Welcome to Wallsend!

Wallsend Guest House & Bed and Breakfast is situated at the edge of the village on the Solway coastal estuary, at the end of Hadrian's Wall, in a Government designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (A.O.N.B.)

We offer:

• All rooms en-suite
• Peaceful & relaxing atmosphere
• Wooded garden with country views
• Excellent food & local eating places
• Luxury 4 star ETC approved accommodation

Birdwatching:

There is plenty of bird watching to do in the area and bird tours available - 2 day and 4 day tours of bird life around:

1. Cumbria & Solway coast
2. Hadrian's Wall (we are at western end)
3. Scottish Galloway coast

You can also visit the following reserves:

• The Solway Firth
• Drumburgh Raised Mire
• R.S.P.B. Nature Reserve - Campfield Marsh
• Finglandrigg Wood National Nature Reserve
• Bowness Common & Glasson Moss National nature Reserve

Wooded Area:

Leisurely paths meander through 1.5 acres of wooded area, lawns, paddock and wild vegetation. Wood pigeon coo amidst the tall pine canopy with treecreepers, spotted flycatchers, families of tits and a variety of birds providing a soft and peaceful environment in which to unwind and relax.

Rooms:

Traditional Style Bedroom 3:

Warm and spacious with unique features. Furniture & fittings - pine double bed, fitted pine bedhead & wardrobes, wooden beam built-in bedside tables. Sandstone fireplace with original cast iron grate, pine mantle & mirror. Colour TV, clock/alarm & tea & coffee making facilities on small table.

Victorian Bedroom 4:

Tasteful single room with veneered wood furniture. View of the Giant Pine & lawn at the front of the house. Pine panelled ensuite toilet, basin bath & shower in fitted fully tiled room. Sloping Velux roof window gives bright airy feel to the shower room. Original sandstone fireplace with cast iron grate, pine mantle & mirror. Colour TV, clock/alarm & tea & coffee making facilities. Wall pictures/paintings. En-suite.

Family/Twin Bedroom 5:

Classic pine furniture with settee, relaxing chair & space to help you unwind from the exhertions of the day. Luxury pine panelled bathroom with velux window for natural light. Bath, shower & basin. Original sandstone fireplace with cast iron grate, pine mantle & mirror. Colour TV, clock/alarm & tea & coffee making facilities. Wall pictures/paintings.

Relaxing Bedroom 6:

Light and airy with a wonderful view over fields containing unexcavated ruins of the Roman Vicus (town). The original road leading into the site of the fort (modern village) can be clearly seen. Double bedroom with luxury ensuite bath/shower room, relaxing chair, tea/coffee making facilities, colour TV, radio & alarm clock.

Lounge/Hall:

With the log fire this is the heart of the house with settees and chair for guests to relax or plan their next day excursions. It offers everyone the opportunity to unwind in a peaceful, friendly environment.

Kitchen:

Patsy's domain where she can be seen busy preparing a meal to cook in the traditional range cooker. A family room with pine tables and clear views to the beautiful western sunsets.

Local History:

Romans - Hadrian's Wall:

76 Roman miles of wall ends where it meets the sea at Bowness on Solway. A stone fort (Maia) was built to defend the last fording point across the 3 mile wide Solway Estuary. Over time, the stones were used to construct the village of Bowness on Solway.

Today the only visible trace of the Roman constructions lies in the field opposite Wallsend Guest House. Here you can still see the line of the main road into the fort. The site is protected by legislation but sheep still graze over the remains of the camp follower village that still lies unexcavated beneath the bumpy grass.

St Michael's Church:

The Church, next to Wallsend Guest House, dates back to the Norman period and its magnificent beamed interior was installed in the 19th Century.

The Old Rectory, which is now Wallsend Guest House, is first mentioned in 1464 when the rector of Bowness had licence from the Bishop of Carlisle to collect subscriptions in the diocese for the repair of a "house of defence there". It is probable that this refers to a fortified rectory tower.

Nothing remains of this "Peel" tower but Burgh-by-Sands church is has a similar defensive tower which can be seen along with the monument to King Edward 1st, "The Hammer of the Scots" nearby.

Haaf Netting:

A unique tradition found only in the Solway Estuary and dates back to the Vikings who raided and sometimes settled in the area at the end of the 1st millennium. The word "haaf" means "sea net" which is mounted on a rectangular frame 18 feet long by 5 feet high.

Fishermen walk out into the flat, shallow waters of the Solway sands and mudflats and place the Haaf Net in front facing either the incoming ("flood") or outgoing ("ebb") tides.

Port Carlisle Docks:

1 mile from Bowness is the remains of the 19th century harbour from which Woodrow Wilson's wife originally emigrated to America. You can still see the old docking quay with its great sandstone block wall. The dock itself still has the silted up lock entrance to the "basin" where barges collected the grain and produce destined for Carlisle's biscuit and feed mills.

Border Reivers & the Bells of Bowness on Solway:

It was not until the 18th Century that the Border Country between England & Scotland finally came under English & Scottish Law. Before this, family feuds between raiding families caused every village and house to defend itself with fortified houses or towers.

St.Michael's church had its bells stolen by raiders in 1626 but they lost them in the Solway when returning to Annan on the Scottish shore. Bowness villagers retaliated by taking the church bells from Dornock and Middlebie. Every new vicar of the church in Annan continues to request the return of their bells. His entreaties are always refused - nowadays politely!

King Edward I Monument:

Better known as the "Hammer of the Scots", Edward died of dysentery in his camp near Burgh-by-Sands in 1307 whilst mounting another campaign to attack Scotland. His body was laid out in Burgh Church before being taken back to Westminster. Burgh Church also contains two stones which have an elephant and hippopotamus carved on them by homesick Roman legionaries stationed along the wall.