1. Bowness on Solway to Boustead Hill and an afternoon in Carlise

21.07.11  6 miles

 

Start of  hiking the wall, nobody is on the street in Browness on Solway.    

 

I slept well in the barn in Hill Side Farm. Sandra served a wonderful English Breakfast with fried bacon, tomatoes, mushrooms, eggs and baked beans. I love English breakfast. It is not to believe from how far away people come to hike the Hadrian`s Wall. In the guestbook I read about hikers from New Zeeland, Australia, USA, Canada and Europe. The  plan for this day was the hike to walls end (for me the start) around 6 miles and a vistit at afternoon in Carlisle. I started from the barn in Boustead Hill and was without my backpack, only a sandwich and water. The small street to Bowness is somtimes under water when the tide is high. All around sheeps and cattles also on the damm beside the street. In the next village, Drumburgh, is an old castle. After the castle the trail makes a loop into the moor (moss), which is protected. I passed a Farm, I never have seen such a dirty yard, black mud all around, it was difficult to pass the farm, the mud was feet deep. Also the trail has some really dirty parts, deep mud from all the rain and the cattles. In Glason is a nice pub but it was to early for a beer and the pub was still not open. I passed a clean RV Park but I saw no tents. Now I was back on the road to Bowness, I crossed the street and walked on a small path next to the coast. I had a wonderful view to the hills of Scotland on the other side of the bay and River Eden. Some people with dogs walked along the coast, most they have more than one dog. Port Carlisle is a quiet nice village and a good place to watch the sunset. From Port Carlisle I had to walk on the small street always a nice view to Scotland and the Solway Coast. In springtime it is a good place for birdwatchers. In one of the first houses a couple was trying to move a big box to the house, I ask:" shall I help" and so I helped to move the big and heavy box to the house. The Lady told me how nice I am and that I help although I hiked the wall. I answered" I was not walking the 84 miles today".

I followed the marker to the end of the wall. A small wooden cabin with information about Bowness on Solway, in which area the romans castle was. Bowness is really an old village. I wanted to have some stamps but after a while not finding the postoffice I saw the pub, time for a Lunch. The pub was closed. In the old chapel is a refreshment point, it was open but nobody was in, the privat rooms all was open, I am in wondering. Nobody on the street so I was going to the old Church in the middle of an old graveyard. Beside the church is a watertap, I filled my waterbottle,visited the Church and back in the village. There is a meeting point for the hikers and you can buy the Hadrian´s hiking pass. The chop was there but not the pass. Now I must hike the trail without a pass and nobody will believe that I was hiking the whole distance. 2 couples in my age and a littlre bit older came to the meeting point and for the last chop. They hiked the 84 miles in 10 days. They are without the backpack, a company moved the backpack every day to the hotels. I have not booked hotels, in my backpack is a little tent and I will sleep in when I have enough for the day.

It was only noon and the bus to Carlisle was going in 2 hours, I must wait sitting on the bench near wallsend, had my sandwich and the water from the church. I saw fishermen with a special net. The fisherman was standing in the river to catch salmons with this net. River Eden shall one of the best place in England to catch salmons.

 I was the only one in the bus to Carlisle. I had only 3 hours for the visit because the last bus back to Bousted Hill at 6 pm . I visited the big museum, the castle closed when I was ready with the museum and I enjoyed the wonderful interior of the Cathdrale. Had a lunch in a restaurant with south american touch. I ordered a quarter chicken but they served only a muscle, it was tasty but not worth the money. Quick in a grocerie for shopping, I needed somthing to eat and also for the first long hike. It was a shop for big families, I bought 200 teabags although I only needed 4 bags for Supper and breakfast next morning. The same with bread and cheese. 

Back with the bus to my sleeping places in the barn. For Carlisle you need more than 3 hours, it is a nice city with a lot to see.