Pelosi's Corner Café, Langholm – Bewcastle Church and Cross loop from Gilnockie Tower

Canonbie And District

Pelosi's Corner Café, Langholm – Bewcastle Church and Cross loop from Gilnockie Tower

Hard

riders

Pelosi's Corner Café, Langholm – Bewcastle Church and Cross loop from Gilnockie Tower

04:37

82.7km

1,170m

Road cycling

Hard road ride. Very good fitness required. Some segments of this route may be unpaved and difficult to ride. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: July 31, 2026

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After 6.67 km for 181 m

Waypoints

Start point

Bus stop

Get Directions

861 m

Auchenrivock Bank

Forest

5.98 km

Pelosi's Corner Café, Langholm

Highlight • Cafe

Langholm, known locally as 'Muckle Toon', is a pretty border town that sits on the River Esk. Loads of cafes and pubs to refuel. As the town sits in a valley, between 4 hills, you might want to think about refuelling, as you're likely going to be climbing out!

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21.9 km

The Olive Tree Café

Highlight • Cafe

Nice café on the main street, opens early and has great home baking. Just what you need before the climb north!

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27.1 km

England–Scotland Border

Highlight • Historical Site

41.8 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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42.0 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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42.7 km

View of Bewcastle Castle

Highlight • Castle

View to Bewcastle Castle

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48.5 km

Askerton Castle

Highlight • Castle

Askerton Castle is a rare example of a fortified medieval manor house, situated in remote north Cumbria, about three miles north of Hadrian's Wall. The original building was constructed around 1290 as an unfortified hall, but in the late 15th century, two battlemented towers—the Dacre Tower and the Dovecot Tower—were added by Thomas, Lord Dacre, as part of a border defense against the notorious Border Reivers.
In the 16th century, the complex was expanded with a stable block and additional wings for troop accommodation. A third tower on the northwest corner is believed to have been lost, possibly to fire, but traces of its stonework and staircases are still visible in the walls. The structure contains impressive oak beams, dated between 1494 and 1510, and shows clear stages of architectural evolution—from a simple hall to a military stronghold.
Although the castle is not open to the public, it is now part of the Askerton Castle Estate, an organic farm that produces beef, lamb, pork, and poultry. The building is a Grade I listed building, indicating its exceptional historical value.

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75.9 km

Burnside Plantation

Forest

81.0 km