Hadrian's Wall Postcard

You've reached the end of your journey at Bowness-on-Solway, a tiny village of 1,000 residents. Situated on a headland the village overlooks Solway Firth, which separates England and Scotland.

A railway viaduct, a mile long (1.6km), was constructed in order to freight hematite from Cumbrian mines to Scottish iron works. Built on 193 piers, the viaduct was an unsuccessful financial venture and in 1880 due to ice floes 45 of its piers collapsed.

Although the viaduct was repaired and continued operating till 1921, it was eventually closed down and dismantled. The bridge was purchased for dismantling and the materials were repurposed. Interestingly some of the materials were used by the Japanese in the Sino-Japanese War. Today you still see some of the bridge piles jutting out on the embankment.

A humorous feature of St Michael's Church which is located on the Bowness headland are its 2 bells that were stolen from the Scots as revenge for having its original bells taken by Scottish raiders in 1626. The church itself dates back to the 12th century and it was built by using the nearby Hadrian Wall's sandstone. It continues to be an active church today.

To celebrate the completion of your journey have a rest at The Kings Arms Inn, a family run pub with home cooked meals.

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Tags:Conqueror Challenge, Hadrian's Wall, Postcard, Exercise, Running

This update was first written by Darren Wall
on Monday 28th Mar 2022.
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