Carlisle to Bowness on Solway – 15 miles (24 km)
The final stage takes you from the urban surroundings of Carlisle through Bitts Park to the south bank of the River Eden.
You’ll follow the river to the tiny hamlet of Beaumont, where you leave it to make its way north to the Solway Firth, whilst the path continues west to Burgh by Sands.
Burgh by Sands was once the site of a Roman fort, Aballava. It is also the death-place of Edward I of England in 1307.
The king, whilst on his way to war against the Scots, died on the marshes near Burgh, and his corpse lay at the village’s 12th-century church until its eventual removal to Westminster Abbey. There is an impressive monument on the marshes erected in 1685 to mark the place where he died. It is signposted and is just over a mile north of the village.
The path progresses west, (with some fantastic views north into Scotland and south to the Lake District hills), following a disused railway line to the hamlet of Drumburgh. In the 14th century a pele or tower house known as Drumburgh Castle was built here by Thomas, Lord Dacre, whose coat of arms are placed over an entrance at second floor level. After a long period of neglect, it was fully restored as a private dwelling in the 1970s. It has extremely thick walls built with stones taken from Hadrian’s Wall.
From Drumburgh you travel on to the flood plain of the Solway Firth passing Port Carlisle, the original name of which was Fisher’s Cross. The port was built in 1819 and four years later, a canal link was added to take goods to Carlisle Basin. The canal was closed in 1853 and Port Carlisle silted up. You can still see the remains of the old quay.
Your final section takes you to the end of the path at Bowness on Solway.
Bowness means ’rounded’, or bow-shaped headland’ and the village is situated on the site of the Roman fort called Maia, the second largest on Hadrian’s Wall. There was also a small civilian settlement (vicus) outside the south gate of this fort.
Follow the signs to Rampart Head and make sure to have your picture taken at the official end of the Hadrian’s Wall Long Distance Path.