Connect Carlisle with Slow Ways

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Carlisle

Cumbria


Slow Ways linking Carlisle and Bowness-on-Solway, Brampton (Carlisle), Gretna, Hesket Newmarket, Lazonby, Longtown, Wigton

England / Cumbria / Carlisle

Carlisle’s seven Slow Ways are 54% checked

Drawn: 7/7
reviewed: 6/7
verified: 2/7
and surveyed: 0/7

Help connect Carlisle

Many Slow Ways have several route options. Some will be better than others, or good for different reasons.

Our goal is for each Slow Way to have at least one route that is verified and surveyed. To be verified – and get its snail badge – a route needs at least three positive reviews.

Give a hike and help get a for every one of Carlisle’s Slow Ways.

Walk to Carlisle from further afield

Slow Way Route To do
Bowness-on-Solway—Carlisle
Bowcar one

Double check Distance 24km/15mi Ascent 168m Descent 161m
Bowness-on-Solway—Carlisle
Bowcar two Review me Distance 25km/15mi Ascent 161m Descent 151m
Carlisle—Brampton (Carlisle)
Carbra one Survey me Distance 19km/12mi Ascent 215m Descent 166m
Carlisle—Brampton (Carlisle)
Carbra two Review me Distance 20km/13mi Ascent - Descent -
Carlisle—Lazonby
Carlaz one

Double check Distance 32km/20mi Ascent 503m Descent 570m
Carlisle—Lazonby
Carlaz two Verify me Distance 29km/18mi Ascent - Descent -
Gretna—Carlisle
Grecar one

Double check Distance 21km/13mi Ascent 217m Descent 217m
Gretna—Carlisle
Grecar two Survey me Distance 20km/12mi Ascent - Descent -
Hesket Newmarket—Carlisle
Hescar one

Double check Distance 24km/15mi Ascent 216m Descent 362m
Hesket Newmarket—Carlisle
Hescar two

Double check Distance 24km/15mi Ascent - Descent -
Longtown—Carlisle
Loncar one Pioneer me Distance 18km/11mi Ascent 95m Descent 91m
Longtown—Carlisle
Loncar two Pioneer me Distance 18km/11mi Ascent 107m Descent 103m
Wigton—Carlisle
Wigcar one

Double check Distance 23km/14mi Ascent 170m Descent 181m

Fancy stretching your legs a bit more?

If you’ve polished off all of the routes between Carlisle and its neighbours, how about walking its whole web?

This includes the great ring of routes that join its neighbours to each other!

Collective progress

52% of Carlisle’s seven route options are drawn, reviewed, surveyed and/or verified

13/13

drawn

11/13

reviewed

1/13

surveyed

2/13

verified

16 people have contributed to Carlisle’s Slow Ways

0 people have pledged to walk and review a route

1 people have surveyed a route in Carlisle

260km out of 295km have been walked and reviewed

508km of reviews have been shared in Carlisle

Latest Updates

The field crossing from Old Church Lane to Stanegate (Roman Road) was surprisingly good, with gorgeous views to admire, looking down on surrounding countryside. Unfortunately, the only river crossings (Irthing and Cambeck) available in today’s world (there’s evidence of historic crossing points) took us a long way round along a relatively busy road (A6071) with no pavement but partial verges, and lots of farm vehicles with trailers. From Irthington (a village with a good pub/hotel but only 25% through the route) there was a significant climb along a quiet country lane to reach the Hadrian’s Wall long distance footpath. Along here there was evidence of the Vallum which runs alongside the Roman Wall, but the wall itself has disappeared almost completely....

Mary Oz

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Carlisle—Brampton (Carlisle)

Mary Oz added Carbra two, a new walk from Carlisle to Brampton (Carlisle)

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This is a long route that we tackled over two weekends, from Lazonby to Armathwaite one weekend and Armathwaite to Carlisle on another. It’s a lovely route, through varied terrain including woods, fields, along rivers and with some road walking. Parts of the route are a bit up and down and due to the weather (we walked it during and after heavy rain) there was a fair amount of mud to contend with, but nothing un-walkable....

Gismay

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wellchoughed took this photo on Grecar two

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We headed over the lovely Lazonby Bridge, then straight away onto the field edge path, safely away from the road. Heading across the fields, there was no obvious trodden path, but the route was easy enough to follow. The fork onto the path closer to the river was easy to miss, and appeared to be gated off as we neared the road, but the path actually continued closer again to the river, crossed by tree roots. There was a gradual climb along a quiet road to where we turned off onto a good forest track. Crossing the M6 roundabout was easy and then we used a side road past a hotel and pub-restaurant....

Mary Oz

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Carlisle—Lazonby

Mary Oz added Carlaz two, a new walk from Carlisle to Lazonby

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Leaving Gretna, it wasn’t long until we crossed the border into England over the River Sark bridge. If we’d been able to use it, we would have realised that there is a parallel lane from OS Grid Ref: 336663 to 343657 just behind the road, which we didn’t notice until we reached the second pond. We had to stay on the road until we’d crossed the River Esk. Quiet roads took us to the outskirts, where a nice suburban, off-road footpath led us to the main road bridge over the Eden (beware of bikes which share the pavement)....

Mary Oz

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It is quite a long and very varied route with huge amounts of interest in terms of geography, history and nature. The route leaves Gretna via the verge next to the busy B7076 but quite quickly turns right onto a slightly quieter road which runs alongside the M6 (separated by a high barrier). The road adjacent to the M6 carries fast-moving traffic, the diversion due to wet fields was a little tiresome, there was evidence that some of the route might have been affected by a recent very high tide and the farm road up to Cargo was very nearly impassible due to deep puddles and mud....

wellchoughed

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Anna-Fleur Rawlinson took this photo on Grecar two

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The first part of the route runs alongside the edge of a road parallel to the M6 – which makes it pretty noisy....

Anna-Fleur Rawlinson

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The first section is the least pleasant: you have to walk along the edge of a road running parallel to the M6, so it's noisy and fumey....

Cressida P

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Started with a beautiful trail along the Eden River which quickly disappeared, we tried to lacoated muitlpe time which meant a lot of bushwacking and retracing steps. We ended up cutting above the river to walk the road as it was extremely overgrown!...

Clem

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Once the England Coast path is complete (there is a bridge out at present), it should be possible to avoid this section....

Sarah

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Sadly the path disappeared in a couple of places which meant a couple of quite tiring and slightly dangerous detours as the land was very steep and it would have been easy to fall quite badly if you'd lost your footing. further more we had to bush whack our way through stinging nettles on a very hot day which was quite an adventure but I wouldn't want to do it again. this route needs a definite rethink....

Robert Pearson

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Lazonby to Armathwaite is an easy and rewarding walk, with good views and some sections alongside the river on a well walked woodland path. We then walked along the road until we were able to drop back down to the river closer to Wetheral....

Ruby Kester

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On our way out of Scotby, we walked over a stile, down an unpaved country lane where we were presented with three gates (the route suggests walking in....

Gemma

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Gretna—Carlisle

Mary Oz added Grecar two, a new walk from Gretna to Carlisle

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A decent route from Carlisle to Brampton, making up the first section of our five day walk from Carlisle to Newcastle. Road walking takes you to Warwick Bridge and another refuel stop at Sally’s friendly tea shop, which is just across from Co-op. More road walking takes you past Toppin Castle. Note the red sandstone cross on the outskirts of Brampton that marks the site of a Capon tree that once stood there....

Emerald

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This is a gently undulating walk out of Carlisle, mainly on small roads and footpaths, as well as through a little wood and a golf course! From Scotby we turned left and continued on paved roads until taking a stile and passing under a bridge through to a field. It was quite muddy with lots of sheep, but lovely to be off the roads. From the woods we then emerged into Warwick, by a pub and then turned right onto the pavement along the A69 to Warwick Bridge....

Polly

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Across a field and then a bridge, we then follow a path that soon merges with the Cumbria Way. At Bell Bridge, we cross and descend into the field, and we're on a riverside walk for some miles now, lasting until we're past Rose Castle. Past Rose Castle, we head inland and uphill, passing Lime House school, then a farmtrack past Hawksdale Hall and into Bridge End, where there is a pub and a picnic area!...

Hiking Historian

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From Hesket Newmarket to Buckabank is an enjoyable route, but the footpath from there goes through a bullock field which has a jammed gate, followed by overgrown, muddy uphill woodland walks, easy to get lost, and that's before you discover a big chunk is missing as a new bypass being built....

Hiking Historian

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Hesket Newmarket—Carlisle

Hiking Historian added Hescar two, a new walk from Hesket Newmarket to Carlisle

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From here, it's a series of paved roads walks through Botcherby and Scotby Bridge (a few slight inclines). Taking the next junction, the road is paved up until the bridge over the beck, but we're not on it for much longer; a stile at a gate brings us to a track under the railway, and then across a field. Past the church, it's paved, but that soon vanishes, and we're onto quiet unpaved country roads once more, and almost constantly uphill. Once over Lower Gelt Bridge (with nice rapids!), we're on another unpaved road, although this one is a dead-end, only serving a couple of houses. We eventually emerge onto a paved road, and once around the corner, we're in the centre of Brampton....

Hiking Historian

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Once you do find the way up to the bridge the rest of the walk is roadside with very little in the way of verge or footpath.Altogether not a walk I would recommend or do again....

James Slowey Slowey

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Bowness-on-Solway—Carlisle

Hiking Historian added Bowcar two, a new walk from Bowness-on-Solway to Carlisle

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And last, although the wall walk is nice at Carlisle Castle, to get to it is a long steep staircase right at the end of the walk!...

Hiking Historian

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Terrain, gates, kissing gates, steps and footbridges, exclude wheeled users for most of the way. There is a good deal of unpaved roads, but although often busy with traffic, it is quite safe, and hikers are common. Transport connections are great in Carlisle, as is shopping, but in Bowness, and along the way, choices are limited, so take provisions....

Hiking Historian

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The marked route from Carlisle station to the Eden river wasn’t accessible at this time due to a road and path closure. We walked down towards Stainton where we knew there was a foot path to the right which would lead us to the river Eden (after another right turn and a subsequent left turn – neither signposted) and so get us back on track for Cargo and Rockcliffe. The path through Cargo and Rockcliffe was as described. After we passed Rockcliffe Cross the path was indicated to go across fields along the edge of farmland. Due to road layout changes you now have to turn right out of Metal Bridge and then sharp left onto the road to take you across the Eden and the Esk....

nan64

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The section leaving Wigton is lovely and well walked, and the road past Kirkland Hall and Greenwood Farm is quiet with distant mountain views. As you approach the main road embankment straight ahead, with the railway and house across to your left, you do have to turn right and walk up the access driveway of the houses to cross the busy A595 and walk along it’s verge SW for a hundred yards or so to turn down the road to Beckside, there is no footpath through the embankment as the map suggests. If you don’t want to go into Thursby itself you can just continue along the south bank of the Wampool to Wampool Bridge, and cross by road to the south of the railway line, taking a look at the grade II listed water tank at the old Curthwaite Station to the east from the top of the railway bridge....

Joanna

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Carlisle

Mally surveyed Carlisle

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Bowness-on-Solway—Carlisle

Slow Ways added Bowcar one, a new walk from Bowness-on-Solway to Carlisle

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Carlisle—Brampton (Carlisle)

Slow Ways added Carbra one, a new walk from Carlisle to Brampton (Carlisle)

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Carlisle—Lazonby

Slow Ways added Carlaz one, a new walk from Carlisle to Lazonby

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Gretna—Carlisle

Slow Ways added Grecar one, a new walk from Gretna to Carlisle

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Hesket Newmarket—Carlisle

Slow Ways added Hescar one, a new walk from Hesket Newmarket to Carlisle

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Longtown—Carlisle

Slow Ways added Loncar one, a new walk from Longtown to Carlisle

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Longtown—Carlisle

Slow Ways added Loncar two, a new walk from Longtown to Carlisle

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Wigton—Carlisle

Slow Ways added Wigcar one, a new walk from Wigton to Carlisle

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1

Carlisle, Fri 14 February

Light rain

Carlisle’s Slow Ways starting point

Grid ref

NY4022255558

Lat / Lon

54.89118° / -2.93349°

Easting / Northing

340,222E / 555,558N

Fancy stretching your legs a bit more?

If you’ve polished off all of the routes between Carlisle and its neighbours, how about walking its whole web?

This includes the great ring of routes that join its neighbours to each other!

Facilities

Users have reported that the following facilities can be found within 1km of Carlisle's meeting point

Public toilet

Wheelchair accessible toilet

Supermarket or convenience shop

Restaurant, cafe or pub

Accommodation

Accommodation for under £50 a night

Campsite

Bothy

Free wifi

Mobility scooter hire

Off-road wheelchair hire

Disabled Parking

Train station

Bus stop

Ferry

Official ‘Walkers are Welcome’ town

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