The Pennine Way // day 17 // Hareshaw Linn

The Pennine Way, day 17.
Distance: 5.3km (407.4km), time spent: 1:18.
Weather: Heavy rain.

I am sitting wet inside my hotel room at The Cheviot Hotel in Bellingham, but I am not cold. In my mind, I am discussing whether I should go to the Hareshaw Linn waterfall outside the village or not. I think the problem is just that I am sitting in a warm hotel room at the moment and the thought of leaving that warm confine is not enticing. I do want to see the waterfall, but I have already seen some waterfalls on this hike. And it is raining quite a lot outside. I am wondering if seeing this waterfall is rewarding enough.

Some remains of the Hareshaw Iron Works, at the start of the path leading to Hareshaw Linn.

Then, where is the adventure in that? I decide to go. Down at the pub, I meet Sid and Gil. They are staying at the nearby campsite and is here for dinner. Sitting down together with them is another argument for not walking to the waterfall, it would be nice. But now that I have made up my mind, I leave the pub with a little hope that they will still be there when I return.

A small waterfall of the Hareshaw Burns.

Wet and verdant path leading up towards Hareshaw Linn.

To get to Hareshaw Linn, I have to cross the bridge over Hareshaw Burn, the same way the Pennine Way will take tomorrow. Actually, in its early days, the Pennine Way used the same path that goes up to the waterfall, but not now. After the bridge, I have to turn left and follow the road up to a little caravan park. From there, the woodland path begins, crossing over no less than seven bridges on its way to Hareshaw Linn. This is also the site of early coke blast furnaces.

Meandering path.

I seem to have picked the absolutely wrong time to go, as the rain becomes more and more intense the longer into the valley I get. All the branches and leaves are covered with water, dripping everywhere. It is also so nice, as the green colors becomes so prominent in the scenery. Sometimes the path goes next to the fast-flowing current and small waterfalls, sometimes leaving a short distance to it and sometimes it crosses over one of the several bridges. The walk is beautiful, even in the rain, maybe even more so in the rain.

Small waterfalls hidden in the foliage.

One of seven bridges passed by on the way to Hareshaw Linn.

Then the catastrophe happen, almost when I have reached the innermost sanctuary of the waterfall. I had braved taking my good camera with me (I also carry with me a waterproof camera for use on days with really bad weather), as I want to get some good pictures of Hareshaw Linn. Then when I take it out and try to take a picture, my camera suddenly turns on me. It gives me a screen with a system upgrade message on and whatever that I do, I cannot get that message away. Turning it on and off does not help, nor will either the cancel or ok buttons respond. I guess some moisture has entered the camera, my fault entirely, and now I fear that I will be unable to use the camera for the rest of my hike.

Hareshaw Linn.

I arrive at Harehaw Linn, which is a wonderful waterfall flowing fast over the enclosed walls at the end of the little valley. There are more than 300 different types of mosses, liverworts and lichen that can be found here. The only sound drowning out the roar of the waterfall is me screaming in anger at my camera. Anger management over, I do concede that the walk was worth it for the view, but not for temporary ruining my camera.

The approach to Hareshaw Linn.

Turning back, I retrace my steps down the valley. The peaceful and verdant scenery soothes me down. If I was wet when I arrived in Bellingham after my walk from Steel Rigg, I am soaked now. Near the end (or entry) of the path, I meet a couple living in the Lake District being here on vacation and we walk together back to the hotel. Sid and Gil are gone and I return back to my room for a well earned hot shower.

Bridge over Hareshaw Burn.

Nothing more of the day remains than relaxing and having dinner. I get my camera to respond again, for a very short while, before it turns back to its annoying system upgrade message. A good day even so, I have some hope that a long sleep in a warm environment will cure my camera. Dinner, relaxing and then some planning of the final days of the Pennine Way. Bellingham is the last place with full services and I will need to buy some provisions for those last days. Tomorrow I will arrive at the foot of the last fells on the walk, The Cheviot Hills.

Bellingham bridge.

Not surprisingly, a lot of the pictures I took from this walk are either blurry or slightly out of focus.

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