Roman signal station on Mains Rigg and Hadrian's Wall between the east end of Dav

Waypoint introductions and full write-ups

1. 1. Roman signal station on Mains Rigg

   On a low ridge south of the Wall, near the village of Low Row, the foundations of a Roman stone tower sit in a field with a commanding view up and down the Irthing valley. The signal station on Mains Rigg belonged to the system of the Stanegate, the road that ran from Corbridge to Carlisle before the Wall was built, and it allowed messages to be passed between forts by fire, smoke or flags. From here, on a clear day, you can see for miles: west to Carlisle, east toward the Pennines and north over the Wall.

   Read the complete Roman signal station on Mains Rigg write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Roman signal station on Mains Rigg is where the day begins. Next is Hadrian's Wall & vallum from A6071 to The.

2. 2. Hadrian's Wall & vallum from A6071 to The

   Do not expect a great stone wall here. Near Brampton, on the stretch running out toward the A6071, Hadrian's Wall is mostly a matter of earthworks and imagination: a line in a field, a softened ditch, the long parallel banks of the vallum to the south. In this western sector the wall was originally built of turf and timber before being rebuilt in stone, and centuries of farmers and builders carried off the dressed stones for barns and churches. What survives is listed as part of the UNESCO Frontiers of the Roman Empire, and once your eye tunes in, you start seeing the line everywhere.

   Read the complete Hadrian's Wall & vallum from A6071 to The write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Hadrian's Wall & vallum from A6071 to The comes up about 21 km into the recorded legs. Next is Hadrian's Wall between the east end of Dav.

3. 3. Hadrian's Wall between the east end of Dav

   Carlisle was the western hub of Hadrian's Wall, and on its northern edge, at Stanwix, stood the largest fort on the whole frontier. Known to the Romans as Uxelodunum, it held a cavalry regiment about a thousand strong, and its commander was one of the most important officers on the wall. Little of it is visible now, since the fort lies under the streets and gardens of a suburb, but the line of the wall can be traced through the town, in parts of the pavement and the shape of the streets, and a short surviving section lies in a quiet corner near the river Eden.

   Read the complete Hadrian's Wall between the east end of Dav write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   about 38 km into the recorded legs you reach Hadrian's Wall between the east end of Dav. Next is back through Hadrian's Wall & vallum from A6071 to The.

4. 4. back through Hadrian's Wall & vallum from A6071 to The

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Hadrian's Wall & vallum from A6071 to The write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   back through Hadrian's Wall & vallum from A6071 to The, late in the day. Next is Roman signal station on Mains Rigg.

5. 5. Roman signal station on Mains Rigg

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Roman signal station on Mains Rigg write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Back at Roman signal station on Mains Rigg. That is the ride.