Maryport to Carlisle

If you want a relaxing day out but with things to see along the way, this is the tour for you.

Morning

Maryport is a well-preserved example of a Georgian planned town. Pay a visit to Fleming Square - a charming cobbled square with large, mainly Georgian houses. Maryport entered the history books nearly 2000 years ago when the Romans arrived and built a fort which dates back to 122AD. There is also an Aquarium, specialising in native British species. Maryport has a wide range of hotels, cafes, restaurants, takeaways and pubs, which offer something for everyone.

Maryport

Maryport is a very pleasant town to discover on foot - built on a grid pattern in the 18thC, it is very easy to find your way around. Start at the harbour, recently refurbished to a high standard where pleasure craft are berthed.

Lunch

Head north from Maryport to Silloth. You will drive through an area of outstanding natural beauty along the cumbrian coastline. Stop and have a walk along Beckfoot or Silloth Beach, take in some sea air, before heading upto Silloth for lunch. Silloth, the popular seaside resort in Cumbria’s Western Lakes and Coast, is noted for its invigorating but mild climate; its leisurely peaceful atmosphere and perhaps, most of all, its glorious sea views.

Silloth on Solway

Silloth on Solway with its grand Victorian houses, wide, cobbled streets and fine seaward vista, offers the opportunity for a relaxing, get away from it all break. The views out to sea are magnificent, particularly when the sun sets.

Afternoon

At Bowness on Solway there are sand dunes, salt marsh, shingle beds, and peat mosses make it a favourite spot with a number of bird species. There are viewpoints and lay-bys for spotting the waders, oystercatchers, curlew, golden and grey plover to name a few. Hadrians Wall is the most important monument built by the Romans in Britain. It stretches seventy-three miles from Wallsend near Newcastle, to Bowness-on-Solway and stands today as a reminder of the past glories of one of the world's greatest empires.

Bowness on Solway

The coastal village of Bowness on Solway is charming mix of pretty traditional Cumbrian cottages, house and farms, hugging the shoreline of the Solway Firth - part of the Solway Coast Area of Outstanding Beauty.

Evening

Heading along the northern coastline, through little villages and hamlets, you will arrive at the historic city of Carlisle, where you can relax and unwind after your day out and plan you next day of sightseeing in the city.

Carlisle City at Carlisle City Centre

Carlisle has a wealth of history and heritage, the Castle was founded in 1092, Hadrian's Wall bulit around AD122 to name a few. Explore the fantastic shopping and the surrounding spectacular countryside.

Carlisle City at Carlisle City Centre

Carlisle is a city of vital strategic importance, its magnificent Castle founded in 1092 by William the Conqueror's son now stands as testament to the years of feuding over the English-Scottish border. Explore its imposing dungeons and labyrinths, find the Licking Stones and prisoners' carvings, as well as discovering how Bonnie Prince Charlie captured the Castle in 1745. Also, visit the nearby Citadel built by Henry VIII with its original 'twin drum' bastions.Parts of the city are built from stone from Hadrian's Wall, built around AD122, to consolidate the boundaries of the Roman Emperor Hadrian's empire. The Wall is now the most symbolic legacy of Britain's Roman occupation and one of the most important designated World Heritage Sites in existence today.In Carlisle, you can also relive the times between the 14th to the 17th century, when the Western end of the border was a lawless place, beset by feuds and bloody battles between warring families to uphold their honour and protect property and possessions.The city's Cathedral, with its famous 14th Century stained glass window, is a must-see as is the award winning Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery, with its innovative Millennium Gallery.