Andy was leaving us today to drive back to work, so he dropped us at Hadrians Wall – the plan was for Finn and I to walk from there back to the campsite, thereby saving more taxi fares and transport nightmares. So, we didn’t actually start walking until eleven thirty this morning – very late for us.
After half an hour’s walking, Andy rang to say he’d meet us for lunch at Stonehaugh – from my map I anticipated I’d get there within two hours, so then we set a cracking pace to make sure we DID get there. I was conscious that Andy needed to be at work tonight, and that he’d need a kip this afternoon at some point.
Not far from the wall, we met a Pennine Wayer who’s walking it the other way – from north to south. He’d been staying on our campsite last night and we had a little chat about where we might cross paths – because I started so late though, and he had started at seven this morning, it was very near the wall, my start point! He explained about a forest fire he’d seen on the way over – he’d contacted a colleague with vague directions and got him to ring the Forestry Commission people. He showed me on the map the location so I could direct the rescue people there if necessary. Blimey, responsibility? I’d forgotten what that was!
As I walked through the forest, I met the rescue people but they were totally in the wrong place according to the map I’d been shown. I redirected them from my map, but wouldn’t let them have the map as I still needed it! They made a note of the location and strode off down a different path to find their van and head back to the clearing where it was all happening. About twenty minutes later, I found the fire myself so waited until they came back with more water and hoses. Absolved of all responsibility – thank God! – Finn and I strode off, now running a bit late to meet Andy. We got to the pre-arranged meeting place but Andy, and the van, were nowhere to be seen. After sitting down for twenty minutes, I suddenly remembered that Andy used to get lost in Woolworths! So Finn and I made the decision to keep walking and, sure enough, Andy had parked in a completely different village altogether! We found this out when we spied him laying beside a ditch, waiting to leap out at us and surprise us! Bless him!
We had lunch overlooking a stream, and then started to head the few miles back towards the van. It then transpired that Andy had ‘phoned in sick to work for this evening, so would meet us back in Bellingham for a pint and dinner – lovely job! So Andy left us to drive back to the campsite and Finn and I had five miles still to go. Our reference point was the radio mast just above Bellingham village and we had it in our sights for the rest of the day.
As we came down into Bellingham, the weather turned and it started raining – but Andy had realised this while sitting outside the tent, so got in the van to come and meet us – luckily we were just the other side of the village – and we headed to the pub for a celebratory beer and dinner.
So, this is the end of this stretch of the Pennine Way – after doing a load of research on my weekend off, I realised I really can’t do the last stage – there is a twenty-five mile walk from Byrness to Kirk Yetholm. However, there are no roads crossing this twenty-five miles at all, so to split it into two, you have to walk off the track three miles to meet a road. Which takes the twenty-five miles to thirty-one miles – a seventeen miler and a fourteen miler. And the corresponding taxi fare tots up to a hundred quid. Andy has very kindly offered to be support crew on this last stint, but I’ve decided to do this next year instead. I now have a ten week coastal walk – hopefully five hundred miles – to concentrate on and I’ve spent too much energy and emotion on the Pennine Way for a little while!
Saturday, 3 July 2010
Finn and Susan’s big adventure – Day 3 – Friday 25 June 2010 – Bellingham to Byrness – 15 miles
Finn and I were rudely awoken at five thirty by someone breaking into our tent – Andy! Andy had a weekend off work so had come to spend some time with us and help out with transport logistics, etc. So Finn and I would walk from the campsite to Byrness, while Andy slept – he’s currently working nights – and we’d get collected from the pub in Byrness at five o’clock.
We started out on farmland, but soon headed up over old quarries and mine workings, the spoil heaps now covered in grass. The guidebook said the way today was indistinct, but it was easy to see where previous Pennine Wayers had trodden down the heather and moss. And there were an awful lot of way posts to follow too.
There were other Pennine Wayers out – I walked with a couple of lads who are doing the way in sixteen days, but they were much too quick for me though so I soon let them carry on without me.
I also came across a support vehicle for four lads who are doing the way in seven days only – a minimum of thirty miles a day – madness! The support vehicle was manned by two guys who I chatted to for ages and, as they had so many supplies, they offered me top ups of whatever I needed – woohoo! I made a donation to the Help for Heroes fund, the charity the guys are walking for – they’re due to finish tomorrow, but have slowed down so much, walking less than two miles a day. And apparently their feet are a right mess! (I caught up with the crew at Byrness later –apparently the guys were having an energy spurt so were catching me up fast!)
The path from this point stayed within Kielder Forest – up to now, it had been really bleak and remote, but now I was expecting to walk through trees and finally get some shade. However, the Forestry Commission have been doing a spot of “harvesting”, so I ended up walking along tracks for miles, surrounded by tree stumps and log piles. No shade at all.
The Way eventually comes down to a picnic site, where Finn and I polished off our packed lunch, before Finn jumped in the river. God knows where he always gets this second wind from – he jumped out of the water and tore up and down the path like a lunatic before jumping in for another swim. This pretty much set the routine for the last couple of miles as the path follows the River Rede into Byrness. I was exhausted just watching him!
Disappointment struck at Byrness – the pub is no longer there and we had ninety minutes to kill before Andy picked us up. Luckily, Andy rang so I told him we’d finished and he immediately hot-footed (hot-pedalled?) to meet us and take us to the Redesdale Arms for a couple of pints.
A fantastic day, but my sunburn is a wonder to behold!
We started out on farmland, but soon headed up over old quarries and mine workings, the spoil heaps now covered in grass. The guidebook said the way today was indistinct, but it was easy to see where previous Pennine Wayers had trodden down the heather and moss. And there were an awful lot of way posts to follow too.
There were other Pennine Wayers out – I walked with a couple of lads who are doing the way in sixteen days, but they were much too quick for me though so I soon let them carry on without me.
I also came across a support vehicle for four lads who are doing the way in seven days only – a minimum of thirty miles a day – madness! The support vehicle was manned by two guys who I chatted to for ages and, as they had so many supplies, they offered me top ups of whatever I needed – woohoo! I made a donation to the Help for Heroes fund, the charity the guys are walking for – they’re due to finish tomorrow, but have slowed down so much, walking less than two miles a day. And apparently their feet are a right mess! (I caught up with the crew at Byrness later –apparently the guys were having an energy spurt so were catching me up fast!)
The path from this point stayed within Kielder Forest – up to now, it had been really bleak and remote, but now I was expecting to walk through trees and finally get some shade. However, the Forestry Commission have been doing a spot of “harvesting”, so I ended up walking along tracks for miles, surrounded by tree stumps and log piles. No shade at all.
The Way eventually comes down to a picnic site, where Finn and I polished off our packed lunch, before Finn jumped in the river. God knows where he always gets this second wind from – he jumped out of the water and tore up and down the path like a lunatic before jumping in for another swim. This pretty much set the routine for the last couple of miles as the path follows the River Rede into Byrness. I was exhausted just watching him!
Disappointment struck at Byrness – the pub is no longer there and we had ninety minutes to kill before Andy picked us up. Luckily, Andy rang so I told him we’d finished and he immediately hot-footed (hot-pedalled?) to meet us and take us to the Redesdale Arms for a couple of pints.
A fantastic day, but my sunburn is a wonder to behold!
Finn and Susan’s big adventure – Day 2 – Thursday 24 June 2010 – Knarsdale to Haltwhistle – 8 miles
Today’s transport shenanigans were solved by the manager lady at the campsite last night – and I’m ashamed to admit it was a nazi-run site too L My route today should have been Knarsdale to Greenhead. But she pointed out that I could get a bus to Knarsdale from Haltwhistle so I got the maps out and worked out whether I could walk to Haltwhistle instead of Greenhead, but didn’t really fancy a stroll along the A69 Carlisle to Newcastle road. I did, however, work out that it would be much cheaper to get the bus up to Knarsdale, walk to Greenhead and then get a taxi from there to Haltwhistle rather than a taxi all the way from Greenhead back to Knarsdale to the car. The logistics of this walking malarkey are far from easy. (Not to mention taxi fares – I got stung for FORTY-EIGHT QUID on Tuesday from Garrigill to Dufton – outrageous.)
So, at nine forty-five this morning, Finn and I were walking, but NOT along the Pennine Way! From my map, I could see that the South Tyne Way runs parallel to the Pennine Way and takes in lots of bridges, old disused railway stations and platforms, AND a viaduct. Need I say more? So, instead of fields and farmland, we had a fantastic day following the route of the railway from Knarsdale to Lambley Viaduct, where the path splits into lots of different paths, but stays true to one railway line or another. (I even had a thought, because we had such a brilliant walk, that the Government should close a few more railway lines and turn them into paths too. I may very well write a letter to David Cameron. I may even ask if he needs a PA?)
We had finished at twelve thirty today – how lovely! – so then went off to find our new campsite where we are staying for five nights – I’m going to walk out of sequence again, now I know that I won’t be struck down for this deviation from the plan, and have a couple of days off too this weekend – necessitated by England playing an afternoon game on Sunday, rather than an evening game on Saturday. The boys have earned me another day off!
So, at nine forty-five this morning, Finn and I were walking, but NOT along the Pennine Way! From my map, I could see that the South Tyne Way runs parallel to the Pennine Way and takes in lots of bridges, old disused railway stations and platforms, AND a viaduct. Need I say more? So, instead of fields and farmland, we had a fantastic day following the route of the railway from Knarsdale to Lambley Viaduct, where the path splits into lots of different paths, but stays true to one railway line or another. (I even had a thought, because we had such a brilliant walk, that the Government should close a few more railway lines and turn them into paths too. I may very well write a letter to David Cameron. I may even ask if he needs a PA?)
We had finished at twelve thirty today – how lovely! – so then went off to find our new campsite where we are staying for five nights – I’m going to walk out of sequence again, now I know that I won’t be struck down for this deviation from the plan, and have a couple of days off too this weekend – necessitated by England playing an afternoon game on Sunday, rather than an evening game on Saturday. The boys have earned me another day off!
Finn and Susan’s big adventure – Day 1 – Tuesday 22 June 2010 – Dufton to Garrigill – 16 miles
This is the walk that was abandoned in May due to mist. But today has been a scorcher and the views have been amazing. The walk itself is very remote and bleak and I’d hate to do it in bad weather. My guidebook referred to an article in The Gentleman’s Magazine of 1747 regarding Cross Fell, the highest point of the Pennines, saying it is “generally ten months buried in snow and eleven months in clouds”. Today, there was definitely no white stuff and the clouds were just fleeting.
I’ve had four big hills today – Knock Fell; Great Dun Fell; Little Dun Fell (which is not little at all and needs to be renamed); and Cross Fell. Knock Fell was definitely the worst to get up – I actually thought we were at the summit an hour before we really were.
We met eight or nine walkers today, all very chatty and all making a fuss of Finn, who has been off the lead nearly all day. Until about three miles from the end when a Neanderthal farmer yelled at us over two fields with an awful lot of gesturing and grunting, to put Finn on a lead. Now, there were no sheep in this field for a start, and Finn was laying down knackered, so I’m not sure this abuse was fair. I realise there are a lot of dog owners who probably don’t respect the land they’re walking over, or the landowners. But I imagine these type of dog owners probably aren’t walking the Pennine Way. The farmer has obviously had a bad day. I hope it gets worse.
I had a nose around the first bothy I’ve ever encountered – Greg’s hut – an emergency shelter with very basic accommodation, ie, the floor! There was a stove and a pile of wood piled up outside. And there was tea, coffee and a kettle. No electric, running water, or sewage – but there was a very thoughtfully provided spade …! I imagine the hut is a godsend if you’re stuck up on those fells and the mist comes down.
So, a very good day – quite a tough sixteen miles, but we’ve a day off tomorrow to find a pub to watch England play in the World Cup.
(Post script: Finn and I watched the game in the Wallace Arms near Haltwhistle – with a dozen or so Geordies in the pub’s back room. Finn had not been made welcome by Shandy, the pub’s lurcher, but when he refused to fight with her or respond to her barking, she took herself off somewhere else. Finn just shrugged his shoulders and slept on her bed for the duration of the game – he has no shame!
While in the pub, I met the young lad I’d last seen at Garrigill who I assumed was walking the Pennine Way. Wrongly, actually as he’s walking Lands End to John O’Groats on his gap year before university. He’s also planning the walk around England games at the moment!)
I’ve had four big hills today – Knock Fell; Great Dun Fell; Little Dun Fell (which is not little at all and needs to be renamed); and Cross Fell. Knock Fell was definitely the worst to get up – I actually thought we were at the summit an hour before we really were.
We met eight or nine walkers today, all very chatty and all making a fuss of Finn, who has been off the lead nearly all day. Until about three miles from the end when a Neanderthal farmer yelled at us over two fields with an awful lot of gesturing and grunting, to put Finn on a lead. Now, there were no sheep in this field for a start, and Finn was laying down knackered, so I’m not sure this abuse was fair. I realise there are a lot of dog owners who probably don’t respect the land they’re walking over, or the landowners. But I imagine these type of dog owners probably aren’t walking the Pennine Way. The farmer has obviously had a bad day. I hope it gets worse.
I had a nose around the first bothy I’ve ever encountered – Greg’s hut – an emergency shelter with very basic accommodation, ie, the floor! There was a stove and a pile of wood piled up outside. And there was tea, coffee and a kettle. No electric, running water, or sewage – but there was a very thoughtfully provided spade …! I imagine the hut is a godsend if you’re stuck up on those fells and the mist comes down.
So, a very good day – quite a tough sixteen miles, but we’ve a day off tomorrow to find a pub to watch England play in the World Cup.
(Post script: Finn and I watched the game in the Wallace Arms near Haltwhistle – with a dozen or so Geordies in the pub’s back room. Finn had not been made welcome by Shandy, the pub’s lurcher, but when he refused to fight with her or respond to her barking, she took herself off somewhere else. Finn just shrugged his shoulders and slept on her bed for the duration of the game – he has no shame!
While in the pub, I met the young lad I’d last seen at Garrigill who I assumed was walking the Pennine Way. Wrongly, actually as he’s walking Lands End to John O’Groats on his gap year before university. He’s also planning the walk around England games at the moment!)
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