Out on the Solway coast west of Carlisle, the land flattens into salt marsh, peat bog and wide tidal sands, and the sky takes over. Campfield Marsh, near Bowness-on-Solway, is a nature reserve run by the RSPB, a mix of salt marsh, wet grassland and raised bog, and in winter it fills with tens of thousands of geese, barnacle and pink-footed, arriving from the Arctic, along with waders that feed on the mud at low tide. Across the firth, the town of Annan and the Scottish hills are visible on a clear day.
Bowness-on-Solway marks the western end of Hadrian's Wall, where the fort of Maia stood, and the frontier continued along the coast with a chain of milefortlets and towers. The wall's line here is barely visible, and the village is small and quiet, with a pub and a few houses, many built with Roman stones. The Hadrian's Wall Path ends here, and walkers often celebrate in the pub.
The Solway coast is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and it feels remote despite being so close to Carlisle. The tides are fast and dangerous, and the sands can trap the unwary, so stick to the roads and paths. The coast road is narrow and flat, sometimes flooded at very high tides, with views over the marshes and the firth. Watch out for cattle and sheep on the road, which is unfenced in places.
The nearest towns with fuel and supplies are Silloth, a Victorian seaside resort to the south-west, Wigton, and Carlisle. Annan, across the water, is closer as the crow flies but a long ride around the head of the firth. Summer has its own charm, with natterjack toads calling at night and the bog covered in cotton grass. Come in autumn or winter for the geese, early in the morning or at dusk, when the skeins fly overhead, calling.