An Irish Sea inlet known as the Solway firth cuts a wedge between southwest Scotland and the northern English region of Cumbria. We had previously explored parts of the Scottish side but this would be our first foray along the opposite shore. While planning the trip, I had scouted out an RSPB reserve near the village of Bowness, which also happens to be the end point of the popular Hadrian's Wall walking trail - a route I'd love to tackle one day. Nicole booked a Travelodge just off the M6 and we set off around 11am on a blustery Friday. A storm had raged the previous night and was now thankfully blowing its last.
The M74 is an unlikely candidate for one of Scotland's great scenic drives. Once past the densely populated parts of Lanarkshire, the three-lane motorway winds its way through the Southern Uplands. The highway becomes the M6 as you cross the border but otherwise your journey continues unhindered. We had to turn off just before Carlisle to briefly take the A689 before diverging on to country roads along the Solway Firth. The nature reserve could wait until the next day but, with several hours of daylight still available, it made sense to get a feel for the area, rather than sit in a hotel room. We passed through a couple of tiny villages and noted the signs by the open roadside, stating that water levels on the long flat shore stretch could rise to two or three feet. That sounded rather ominous! The tide was pretty far out and we surmised the warning only applied during exceptional times and that the flooding didn't occur on a daily basis. Our theory was thankfully confirmed by a local resident as we parked at the far end of Bowness village. The views across the estuary to Dumfriesshire were simply stunning. We walked back through the narrow streets and examined the village church, constructed from salvaged parts of Hadrian's Wall. This convenient supply of stone provided local builders with a ready supply of material and as a result the fortification has vanished from the landscape at its western extremity. Unfortunately the tearoom had closed shortly before our arrival but the village pub was open. I ordered a pint of Corby Blonde - a local Carlisle brew. We were the only customers but a few people trickled in behind us. The area will be much busier during the warmer months when tired walkers troop into town.
We've all heard umpteen variations of the joke that speculates why the chicken crossed the road. But do we ever see poultry attempt this risky manoeuvre? During my half century on this planet, I didn't think I had. Until today. A handful of splendidly chunky birds strutted across the asphalt, prompting a van driver to halt, wind down his window and cheekily ask which one I fancied for tea. Life is indeed conducted at a slower pace around these parts! The incident also posed the question whether tomorrow's visit to the bird sanctuary could top what we'd just witnessed. We took the same road back towards Carlisle and detoured up to the small village of Rockcliffe to visit a country pub that had been recommended to us. The Crown & Thistle was bustling with drinkers and diners. I ordered a pint of Cumbrian bitter while Nicole sipped an artisan lemonade. A couple of comfy armchairs in the corner enabled us to relax and plan our activities for the next day. We slept soundly back at the hotel and were up early for breakfast at the nearby Morrison's Café. Six quid for a full English. Can't complain about that! I now knew the road out to Bowness and we continued the extra mile to RSPB Campfield Marsh. The reserve is staffed and a friendly welcome awaited us at the small visitors centre. The site is a mosaic of saltmarsh, peat bogs, farmland and wet grassland. This rich area is home to a variety of native wildlife, including ducks and geese in the winter and breeding waders, dragonflies and rare plants over the temperate period. Two circular trails have been created but the recent rainfall had rendered the smaller paths very muddy and we opted to stick to the farm track that led to a couple of bird hides. The first viewing area was worth the trip in itself. Dozens of lapwings splashed about in the pools while redshank and shoveler were also well represented. Nicole spotted a pintail but I missed out on that one. One of the volunteer rangers explained the wetland had been restored after many years of agricultural use. Initially this move provided a generous buffet for local foxes and electric fences had to be erected to keep the vulpine visitors at bay. It's often impractical to simply leave a newly-formed wild space to its own devices. An inevitable consequence of centuries of human tampering, but preferable to endless sheep and cattle enclosures.
The hide at the far end looked out over a peat bog but not much was happening today. On the way back we spotted a teal sitting on the grass. It was the first time we had seen our smallest duck out of the water. These dabblers have a vivid colour scheme (or at least, the males do) and it was fascinating to catch a glimpse of the breast which normally can't be seen when the teal glides around on a lake or river. We were more than satisfied with what Campfield Marsh had to offer. We didn't spot the snipe but you can't have it all. A bittern had recently been sighted around here but the closest I came to success was finding a metal pin badge of this quirky heron in the reserve shop. Another emblem for my RSPB hat. Got to keep up with fashion and trends. We drove a little further down the firth and pulled into an elevated lay-by for lunch. A scenic spot for sandwiches. Signs asked people not to descend to shore level as the territory was an important habitat for local wildlife. The thick gorse bushes would have provided a deterrent anyway, but perhaps not to dogs. Let's hope the advice to keep them on a lead at all times is heeded by all pet owners. I wouldn't stake my house on that. Our next port of call was Drumburgh Moss - accessed by driving a few hundred yards down a wide dirt track. The pot-holes weren't too bad and in any case Dolly Duster makes light work of indentations. The moss is owned by the Cumbrian Wildlife Trust and is a site of international importance, dominated by an expanse of lowland raised mire, one of Western Europe's most threatened habitats. Sphagnum moss, sundew and other bog plants thrive in the wetlands that make up much of the terrain. Adders are present and a herd of wild Exmoor ponies roam at will. Again, it was too slippery to contemplate a circuit but the hide was easily accessible from the parking area. We didn't see many birds but as we ascended the staircase to the entrance door, I noticed a few brown shapes in the distance.
The binoculars confirmed we had located the little horses and they were happily munching away on the ground vegetation. This made it difficult to take a photograph containing the head but eventually I got lucky. Peat bogs were formed over many thousands of years. Basically they resemble a giant sponge and the terrain is vitally important for carbon storage. Then along came humans with fanciful ideas of animal husbandry. Large areas of mire were drained across the UK and peat was cut for domestic fuel. These activities have left surviving patches of bog drier than they should be. The trust is attempting to reverse this process by blocking ditches, reprofiling peat faces and removing unnecessary trees in order to raise the water level to a more natural state. A fascinating place and one to return to in the summer. The longhorn cattle didn't put in an appearance but the ponies were the main prize. Native to the British Isles, the breed came close to extinction during WW2 when many were shot for food. The situation remains precarious and the global population is around 350. Let's hope they can hang on. Light was starting to fade and spots of rain were evident. The forecast had been dire and it was certainly a bonus to have avoided a soaking as we explored the Solway. We drove back to the M6 and wet conditions were soon encountered. It had been an excellent short break in a corner of England we had never visited before.
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