Took the 9:35 A.M. bus to Bowness-On-Solway to the start of the Hadrian’s Wall Footpath. Bowness is the person who started the village on the Solway Bay. Hikers with a map lead us down a narrow, overgrown single track towards the water. We had to climb down a metal ladder to get to the beach, and then walk over goose egg-sized stones to the starting/ending Pavilion on the Banks (left). (There was an easier access further up the road.)
We followed the acorn waymarkers past marshlands on which grazed cattle and sheep. The tide was out, and we could have walked a mile across the bay, it was that dry.
In Glasson, the kids had a “Coffee Morning” as a fundraiser for the playground. For £2, you could have tea or coffee and a scone. This lad was so happy that we stopped and, because we were walking, added a free pee. Since a visit to the loo was included, who could resist. The break and the snack were welcomed.
Walking through fields dotted with cow plops, I recalled the time when, as a teenager, I went blueberry picking on my Aunt Jeannette’s father’s farm. I tried to maneuver through slippery rocks over a brook with buckets full of berries, slipped, and fell into fresh cow dung. Everyone laughed. I was insulted–no one asked if I were hurt; they were so amused.
I also remembered one of my father’s story. When he was a boy, he and his brother Paul were pranksters. One day, they talked a young girl dressed in her Sunday finest to play “Hop the Plop.” As he demonstrated, he feigned 
putting his foot on the cow plop as he skipped over it. The unsuspecting girl put all her weight on the dung and soiled her white lacy anklets and patent leather shoes. I’m sure grandma gave them a good scolding for that one.
At the two-thirds point, we stopped in Burgh (pronounced “bruff”) for a cold drink at the Greyhound Inn. Near the Inn is a statue of King Edward I, famous for fighting the Scots (below).
At the church cemetery were tombstones almost as tall as Dennis. (below).
We had to take a detour because of mudslides. The rerouting was not well indicated, but we did get back on the path, crossing wooden bridges, going under two railroad bridges, and finally returning to Carlisle.
At he B & B, we washed up, and then went for supper. It was almost 7 P.M., but everything was shut or reserved. If only we had known about this requirement, we could have booked a table yesterday. We ended up eating miso soup and snacks in a Chinese gift ship–other than McDonalds and Kentucky Fried Chicken, there were no available eateries.
As usual I loved the pictures, except for the cow dung 🙂 The headstones must really be very old. I like to read the names and dates on old cemeteries and imagine what kind of life they must have had and how sad it is when there are several babies and small children, all from the same families.
Donna Jean,
I too love to read the headstones. These dated from 1600s
Wow, I knew they had to be really old. The oldest I’ve seen are from the 1800’s. Of course there weren’t any gravestones in the Midwest in the 1600’s. I guess if I remember my American history, there might have been on the East coast. I’ve always wanted to travel to truly ancient countries just for the history. It was always my favorite subject when I went to school and I still like to read about historical places. That’s what appealed to me about your blog.
Donna Jean,
If you like historical setting, Hadriann’s Wall is for you. It takes about 8 or 9 days, if you go slowly and visit all the sites. Perhaps you can plan a vacation around it. If you can’t hike, there is always the Hadrian’s Wall Bus. http://www.northumberlandnationalpark.org.uk/visiting/planningyourvisit/hadrianswallbus
Hi Jane, I would love to visit the wall but the likely hood that we would be able to do anything like that is highly unlikely. I love to hike. I exercise a lot actually, but the cost of that kind of travel isn’t possible for us. Unless of course my husband finally wins the lottery or one of my books sells a few million. I can dream and live vicariously through you.