WTWFD Final Stage: Burgh by Sands to Bowness on Solway

Yesterday, the time had finally come for the final stage of our adventure. Our Walking the Wall for Daina challenge was almost complete. We wanted to complete it before the kids return to school in September, and also before my younger son turns eight on Sunday!

A long way to get started

The main difficulty with these later stages of the walk has been the logistics of getting to our starting point. Yesterday’s walk saw us take the train to Carlisle, where my dad gave us a lift to the village of Burgh by Sands to begin the walk, over 3 hours since we left our house! We were already tired before walking a step, but the fresh air and beautiful scenery soon revived our spirits. Our first port of call was the fascinating St Michael’s Church in Burgh by Sands, built in the 14th century out of recycled Roman wall stone. Notable features include the head of a pagan god, mysteriously built into the wall behind the altar, and some spectacular 19th century stained-glass windows.

Across Burgh Marsh

After leaving the church, what seemed like an interminable walk through the picturesque village of Burgh led us out onto the wild expanse of Burgh Marsh, with its desolate but haunting beauty. The marsh stretches out to the Solway Firth, where the Rivers Eden and Esk empty into the Irish Sea. The tide was fully in when we set off, and we watched it recede with the progress of our walk. We followed the embankment above the marsh all the way to Drumburgh, thus avoiding the traffic which has a tendency to speed along the straight expanse of road which skirts the marsh. In Drumbrugh, we were grateful to visit the wonderfully well-stocked La’al Bite snack shed, which also has a well-maintained and clean toilet: a boon for trail walkers! One noteworthy building in this village is Drumbrugh Castle, really a fortified farmhouse (or ‘Bastle’) built in the days of the Border Reivers. No doubt incorporating Roman Wall stone, this impressive building also boasts a Roman altar in its garden!

The Final Stretch

From Drumburgh, the trail led inland towards Glasson, crossing farmland where we found an old Massey Ferguson tractor, and some curious cows. This track emerges at the peaceful Glendale Holiday Park, and from here a pleasant shaded path leads through marshland right to the water’s edge at Port Carlisle.

Once (as the name suggests) the Port of Carlisle when the canal was functioning (from 1823 to 1854), it was from here that many local emigrants to the United States began their journey, including the parents of 28th President Thomas Woodrow Wilson, who had previously lived in Carlisle, in a building now housing ‘The Woodrow Wilson’ pub. Hesket House in Port Carlisle has a miniature Roman altar above the door, carved with a dedication to a mother goddess.

A one-mile walk along the road from here leads to Bowness on Solway, where the Path Pavilion marks the end of the trail, for those who have walked from Wallsend. For my youngest son and me, the true end of the trail came when we headed onto the sands and dipped our boots in the tidal waters, as we had first done at South Shields, one cold and frosty morning in January. It was an emotional experience completing the trail in Daina’s memory, and I am so proud of both of my sons for taking part. Thank you to everyone who has read these posts, and shared in our journey!

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

Final Stage: Burgh by Sands to Bowness on Solway
Distance: 9.2 miles
Elevation gain: 120 ft
Time: 3 hours, 40 minutes
Total Distance: 100.5 miles

Thank you for supporting this journey!

My sons and I walked 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 sponsor 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