WTWFD Stage 11: Walton to Carlisle

After several weeks’ break from the trail, my sons and I were keen to continue our Walking the Wall for Daina challenge yesterday. We set off early, driving the peaceful Sunday morning roads to our previous end-point of Walton, Cumbria.

Long road ahead

The day’s destination was to be my native town of Carlisle, some 11.5 miles away, provided we could manage this distance in the heat. I am always wary of pushing the kids too far, so my dad was on call to pick us up along the trail should they become too tired. The weather as we set off was delightful: sunny with high cloud and a gentle breeze. Perfect walking conditions! We made steady progress towards the village of Newtown, some two miles away. Our route led to a close encounter of the herd kind, having to cross close by some young cattle who were blocking our route. The key was not to show any sign of nervousness! We then passed through idyllic woodlands and the waterfall at Cam Beck with its iron-rich waters. The pastoral landscape really felt like home to me, even though I’d never walked this part of the trail before. We enjoyed refreshments at The Old Dairy, Newtown (which I’d recommend for their friendly service, good selection of products and reasonable prices) before continuing towards Crosby on Eden, where we would stop for lunch.

High Fells and Low-flying Planes

The next section of our walk took us along the edge of farm fields skirting Carlisle Airport. Though it is not used for commercial aircraft, it is popular with light aircraft, as was evident on this day when we saw many small propeller planes taking off, presumably to enjoy the breathtaking mountain scenery all around. To the south, Cumrew fell provided a dramatic backdrop. It is a hill I climbed for the first time last summer, and wrote about in the first issue of New Lyricist. It is particularly interesting because it is adorned with a large stone cairn, Cardunnock Pike, which marks the location of a Bronze Age burial site. To the west, my beloved Lake District fells formed the horizon, while in the middle distance, we spotted Dixon’s chimney, a Carlisle landmark. Evidence of Roman occupation was discernible in a surviving section of Vallum near Blea Tarn. We were all ready for a picnic lunch as we tramped into the picturesque village of Crosby on Eden, 8 miles into our walk.

The last leg’s the hardest

The walk from Crosby to the suburban hamlet of Linstock, on the edge of Carlisle, followed the banks of the river Eden, which were adorned with wild flowers and steeped in birdsong. This was a particularly enjoyable section of the walk. However, once we arrived at Linstock, our progress began to slow in the rising heat. Knowing we were almost within the city limits of Carlisle actually made it harder, as I felt we didn’t have far to go, but somehow it was a long slog, no doubt because we were all getting tired by this point! We reached Rickerby Park, where I had many happy adventures as a child, and crossed the suspension bridge to pass my old school grounds and end up at the Sands Centre, our day’s destination where we picked up our all-important wall-walking ‘Passport stamp.’ Thanks once again to my dad for giving us a lift back to Walton, and our car! Next time, we can take the train to Carlisle before we begin what may be the final section of our walk…

You can find more images from the walk on the official EIF Instagram.

Stage 11: Walton to Carlisle
Distance: 11.8 miles
Elevation gain: 278 ft
Time: 5.5 hours
Total Distance: 84.9 miles

Thank you for supporting this journey!

I am walking the Wall in memory of my Aunt Daina, who died from MND in April 2024. Thank you to everyone who has donated so far, and to those who have bought Daina’s book, My Life With MND. Your money will go straight to the North and West Cumbria branch of the MND Association, to help those living with MND, just as they helped Daina when she was most in need. You can visit my fundraising page at Justiving.com to make a donation.

Ingrid