Walking 8.15am to 1.40pm
Distance walked today 11 miles
Distance walked so far 423 miles
Distance left 132 miles
For reasons that will become clear, I was able to leave my pack at the site (under a caravan) and walk with just my chest pack (converted for use as a shoulder bag), waterproofs and a water bottle.
I crossed the River Wear by a stepping stone bridge.
After a short road walk out of the village, I took a footpath by the medieval bridge which followed a course between the river and a disused railway. After a while, the path became so churned up by cows that I walked the railway line for a while before passing through a caravan park.
At Eastgate, I followed a path through fields but following Rookhope Burn and then walked into Rookhope. It was getting misty so I decided to road walk even though the distance was slightly longer. The road climbed and the fog descended although it wasn't particularly cold. A few vehicles passed me and quite a few cyclists as this was part of the C2C route. It felt very remote. I took a photo of a dead animal on the road, not quite sure what it was and couldn't work out how it had died as there no obvious injury.
Descending to Hunstanworth and then Blanchland (following the riverside path) I called it a day and had lunch overlooking the river bridge. My friend, Frank, arrived some 40 minutes later to take me back (via Stanhope for my pack) to his home at Westgate to be fed and watered. He and his wife, Sally, were excellent hosts. I met Frank walking the Pennine Way last year and we've kept in touch. I shall be delivered back to Blanchland in the morning.
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| The Lord Crewe Arms, Blanchland |
Geoff,
ReplyDeleteGreat day in the mist, animal in the road - lunch opportunity? ;O)
1 week to go well done Geoff.
Stride on!
Kevin