From Cardurnock the whole Solway coast opens out, and on a clear day you can see Criffel and the Scottish shore, the Lake District fells to the south and the long line of the tide marking out the sand. The peninsula is a lonely place, flat and breezy, with a few farms, a lot of birds and the remains of an old railway viaduct at Bowness a few kilometres away. That structure, a long iron bridge across the firth, linked Cumberland with Dumfriesshire from 1869 until it closed in the 1920s and was taken down in the 1930s. It carried iron ore from Cumbria to the Scottish furnaces and, according to the stories, thirsty Scots across to Bowness on the days when their pubs were closed.
The Wall lay here, too, though it has largely disappeared. The Roman line followed the coast, with milecastles and turrets, to Bowness-on-Solway. The path that now follows it is a popular walk, and the tops of the dunes give clear views of the water. In a west wind the surf and the cries of birds make an unforgettable noise.
Riding to Cardurnock requires care. The roads are narrow, straight and level, with little protection from the weather. Gusts can be fierce, and the low sun in the evening is dazzling. The tide has a habit of flooding the coastal road at the highest spring tides, so look for signs. In winter the geese on the marsh are thick, and in spring the lapwings and skylarks fill the sky.
The ride is part of a longer journey to the English Lake District, which lies to the south and east, with its lakes, fells and passes. To get there from here you ride through quiet farmland, with the rounded shape of Skiddaw growing on the horizon. Silloth, three thousand strong, has fuel and chip shops, and Annan, over the water, is only a long drive away by way of Carlisle.
Come on a bright, windy day, and bring a layer you do not need. The landscape is big and bare and does not forgive anyone dressed for the town.