The train from Ravenglass takes us one stop up the line to Drigg – it will be a very short walk today as we are planning to drive north to Maryport later this afternoon.

An information board near the station tells us that Drigg may have got its name from the Old Norse word “drege”, used to describe the dragging of Viking longships up onto the beaches nearby. Once on shore these invading hordes would steal horses to plunder villages inland. Place names indicate that they did however settle well in the area – it was not all rape and pillage.

From Drigg we head north east along a minor road before turning off right onto a footpath which will take us across the meandering River Irt, by way of an ancient packhorse bridge – Holme Bridge on the map.

We stand and contemplate for a while……..

On the other side of the stone bridge we go though the gate and up a steep incline through a patch of woodland which peters out all too soon.

From here it’s a walk along the edges of fields, onto a minor road which takes us down to the Esk estuary (again) and along the King Charles England Coast Path. We walk along the edge of an area of mud and sand called Saltcoats. Turning a corner we are surprised to see Ravenglass in the distance – that was quick!

As we get closer to the village I notice that we have a narrow ribbon of water to cross – the word “ford” leaps out at me and I start to worry that we may have to do a bit of wading again. But no I am relieved to see a solid pedestrian bridge running next to the railway line which takes us safely over to the village green.

I am about to cross the road which will takes us back to our car when a piece of public art catches my eye. Finished in 2013 it is the work of Maggy Howarth, a mosaic artist, and depicts a stylized Roman merchant ship – a reference to the history of Ravenglass in the 2nd century when it functioned as a Roman naval base.

And so we are reunited with our car – goodbye to the Esk for now.

Distance: 4 miles