This walk was almost completely road walking as we turned the corner on the Solway Firth ready for our walk to Carlisle tomorrow. Roughly to the west of us was mostly marsh land with numerous water features criss-crossing, hence the road walking. The weather forecast was for cloudy with a chance of rain later in the day. To reach the start line for the walk we had to catch a bus to Abbeytown, returning to where we started yesterday's walk, but this time going forward.
Later by Raby Cote, there is a bridge over the old railway bed and faint traces of the old line can be seen running off from the bridge. It looked too uncertain to us and with a such a long walk to complete we did not want to spend further time trying to find an invisible path and we kept to the road.
Much later in the day at Anthorn there was an opportunity for some beach walking. However, for the same reason, nearly seventeen miles to walk, we resisted walking on the sand with the heavy packs and kept to the hard pathway, running parallel to the beach.
Leaving Abbeytown we passed the parish church mentioned in the write-up of yesterday's walk from Abbeytown to Silloth. The current church includes what was the church of the old Cistercian monastery. Even in this cut-down form it looks a formidable building and gives you an idea of the wealth that must have been around in the area in bygone days.
At Raby Grange we took the left fork to head down to Salt Coates, which offered distant views across the marsh to the coast beyond. At this juncture we were walking (albeit distantly) down the other side of the River Waver, which we had followed for a short distance yesterday while accessing the Calvo and Skinburness marshes. As the name implies, the village of Salt Coates was built on the creation and production of salt pans. The owners of the local abbey, Holme Cultram Abbey, worked some twenty-one salt pans in the local area. There was once a thriving salt industry all round the Solway coast. Rounding Salt Coates and moving towards Newton Arlosh you move to look over the Newton Marsh, beyond which you see the radio masts at Anthorn.
We could have been walking on the beach along the Cardurnock Flats but when we had tried it at Anthorn Bridge the sand was very soft and with the heavy packs, painful on the calf muscles. Still, it did not hamper us from enjoying the view or the feast of yellow broom on the wild hedgerow. Along the route you pass the RSPB Campfield Marsh reserve, said to be one of the most important wetland areas in the UK, particularly in springtime when wader numbers are plentiful.
Not long after we thankfully came to the village of Bowness where we were to be staying the night. While not the best or most interesting walk I've ever done, it did have its high points, among them the views of the Solway Firth from Anthorn onwards. It seems to me this whole section of Cumbria and, over the Firth in Galloway, does entail a lot of road walking and you just have to settle that in your mind and look for the bits to enjoy.