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Bewcastle Church and Cross – View of Bewcastle Castle loop from Bewcastle School

Bewcastle Church and Cross – View of Bewcastle Castle loop from Bewcastle School

Hard

5.0

(1)

riders

Bewcastle Church and Cross – View of Bewcastle Castle loop from Bewcastle School

03:53

56.7km

750m

Gravel riding

Hard gravel ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is right next to a parking lot.

Last updated: March 23, 2026

Tips

Includes a very steep uphill segment

You may need to push your bike.

After 8.67 km for 610 m

Waypoints

Start point

Parking

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6.81 km

Ruins of Bewcastle Castle

Highlight • Castle

The ruins of Bewcastle Castle lie mysteriously tucked away in the northeastern corner of an old Roman fort in Cumbria. The original castle was built around 1092 on the foundations of the Fanum Cocidii fort and served as a border defense against Scottish incursions. Destroyed in 1173, it was rebuilt in the 14th century by John de Strivelyn, a general of King Edward III.
The castle had a square plan of 27 meters, surrounded by a dry moat that partially utilized Roman ditches. Within the walls were buildings surrounding a small courtyard, with a gatehouse added later. The walls are up to 9 meters high, with visible windows and fireplaces on the second floor.
Bewcastle Castle was strategically located on the Maiden Way, a Roman road leading to Hadrian's Wall, and played a role in conflicts with the notorious Border Reivers. Today the ruins are unstable and partly inaccessible, but they remain a powerful symbol of border defense and medieval architecture.

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6.89 km

Fanum Cocidi Roman Signpost, Bewcastle

Highlight • Historical Site

Bewcastle Fort (Latin: Fanum Cocidi) was a Roman fort in the English town of Bewcastle. The fort lay north of Hadrian's Wall and was connected by a road (Maiden Way) to the Banna (Birdoswald) fort on the wall.

The fort's Latin name (The Shrine of Cocidius) indicates that it enclosed an existing local shrine. The Romans equated the deity Cocidius with Mars, and the fort was possibly built there to control tribal gatherings.

In the second century, the Cohors I Dacorum mil. eq. (a mixed cohort with infantry and cavalry in dual garrisons, with auxiliaries from Dacia) was stationed there. A dual garrison cohort was also likely stationed there in the third century. By 400, before Hadrian's Wall was abandoned, Bewcastle Fort had already been abandoned.

Around 1092, Bewcastle Castle was built in a corner of the former fortress, using Roman stone. The church of St. Cuthbert is also located within the old fortress walls.

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6.98 km

Bewcastle Church and Cross

Highlight • Monument

St Cuthbert Bewcastle Church stands on the foundations of a Roman fort and has roots dating back to the 13th century. Although the current building largely dates from the 18th and 19th centuries, parts of the east chancel are still medieval. The church exudes simplicity and tranquility, with a rectangular plan and a wooden gallery on the west side. Within the church, traces of the Border Reivers' turbulent history can be found, including gravestones bearing names like Armstrong and Routledge.

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7.67 km

View of Bewcastle Castle

Highlight • Castle

View to Bewcastle Castle

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19.4 km

Slack House Organic Farm Café and Organic Farm Shop

Highlight • Restaurant

Organic farm, café and accomodation.

Selling excellent organic cheese, milk and yoghurts - We found this the perfect little stop on our Hadrian's Cycleway mini-tour.

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