Outpost

We left our holiday bungalow today and instead of belting back up the motorway we went up the west coast of Cumbria to Carlisle.

On leaving the small village we were in - The Green - I was encouraged to see 2 EV charging stations outside the village hall.

We headed over the hills to Whitehaven then on to Cockermouth (where Wandsworth was born; and Christian Fletcher - he of Mutiny on the Bounty - grew up locally) and then on to Maryport where this photo was taken.

Sadly the museum of Roman artefacts only opens Friday-Sunday so we could not see inside. Maryport is where Hadrian’s Wall reached the sea, hence the signpost showing how many miles away Rome is. On a misty murky day like today the centurions must have wondered why they were there. There are still many Roman place names around and many of the roads are as straight as a die.

Onwards to Silloth which has a lovely green and frontage of houses including one advertising Mrs Wilson’s bakes. Unfortunately it was closed. Fortunately the public toilets were open, unlike in the nearby village where a sign apologised that the loos would not open until Easter 2025. Too long to keep one’s legs crossed. Overall everywhere was quiet but I can imagine how busy it would be in summer.

To finish our detour we ended up in Wigton, Cumbria which has one of the most ornate war memorials I have seen. The town is of particular interest to the family as it is where the kitchen grandfather clock I have posted previously was made in 1770 for a McAdam ancestor.

The drive up the road was straightforward and when we reached the Borders we saw the sun for the first time in days!