Walton to Carlisle – 11 miles (18 km)
In this section the path returns to farmland as you head towards Carlisle and you leave any stone evidence of the Wall behind. However, you will still occasionally see raised foundations and vallum, the huge earthwork associated with the Wall.
The path follows the Eden valley and passes to the north of Carlisle Airport, now owned by the Stobbart Group of companies. You’ll see many of the famous white, green and red Stobbart lorries on the roads, each with its own individual girl’s name painted on the cab.
You’ll eventually cross the M6 motorway, one of the main north/south links in England running from Birmingham in the Midlands to the Scottish border at Gretna and then pass into Rickerby Park on the outskirts of Carlisle.
The Park was purchased by the citizens of Carlisle from private ownership in 1920 and dedicated to the fallen of the First World War. A riverside path takes you along the banks of the River Eden to the Memorial Bridge, (locally known as the suspension bridge), where you cross the river to Carlisle itself.
Carlisle, which was established as a Roman settlement to serve the forts on the Wall, attained city status in the middle ages and is the county town of Cumbria.
Carlisle Castle which is still relatively intact, was built in 1092 by William Rufus, and once served as a prison for Mary, Queen of Scots. The castle now houses the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment and the Border Regiment Museum.
Tullie House Museum and Gallery, which is named after the Jacobean mansion in which it is located, was opened in 1893 by the Carlisle Corporation. The museum features resident exhibits detailing the history of Roman occupancy of the region, Hadrian’s Wall and the Border Reivers.
There is also the city’s Guildhall Museum is which is based in a 14th-century house and hosts exhibits related to the city’s 8 medieval trade guilds.