🥾Warm Boots & Bowie 👨‍🎤

January 3, 2025
Posted by admin

Passing by the immense Lanercost Priory last night in fading light it was difficult to get photos . It’s really unusual as half of it is wrecked ( as you would expect ) after Henry VIII gave it a good kicking in the 1530s but the other half on the right was restored as a parish church 200 years later .

It’s in a marvelous position just off the Hadrian’s Wall way – with its attendant priory cottages now restored and very desirable.

As with most building projects in the past thousand years around here Roman stone has been “recycled“

Today is 29 September and we start at yet another top quality B&B . The Scotch Arms Mews was an old pub which is now a luxury B&B in Brampton. Great for hikers , popular on this long distance trail , it’s kitted it out for drying boots, sorting muddy gear , log fires , Late night honesty Bar, and big breakfast super fuel for the day.

….. it has its own well set into the floor through a circular glass porthole.

The day is sunny, dry and perfect for heading to Carlisle. We make good time as this makes such a difference.

What’s this!? — strong shadows, we’re not used to this

We came across an unmanned honesty box Mini Café . A small shed , hot &cold food ,fridges etc with 3 Tables under cover . Great idea and a boon for travelers. The true spirit of rambling community. Odd then that the owner implied we were ALL UNDER SUSPICION- many signs

with 3 active security cameras and a stone statue of pooing dog as his gatepost ornament.

BIZARRE

Rolling countryside now , idyllic cottages , chickens in the road , being watched by a black cat. Less signs of the wall here but more than made up for it by the ideal conditions.

Broad grassy tracks across Roman quarries where Masons and Artisan Soldiers labored creating Stone for the Great Project . Some banking even used to protect Cambria from flooding.

On Into the valley of the river Eden. All trace of the harsh environment of previous days now gone the closer we get to the west end of the trail.

Soon into the Carlisle outskirts, passed Rickerby Tower . After so much serious fortification — you automatically give this war like tendencies. We love that it was built as a DoveCote in Victorian times !

Across the bridge and into Luguvallium – The catchy name for Carlisle.

We dump our bags – Head out to a pub we have been recommended called the “thin white duke”.
Yes it’s Bowie themed, yes it’s noisy, yes it’s our last night on the trail.

Let’s see how this goes……..

Xxxxxx