Bowness-on-Solway is where Hadrian's Wall ends, or begins, depending on which way you are walking. This quiet village on the southern shore of the Solway Firth sits on top of the Roman fort of Maia, the second largest on the Wall, and its civilian settlement, which together make up the site on the label, part of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire World Heritage site. Almost nothing of the fort survives above ground, as much of the stone went into the houses, church and farm buildings of the village, but you can find Roman stones reused in walls if you look closely.
The village is the western terminus of the Hadrian's Wall Path, a long-distance trail that runs eighty-four miles from Wallsend on the Tyne, and walkers arriving here often stop at a small shelter on the shore to celebrate or collapse. From the shelter, called the Banks Promenade, you look out over the Solway towards Scotland, which is very close here; at low tide, it once was possible to wade across at certain fords, a fact the Border Reivers knew well.
The church of St Michael, built partly from Roman stone, has an interesting story: its bells were stolen by Scottish raiders in the seventeenth century, who dropped them in the Solway while escaping. The villagers retaliated by stealing bells from Scottish churches across the water, and those bells are still said to hang in the church today. Every new minister of the Scottish parishes is supposed to ask for them back, and is refused.
The riding to Bowness is flat and scenic, along narrow lanes beside the salt marshes, with views over the firth and the hills of Scotland. The roads can flood at high tides, so check tide times and follow warning signs. Little traffic, huge skies and a sense of being at the end of something make this a memorable ride, especially in the evening light.
The nearest towns with services are Carlisle and Wigton, inland, or Silloth, along the coast. Annan and Eastriggs, nearer on the map, are across the water in Scotland, a long way round by road via Gretna. The pub in Bowness, popular with walkers, is a good spot for a pint and a hearty meal.