Log No 172. Mon 28th Oct 2013 - Carlisle to Abbeytown, 29 miles (2651 miles walked)

Early to bed and early to rise - I started walking at 06.40, my earliest start. It wasn't fully light yet and I could have done with some high visibility clothing.
It was dry when I left but it soon came on a shower and then I was all in black!

I took a minor road out of Carlisle on the southwest side of the River Eden and at Kirkandrews I got onto a short section of Hadrian's Wall Path, not that there was any evidence of the Wall.

Back on the road and after going through Burgh by Sands the road follows the Solway Firth coast.

It is all very flat round here and prone to tidal flooding.

Hadrian's Wall Path is generally on the road as there are no remains of the Wall, just before Port Carlisle the Path was a pleasant tree lined footpath and one of the trees was an apple tree and the apples were good to eat.

Bowness-on-Solway marks the end of Hadrian's Wall.

Patches of blue sky allowed the sun to come out occasionally but I needed to keep my jacket on with the cool wind.


I continued on the road as it followed the coast going past a group of 13 interconnected high masts before turning inland to get over the River Wampool at Kirkbride.

The road went through Newton Arlosh then crossed over the River Waver to Abbeytown.

Just before this bridge there was a layby/waste ground ideal for my campsite tonight.

Abbeytown was my destination, it being the first place I could get a bus back to Carlisle.

This has been my longest walk so far at 29 miles and with the buses only every 2 hours I had to go at a good pace and I got here in 9 hours. It certainly put my new walking shoes to the test and they seemed to have passed with flying colours.