Total miles: 11.9
Elevation gain: 1,092 ft
Time walking: 12pm – 5:15pm
Miles to date: 842.2
Today was definitely a day of two halves. As it was a short day and the bothy was so lovely I spent the morning relaxing there, which was beautiful. Sadly, the afternoon’s walk was rather forgettable!
I woke up fairly early to the sounds of Sean getting the fire going and soon enough the room was toasty and I could hear water boiling in the kettle. I lay there for a while just watching the flames and enjoying the warmth and the quiet. It was so peaceful. I was in no hurry to move! Eventually I moved, just to make a cup of tea and to sit in front of the stove contentedly eating my granola. The weather looked good outside although the grass was wet from the drizzle that set in last night. I had to go out to use nature’s bathroom and in trying to find a suitable spot my trousers got soaked from the long grass. While I was out I collected an armful of wood for the fire, a very therapeutic and satisfying task. Next task was to go and collect more water, and I spent a while just enjoying the peaceful and fresh morning while I was there. The simplicity of the morning was beautiful. Wake up, make fire, collect wood, collect water, drink tea, eat food, relax and contemplate life while gazing at the flames. I felt incredibly content.
Back at the bothy I hung my trousers to dry by the fire and gradually packed up my bag, not in any great hurry. I decided I’d make some lunch while I was there and suddenly struck on the amazing idea of making toast! I remembered I had some bread in my bag, so out it came, on a stick, and I toasted it in the fire. Peanut butter on toast. Heaven! Quite possibly the most delicious peanut butter on toast I have ever eaten 🙂
Eventually I really did need to think about leaving so I said farewell to Michael (Sean had left much earlier) and headed back out into the woods, which were silent except for chattering birds and the breeze in the fir trees. The woods were fairly boggy – mainly just over-the-toe boggy but occasionally ankle-deep boggy – but the paths were easy to follow and I enjoyed the woods. After a mile of walking along tracks through the trees the path emerged onto Haughton Common, a large empty moor with vast forests on one side and small hills on the other, golden brown with reeds and grass and the occasional sheep dotted about. Right in the middle there was a tiny stone-walled grassy enclosure with a few birch trees. I thought it looked like it would be a lovely place to wild camp!
The path went back into and through another couple of sections of forest and then came out into a little more moorland (with a very faint path) and then farmland for a few miles. There were some nice bits, like a drop down into a mini gorge to cross a river and back up the other side (where I slipped on some wooden stepping stones and nearly face planted in the mud!) but mainly it was a bit fiddly, muddy and not much to see. There was also a long section on a tarmac track then little road which was a bit tedious. Slight confusion on arriving at Houxty Burn to find the river too wide and deep to ford, it turned out that the PW had forked off slightly earlier to meet a bridge just upstream. Bridge found, problem solved. Then an uphill climb (first real climb of the day, bit of a shock!) to Shitlington Hall and Shitlington Crags where I stopped for a break on the rocks. Another short section across some moorland and I can see Bellingham in the valley, whoop! Unfortunately the national trail’s description of the last mile or so being “contender for ‘worst finish to a PW day’ ” seemed true as it was 2/3rds mile along a busy B-road with no pavement or verge. Yuck!
Still, the final quarter mile was along the big, serene North Tyne river which was very pleasant and then up into town, where there were shops, cafes, a cash machine and a Co-op! What civilisation! I had also arrived only just after 5pm – a relatively early finish – which was a real treat for me. I’m staying in the lovely little youth hostel here, for two nights, and I have stocked up on lots of food! The plan for tomorrow is to eat, rest, catch up on blogs and plan the next few days.
The next leg of my walk will take me on the final three days of the Pennine Way, the most isolated days of them all! I’m praying for some clear nights as the sky is celebrated for its darkness out here and I’d love to do some good stargazing. I’ll stay in Byrness the first night, which is barely a village, then cross the Cheviots over two days. No shops, no nothing, for three days. I’m excited! And I have LOTS of food!
I may not have signal though, in which case there may be a delay in posting blogs, but they’ll come at some point…
