens in the damper 2 After walking through Burgh by Sands 6 On the left hand side as you enter places. Later in the summer the tall you will cross the Railway Bridge the village of Moorhouse is Stone These streams powered corn mills, pink spires of the foxglove emerge, which also spans the line of the now House Farm. Bonny Prince Charlie with different mills working on backed by the cream flower heads of derelict Carlisle to Port Carlisle Canal. stayed here on his first night in different days of the week, to The canal operated until 1854 when it England before going to Carlisle as the aromatic meadowsweet. maintain the flow of water. The was filled in and the railway laid on the pretender to the throne of establishment of the Lough and its top. The railway closed in 1962 after England. sluice, which still survives today, over 100 years. 7 After crossing Powburgh Beck you provided water to the mills even in 3 After leaving the road you enter a will soon be able to see Monkhill times of low rainfall. This water world of Sunken Lanes with high windmill. The village of Monkhill was management allowed each settle- hedge banks or 'Kests' and equally served by two corn mills. The ment down stream to run its own impressive hedgerows. These old lanes windmill was responsible for grinding mill. Today, the Lough serves as one are a snap shot in time and are living corn when a drought meant the of the Solway’s precious wetlands, examples of what highways looked watermill could not operate. The and a valuable refuge for coots, like in Medieval times. Many of these watermill was powered by water from great-crested grebe and teal. Please old lanes linked settlements and Monkhill Lough. The lough is now keep to the right of way and do not provided droving roads which sadly drained for farming, but the contained the stock being driven due stream which filled it can still be seen disturb the private areas surrounding to their high steep sides and made away on your left. the Lough. large herds easier to manage. 8 As you return to Burgh, the Parish One of the Solway Villages you will 4 Thurstonfield is a village which built Church stands as a sentinel. The visit is Moorhouse, a small settlement up around the farming industry on the church was built in the twelfth with an illustrious past. The large fertile Solway Plain. The village’s old century and the pele tower was imposing building is Moorhouse Hall, mill still survives. Look out for the mill added in the 14th century. The church built c.1780 by a Carlisle solicitor house on the right on your way to the is built almost entirely of sandstone who’s father farmed in Moorhouse. Lough robbed from Hadrians Wall and the This partnership between father and Roman fort, the boundaries of which son created one of the largest estates 5 Thurstonfield Lough was once an enclose the church. In 1307 the body on the Solway Plain. essential link in the chain of water of Edward the I of England rested in milling on the Solway. Now it is a state in this church before his last Along the banks of the Sunken Lanes popular fishing venue and a place to journey to London of the Solway Villages Trail,

36 Five Circular Walks around the Roman Frontier Five Circular Walks around the Roman Frontier 37 1 2 Burgh by Sands Circular Walk Five 8

Map Key Route Gradient moderate steep Road Bus Point of Interest 1 Burgh Church Access to Road 1

3 Telephone Toilets Parking Refreshments Thurstonfield Signpost Bridge 4 Perch/Seat Step Stile Gate Narrow Gate 7 Kissing Gate View Point Path Surface

Thurstonfield Grass Firm/Even Lough 5 6 Moorhouse Soft Rough/Uneven

Ford Thurstonfield Burgh Old Railway Sunken Lanes Thurstonfield Lough Moorhouse Powburgh Beck Burgh by Sands

0 kilometres 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

0 miles 1 2 1 11 2 2 21 2 3 31 2 4 41 2 5 51 2 6 ­

Further Local Information

Visit the past • See the future • Understand the present

To find out more about the Solway Coast AONB, visit the Solway Coast Discovery To get the most enjoyment from your walks it is strongly recommended that you use Centre. The Discovery Centre includes a the relevant Ordnance Survey map new exhibition, art gallery and an to accompany the guide" education resource area. Recommended OS Sheets The exhibition showcases the Solway Coast and describes its wildlife, heritage, Recommended OS Sheets landscape, communities and a time line OS Explorer and Outdoor outlining historic to present and future Leisure 1:25 000 perspectives. Entrance fee applies, concessions available OS Explorer OL 43 Hadrian's Wall, Haltwhistle & Hexham The Tourist Information Centre has been newly designed and includes exhibitions OS Explorer 314 Solway Firth about the history of Silloth Airfield and the OS Explorer 315 Carlisle Carlisle to Silloth railway, as well as a large range of stock. OS Explorer 316 Newcastle upon Tyne The new art exhibition includes the work of local artists and has a bi-monthly featured artist. Please use Public For the Discovery Centre opening transport times, please phone the number and protect below for the TIC. the environment Contact details: The Discovery Centre, Liddell Street, Silloth on Solway, For all public transport Cumbria CA7 4DD. Tel: 016973 31944 information call Traveline or visit www.traveline.info For further information on the Solway Coast AONB, visit www.solwaycoastaonb.org.uk or Tel: 016973 33055.

40 Five Circular Walks around the Roman Frontier Five Circular Walks around the Roman Frontier 41 ­

Hadrian's Wall Country Information

Britain’s greatest Roman monument, Hadrian’s Wall World Heritage Site runs for 150 miles from Arbeia at South Shields to Ravenglass on the Cumbrian coast. There For more information about were once over 30 forts on the Roman Hadrian’s Wall World Heritage Site frontier, including the original 16 on the line and Hadrian’s Wall Path National of the Wall, along with Milecastles, turrets, a Trail visit: ditch to the north and the great Vallum earthwork to the south. Today you can visit a hadrians-wall.org string of amazing forts and museums that nationaltrail.co.uk/hadrianswall stretch across the north of England, with the Wall itself visible at some major sites. or call the Hadrian’s Wall There’s much to see and do from the Wall, information line on: experience dramatic landscapes, watch 01434 322002 wildlife, explore the turbulent Border Riever past, Christian heritage, castles and busting Email: [email protected] market towns and villages. There are numerous trails to follow whether walking or cycling, short or long, there’s something for everyone. A companion guide "Walking in Hadrian’s Wall Country" is also available featuring a selection of walks and itineraries. For advice and information about the World Heritage Site and Hadrian's Wall Country visit hadrians-wall.org Online Shop Visit hadrians-wall.org/shop for a full range of Hadrian's Wall books, map, gifts and local products to help plan or celebrate your visit, or even make a donation to help support the ongoing conservation, preservation and management of the Hadrian's Wall World Heritage Site.

42 Five Circular Walks around the Roman Frontier