Pennine Way Day 20 - Clennell Street to Kirk Yetholm

Started walking 6.50am
Distance walked 13.75 miles
Arrived 1.00pm

With earplugs, I slept really well. Much of the path for the first mile or so was stone flagged so was easy. Just as well that I didn't walk on to the Hen Hole hut last night. When I passed by it, there were three people emerging, having spent the night there. The area around the hut would have been suitable for camping but not necessarily less windy than where I was.

It was quite a pull up to The Schil. I did a circuit of the massive cairn on top but didn't linger. I then took the lower alternative route to KY. Eventually passed by Halterburnhead Farm on to a level road. It was a cruel joke then for there to be quite a steep hill up before the road dropped down into KY and the end of the PW. At the Border Hotel, I asked some folk emerging from a car if one of them would take a photo. That done, I headed off to the Kirkfield Caravan Park at Town Yetholm to pitch. Frank arrived a short time afterwards.

During the afternoon, we went into The Plough in Town Yetholm to suss out the food menu for the evening. To be honest, The Plough has seen better days and the menu was pretty unimaginative. Nevertheless, we decided to go there later. When we arrived just after 6pm, we ordered drinks and looked at the menu only to be told that, due to a family emergency, only fish and chips was available. We downed our drinks and walked to the Border Hotel in Kirk Yetholm where there were other PW walkers and the menu was more appetising. I had baked venison suet pudding which was very good.

We were also given PW completion certificates, signed a PW book and offered a free half pint of beer as is the tradition. As I'd already got my pint I politely declined which, for a backpacker, possibly isn't something to be proud of!

Sent from my iPhone