The best cycling routes around St Cuthbert Without

Well, we got here nearly at the end of our Hadrian's Wall hike for the day and had a bit of bad luck. Fancy turning up at one of the best Roman forts on Hadrian's Wall to be told it was closed because the wind was too strong and it might blow us off the wall. A place to come back to.

One thing about the road between Bowness-on-Solway and Carlisle is that it's as flat as a pancake, and Burgh Marsh is no exception. It is a great cycling stretch of road with good views out over the Solway Estuary.

This historic and interesting harbour area in Port Carlisle is a great place to watch birds. In the autumn and springtime you can see a variety of bird flocks migrate, whilst wildfowl and waders flock here from Arctic breeding grounds to escape extreme cold.

Along Lanercost Road near Banks in Cumbria, you'll find the well-preserved remains of Leahill Turret (51B), a Roman watchtower built around 122 AD as part of Hadrian's Wall. The tower was fully excavated and consolidated in 1958 and is still visible today to a height of approximately one meter. Leahill Turret served as a staging post between Milecastles 51 and 52, providing Roman soldiers with a strategic vantage point over the northern border region. Inside, traces of a raised platform against the north wall and a later shelter structure against the south wall are visible, suggesting reuse in the 4th century.

Indeed, a lovely place to relax. Very hospitable and helpful staff. I can only recommend this place.

Things are moving forward here. Flat, and the wind is usually at your back. There's only the landscape and the sea to enjoy. And... the occasional stray cow.

Here you'll drive along Burgh Marsh, a vast salt marsh on the Solway Firth, where nature, history, and mystery converge. The area is located near Burgh by Sands and forms a key part of the Solway Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. King Edward I died here in 1307 during his campaign against Scotland, an event marked by a monument in the middle of the marsh. Bordering the western section of Hadrian's Wall, Burgh Marsh also bears traces of the Roman presence. Today, Burgh Marsh stands as a silent witness to centuries of frontier history, with a landscape that invites reflection and exploration.

Hesket Newmarket is a picturesque village in the northern part of the Lake District National Park. It sits on a terrace above the River Caldew valley and is surrounded by rolling hills, meadows, and footpaths. The village center consists of 18th-century cottages surrounding a long village green with a covered market cross. Although granted a market charter in the 18th century, it remained primarily a rural settlement. Today, you'll find a village shop, a post office, and the Old Crown Inn—the UK's first cooperatively run pub, renowned for its local character and connected to the Hesket Newmarket Brewery, also cooperative and beloved by beer lovers.