First stop on Friday was however Gretna with its history of conducting weddings for those eloping from England. The practice came into being in the middle of the eighteenth century when a marriage law was passed in England, requiring ceremonies to be conducted in church by an official. Scottish law allowed couples simply to make a public declaration before two witnesses without a recognised official present, and so the practice began. The Old Smithy is well known for its links with this, but other locations in the village also carried out such ceremonies.
After a quick look around, complete with a coffee stop, I carried on and crossed the border, at a somewhat unassuming bridge, following a cycle route all the way into Carlisle itself. The surprise of the day was the last couple of miles which took me through an urban nature reserve, interleaved between housing and a number of small industrial estates to the north of the city centre.
Lightening the load
Having arrived in good time, I had plenty of time to wander around the city centre of Carlisle, via the castle, large park and to do a bit of shopping. I also took the opportunity to attend an evening service in the Cathedral, just a few minutes walk from where I stayed in a small hostel.
Before leaving for a shorter day of walking to stay with friends for two nights, I parcelled up the tent and a few other camping item and sent them home. Over the rest of the pilgrimage I'll be staying with a combination of friends, family members, on the occasional church floor and with some colleagues from the Methodist Church who have kindly offered beds for the night. That's a real blessing for me, with quite a bit less to carry now.
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