Before there was a Wall, there was a road. The Stanegate, a Roman route running east to west between the Tyne at Corbridge and the Eden at Carlisle, was the first frontier line in northern Britain, guarded by a string of forts decades before Hadrian ordered his great barrier built a little to the north. Near Crosby-on-Eden, a few miles east of Carlisle, the line of the old road passes through gentle farmland on the north bank of the Eden, and while there is little to see of the road itself, the landscape tells the story of how the Romans picked their way across this narrow neck of the country.
This is the Eden valley at its most pastoral: rich red soil, hedgerows, scattered farms, and the river curling in loops through water meadows. The Eden is one of the great salmon rivers of England, and anglers in waders are a common sight. Crosby-on-Eden is a small village with a church and a few houses; nearby is Carlisle's small airport, and you may see light aircraft overhead.
The riding here is rural and relaxed. The A689 runs east towards Brampton, and the minor roads through Crosby, Low Crosby and Irthington are narrow, winding lanes between hedges, with farm traffic, mud on corners and the occasional tractor coming the other way. It is pleasant country for an easy pace, with views north to the Bewcastle Fells and south to the northern Pennines, which rise as a long dark ridge on the horizon. For more challenging roads, the Pennines beckon: the climb from Brampton or Penrith over Hartside towards Alston is one of the classic motorcycle routes of northern England.
The weather in this part of Cumbria is famous for being wet, though the Eden valley is a little drier than the Lake District to the southwest. Rain can arrive with little warning, and wind sweeps across the open country.
Carlisle, just a few miles to the west, is the obvious place for fuel, food and anything else you need. It has a fine castle, a red sandstone cathedral and the Tullie House museum, which tells the story of the Wall and the frontier. Brampton, to the east, is a pleasant market town with cafés and fuel too. Take a moment by the river, listen to the water and the curlews, and imagine the legions marching by.