I woke with a slight muzzy head, the Speckled Hen had made me sluggish, I was not used to the previous nights drinking but had enjoyed it and the company of Gary and Liz....I thank you!
No one was up as I had expected...it was Sunday and it was 6. I needed to get going but was fairly slow and although I had modern conveniences, like a kettle,I was not firing on all pistons, like usual I hear you say!
I left around 8,when on the road I noticed the bunglelow door open and the dog come trotting out, I waved to my unseen hosts and continued, walking the short distance over the River North Tyne and into Bellingham. It was a bright day , which hurt my head. My instinct was to follow the road into the village, but the Pennine posts stated otherwise, directing me along a newly laid path next to the River, it felt like I was taking the back door into the village. It took me abit of time to get my bearings as for some reason I was not sure where to go.
I found the local co-op and stocked up on Snickers, pack of 4, plus other supplies to get me over the next couple of days. I anticipated two days at the max to the finish of the Pennines, but it was weather permitting , my phone app- The Met Office - for Bellingham , Byrness and Kirk Yetholm predicted snow , great! I stocked up accordingly as this would probably be my last chance of goodies until the Kirk Y.
I made my way out of Bellingham via road before striking off toward Blakelaw Farm.
Through the farm yard saying hello to someone exiting the house ,then on and up over toward more moorland.
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| Walking out of Bellingham |
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| Looking down toward Bellingham from Blakelaw Farm |
As I continued a flurry of snow coming from the east started to fall . The route was easy and open. Heather becoming denser . The land was fairly barren , the main feature being Callerhues Crag.
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| Callerhues Crag |
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| Hareshaws House approach. |
I could see a cluster of conifers ahead and a dwelling, Hareshaws House. It appeared easy to get to but I found myself going into a dip with sedges, meaning wet. Probably it would of been wiser to have taken the higher ground ,but I didn't and got wet feet in the process.
I made my way on a rough track where you could see signs of heather burning for grouse. Across a road I contnued on up and over moorland with a few more flurries coming down.
I was glad that the snow was not settling at present , as conditions were ok. My head was clearing and I seemed to be making pretty good progress.
Again ahead of me was more forestry land this time of the famous Kielder Forest.There was more snow again in the shelter of the trees.
This was one of the easiest parts of the walk today , basically following the track through the forest.I had been seeing traces of another walkers prints in the snow, they may have been the chap near Cross Fell as I saw no other walker with that tread. Badger and fox prints also cut the snow, this time I was able to see the fox that probably made the majority of prints and as always on seeing me disappeared.
There were a few short sections where the Pennines seemed strike off into rough undergrowth which looked hardly walked , like the above, as the track followed a parallel route I stuck to that.
I passed the farm steading of Blakehopeburnhaugh, a strange name , as if the clerk doing the census had forgotten to put in spaces between the words. This place seem to mark the coming out into civilisation again. It was gone 2 , stopping in the sun by the closed toilets, of course the sun shone where the cold wind blew, so the sun did not warm me how I would of wanted.
The route took me through mixed wood beside the River Rede , passed a caravan park and out to a cluster of dwellings at Byrness. I had looked on the phone earlier to see if the hostel was open, it was but at £25 I felt it was to expensive so carried on. I had hopes of reaching the Lamb Hill Mountain Refuge hut a few miles on and if not that it would be a pitch.
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| River Rede |
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| Holy Trinity Church , Byrness |
I crossed the A68 , walking along it for a short spell passed a hotel and off back into the forest on a good path. I was using the mobile informing someone, no names, that I would be finishing tomorrow, but apparently that was not convenient due to logistics and it was better that I finished Tuesday. Yes I felt I was an inconvenience, nice to be wanted, but had no option but to delay the finish of the Pennines by a day to fit in . I supposed I had been away for 7 months and the world does not revolve around me, and she did have monday course to go to. Hey ho! During that conversation I missed the path off to my right and met a track higher than I should. A mature woman, who seemed to be sat in meditation , woke up as I popped out of the wood, as I had her attention I asked where the Pennines went from here. It was she who told me I had missed the path , directing me down along the track. This I did having thanked her. I noticed that she was following me down the track , she probably thought that I was a pratt, which I felt, and better check I took the right route. The fact I was going into the Cheviots at this time of the day , and snow seemed to be on the tops I was surprised she did not get mountain rescue out for me such was the concern on her face.
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| A68 |
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| Decent path but wrong one! |
It was a fairly steep climb next to woodland , some partly felled by man and some felled by the wind and blocked the path requiring limbo dancing to get by, not easy with my pack on.The last knockings a scramble over boulders to gain Byrness Hill.
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| View back toward Byrness from the Hill |
I was on the moorland again, at about 400 metres, hoping it would not be to rough , wet or snowy. The height gain was steady , stretched out over the miles , no sudden steep climbs, but basically up.
I was now wanting to get on, not in the mood for sight seeing I took the route keeping height above Chew Green and its Roman Camps , viewing it at a distance from above.
With more height gained I seemed to gain more snow but not enough to slow progress and was able to get on. I reached welcome walk boards , and seemed to be following the border fence, not exactly a Hadrian's Wall but adequate .I could see more snow clad hills ahead and wondered if I would be climbing any I could see.
The usual sight of a grouse, certainly on this venture has been of it/them making haste on the wing and screaming 'human, human!' in grouse talk as they did so . Anyone would think we shot them .This weirdo grouse decided either I was a female grouse or just was defending its territory, instead of flying away from me actually flew cackling toward me . I was ok with it initally , snapping a few photos , but it would not bugger off and creeped me out. I told it to shoo but in more colourful language ,in the end I had to make haste with it periodically flying up to me as I tried to lose it , weird....territorial?
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| Friend or foe |
This was the first time I had walked the Cheviots , and was a little disappointed with the flatness of it all , but that meant for easy walking. The sky and openess gave a general feeling of isolation .
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| It was 5.45 when I passed this post |
Time was getting on , but I was pretty sure even with dipping sun that I would make it to the shelter , therefore avoiding a pitch. I was surprised to see goats grazing amongst the heather, they were not at all bothered by my presence and munched happily as I continued.
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| Goats in the heather
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I could see the shed like structure up ahead , it was nearly 6.30 when I entered the dark interior and busied myself with gathering snow to melt and laying out gear on the bench seats that lined the walls. I could feel the cold as I had stopped , and soon climbed into my sleeping bag with cooking stuff at hand.The temperture gauge read -3. As always it took plenty of fuel to melt the snow, but I was not short of meths and needed the rehydration, plus I had plenty of time. I had covered 23 miles today .
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