Building Hadrian's Wall took an enormous amount of stone, and the Romans quarried it wherever they could find good sandstone near the line. In the woods and crags around Banks and Lanercost, east of Brampton, several of these quarries survive, and on the rock faces the soldiers who worked them left their marks: names, unit symbols and short inscriptions carved into the stone nearly two thousand years ago. Coombe Crag, near the Wall here, is one of the best known, with names scratched by men who were probably bored, tired and far from home. Finding them takes a bit of searching and some imagination, as the letters are worn and lichen-covered, but there is something deeply human about them.
The Wall itself runs just to the north, and this sector has some interesting sites. Banks East turret, beside the road, is a well-preserved small watch post. Hare Hill, nearby, has the highest surviving piece of the Wall, though it was partly rebuilt in the nineteenth century. Pike Hill signal tower, older than the Wall itself, offered a view across the valley.
Lanercost Priory sits in the valley below, with its red sandstone church partly built from stones robbed from the Wall, some still bearing Roman inscriptions. The priory was founded in the twelfth century and suffered repeated raids during the Anglo-Scottish wars. Today it is a peaceful place, with a tearoom and a gift shop in the old buildings, and walkers on the Hadrian's Wall Path often stop for a rest.
The roads here are narrow lanes, winding between hedgerows and woods, with short steep climbs and descents to the river Irthing. They are lovely to ride in good weather, with views over the valley and the Pennines to the south, but they demand care: gravel, mud, livestock and walkers are all common, and passing places are few. The weather changes quickly, and the lanes can be slippery under the trees after rain. Spring is beautiful, with bluebells in the woods and lambs in the fields.
Brampton, about seven kilometres away, has fuel, shops and cafés, and Carlisle is a little further. A cup of tea at Lanercost and a slow look at the Roman stones in the priory walls make a good pairing.