Walking 7.30am to 2.10pm
Distance walked 11 miles
Distance remaining 45 miles
Woke up and the midges were swirling about inside and outside the tarp. Slept peacefully with my head net on all night. With the long grass I'd pitched on I actually had my most comfortable night of the trip. I packed quickly and repaired to the bothy to make tea away from the midges. As I left, it started to rain and this continued for much of the morning.
After rejoining the PW from the bothy path, the walking was on a stony vehicle track for a little distance before it veered off on to a narrow grassy path into the forest, then emerging on to Haughton Common, a wide expanse of moorland. Absolutely no-one else about. Then into more forest and then rough pasture.
At Hornistead Farm, I called in at the hikers' pitstop. This has been available for quite a few years. Seems that the family walked the Appalachian Trail in the US and were so impressed with the trail magic given to hikers by so called trail angels that they established their own for PW hikers. Hot and cold drinks and snacks are there for the taking. It is unmanned and donations can be given. There is a loo and shower and camping is available. A really great resource which would be much missed if it disappeared.
The rain having stopped, the last couple of miles were field and road walking to the Camping and Caravanning Club site on the edge of Bellingham. Excellent facilities. I stayed here on my PW walk in 2017. My power pack is being charged overnight in the office but it doesn't open till nine in the morning but tomorrow is only a fifteen mile day.
Are there blazes or waymarks on the PW?
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