Walk 47 (HW 6) - 17.6 miles - Total 637.0 miles - To Go 363.0 miles

Sam's Walk

Carlisle, Sands, Carlisle Castle, Burgh Sands, Drumburgh, Glasson, Port Carlisle, Bowness on Solway.





Hi Sam. This is the last day of our walk and it was special. I am writing it sitting at the end of the walk listening to the curlews and overlooking the Solway. It has been a pleasure walking your walk. We have met some wonderful people who have kindly donated and wished us success with our campaign. We have also seen some amazing sights. And we did it. Over 90 miles in 6 days would have seemed amazing to us a year ago and the legs do ache but we did it. If I had a magic wand now we would close our eyes and make our wish for a treatment for MS. With the help and support we have seen and the efforts of people like Robin Franklin we are full of hope.

Today we started out from our B and B at the Courtfield Guest House, Carlisle. Run by Margie this is the most perfect place you will ever stay in. Everything immaculately clean and the interior design of every room turned out with flair and imagination. Lovely touches like scented candles to welcome you home after supper. Margie is the perfect host with a sense of humour that revives you after a long day walking.

We start out and early on Viv keeps assuring me we are not lost by the river Eden.

Our first stop is at the Sands Sports Centre to get our sixth stamp for our passport. We read the sunday papers, have a coffee and meet the lovely Maureen. Thank you for your generous donation Maureen which we know will make a difference.


We go to the Castle to meet up with the East Cumbria branch of the MS Society. What an amazing group of people. We are inspired by the work Sarah, Lucy, Nicola, Lee and the team have done to help people in the area who have MS. With 100 members they have set up monthly cafe meets where people make friends and talk about their lives and help each other through the struggle MS brings to them. 20-30 people come each month. They have set up a Parent/Child group and a young parents group and run fund raising events like fashion shows. They talk of the great work their local support officer Julie does. With MS continually disrupting their lives impacting mobility, stamina and the ability to do what they want to do we are amazed at what they are achieving. You guys are truly amazing and it was a real pleasure to meet you all. Keep going while the scientists work hard on finding a treatment.

We carry on along the Eden where we come across the Cleveland Under 8's preparing for a tournament. We discover that there are already players being tracked by the big football clubs. Three are being tracked by Blackburn Rovers and two by Liverpool.


We talk to a fisherman Mike Selby who has been by the river for four hours since 8.30 and caught nothing. He caught a 2lb salmon the night before which will be his meal today. Rob says he doesn't get it standing there for four hours and catching nothing. I remember whiling away hours with my dad by the Trent when young and enjoying even the sessions when we caught nothing.



We walk until we get to the Greyhound at Burgh by Sands where we stop for lunch. We bump in to Annelies again who joins up with us for the final stretch. Liam the barman comes over to learn about our campaign and also to show us a card trick. Well done Liam as this attracted further donations to the cause. Rob then impressed us all with his own card trick which he then left Liam to work out how he did it. Cruel!


We stop at another pub for Viv at the Highland Laddie Inn at Glasson. We are now on to our final stretch down to the Banks at Bowness and Solway and when the camera men have finally worked out the angles of the sun and where we were allowed to cheer we threw up our arms in celebration of the completion of Sam's walk and the end of Hadrian's wall. We get our final stamp at the King's Arms and receive our certificate of acheivement. We are also told we are booked in for supper at 8pm and had better be on time! We stayed at The Old Vicarage which was another great B and B with bags of character, comfort and welcoming hospitality.


Well done Rob and Viv and a big thanks to Viv for joining us on this leg of the walk. Viv taught us a lot about engaging people in what we are doing and was a real success at getting people interested. Aching limbs, already some wonderful memories settling down and more donations to what we really want which is a successful treatment for MS. The locals celebrate the end of our Hadrian experience with us and their impromptu folk band at the Kings Arms.