Our final day (well, final apart from the 4 miles we still had to do in Newcastle) began with rain thundering down onto our tents. We had been told the previous night that the day was due to be soaking wet - and it certainly started being. Fortunately for us, though, the heavens closed just as we emerged from under the canvas and held off until we arrived at Bowness!
The walk was a long trudge, mainly along tarmac and roads, out to the Solway Firth. We were staying for a second night at West View Campsite, so were able to leave our bags behind, but the persistent tarmac was tough on our feet. Things were not really helped by the dullness of it all. The overcast sky didn't do much to improve things, but the view over the marshland was suicidally grim.
Apparently the area is one of Outstanding Natural Beauty. I'm not entirely sure how to rank beauty, but I'd say the Solway is far from outstanding in the stakes.
We arrived in Bowness about 5 minutes before the bus was about to head back to Carlisle, so we scambled aboard - our arrival at the coast and (theoretically) the end of our walk overshadowed by the desire to find a pub in Carlisle. Fidn one we did, though, and had a hearty meal before showing our southern-ness and taking a taxi back to the campsite! One last night under canvas and we'd be heading back to where we started, 80miles away in Newcastle...