- On trail 10.4 mi 16.7 km
- Walking time 4–5 h
- Ascent 120 m 400 ft
- Descent 180 m 600 ft
- Difficulty Easy
Ditch, ridge and a little woodland, then the Eden into Carlisle.
Section 5: Walton to Carlisle map
Example stay Carlisle Station Hotel, Carlisle (opens in a new tab)
Cross-check: National Trails route description . The walk follows that page, opened 18 October 2026. Miles named in the questions are the GOV.UK visit page of the same day. Distances on this page are measured between these ends.
The walk
The masonry is gone, and the route description says that by now you will not mind. The Vallum, the ditch and the buried Wall show as humps and bumps, and they are still the World Heritage Site. Nearer sea level, the gradients are gentle, the weather kinder than on the Northumberland crags, and a little woodland breaks the open ground. Part of the way runs beside the River Eden, which is what brings you into Carlisle. The plans that stop at Brampton leave the path and come back. Walton is the official start of this section. Our nights on this ground are Brampton or Carlisle.
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Start of section
Walton
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Humps and bumps
Vallum, Wall ditch, and the buried Wall, read as rises in the grass. The route description says this is as much the World Heritage Site as the calendar pictures of the Whin Sill.
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Woodland after the open north
Nearer the sea, the gradients ease and a little woodland breaks the exposure you have had since the crags. The route description treats that change as the point of the section.
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The Eden into Carlisle
The river is the way into the city. Stock up here if the next day is the Solway. The marshes have less to buy, and the route description asks you not to hurry them.
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End of section
Carlisle
Section 5: Walton to Carlisle overview
The ground
- Fields
- Earthworks
- Woodland
- River Eden
Gentle fields and a river into a city. The Solway, which you should not hurry, is the next section. Quieter than the crags and shorter than the Military Road. The route description treats this stretch as the preparation for the marshes. The floods begin on the section after Carlisle.
Stops
Refreshments
- Carlisle
Toilets
- No source used for this section names a public toilet
Before you go
Opposite direction
Carlisle to Walton
You leave Carlisle along the Eden, through the woodland and the field earthworks, and finish at Walton, where the standing Wall is about to begin if you are walking east. The climb to the crags is still ahead of you.
End of section
Walton
Walton to Carlisle FAQ
How long is Walton to Carlisle?
This page measures 10.4 mi (16.7 km). The GOV.UK visit page lists 11 miles (18 km). The 7-day reaches Carlisle from Brampton, which is off the path, so that card is a different pair of ends.
Do the plans stay at Walton?
Walton is the official section end. The 7-day, 8-day, 9-day and 10-day plans turn off for Brampton. The 5-day and 6-day plans walk on from Gilsland to Carlisle in one day.
Walk this as a day
The 7-day turns off for a night at Brampton, then walks the rest of this ground into Carlisle. Open the planner on that preset, then export a full-trip or per-day GPX.
Open in planner Read the 7-day itinerary
Full-trip and per-day GPX files. Free, no account.
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