The Pennine Way // day 17 // Steel Rigg - Bellingham

The Pennine Way, day 17.
Distance: 24.6km (402.1km), time spent: 8:20.
Weather: Overcast and rainy.

After a short, but good, section on one of the prominent parts of the Pennine Way it is time again for one of those strangely interesting interludes of the trail. In fact, the two days between Hadrian's Wall and the last rising fells on the skyline of the Pennine Way, the Cheviots. The feeling of wandering into one of those mysterious nowheres on the trail. I will return to the wall at the start of the walk, then begin my journey into the sparse countryside to the north of it.

View of Hotbank Crags, Crag Lough and Highshield Crags from Steel Rigg.

Ironically, my walk begin with a taxi ride, I have a wall to catch. The talkative, but friendly, taxi driver drops me off at Steel Rigg instead of Twice Brewed, spares me the short walk up. Starting from Steel Rigg means that I will have to walk again on a bit on a part that I walked yesterday, a revisit to a path revisited so to speak. It is not blue sky above Hadrian's Wall when I set off, but instead an atmospheric hue reminiscent of when I was here in 2013. It is a nice light on the sky.

Looking down upon Milecastle 39.

Sycamore Gap, but no Robin Hood or Kevin Costner to be seen, just me alone.

There are no one here, I am virtually alone on the path. I get both the striking foundations of Milecastle 39 and the revered Sycamore Gap to myself and wander lonesome over the Highshield Crags. Although the day is still young, the sky is becoming progressively darker. Out on the empty fields I will walk on shortly, I can see two solitary figures moving.

Rapishaw Gap. Six years ago, I stood and looked out from the wall and wondering where that lonely path leaving the Hadrian's Wall Path would take me

A melancholic view of Bromlee Lough and Sewingshields Crags.

I pass over Hotbank Crags with its undulating path and melancholic view back towards Crag Lough until I stand perched above the gap where the Pennine Way heads north and leaves the Hadrian's Wall Path. Six years ago, here at Rapishaw Gap, I stood at the signpost with The Pennine Way marked on it and looked out onto the empty fields to the north of the wall. That was the first time I had heard of this trail and my interest was kindled, seeing that lonesome path meanders it way across the tussocky moorland and disappear out of view.

Once having left the Hadrian's Wall Path, the Pennine Way returns back to its open moorland.

As soon as I have climbed over the wall, the sky has reached it grey limit and rain starts to fall. While I put on my rain gear, two walkers on the Hadrian's Wall Path comes by and we share some parting trails words. From here, the path goes over low rolling hills between the two lakes of Greenlee Lough and Bromlee Lough. There is something resembling accomplishment when I walk over the grassy surface, only surrounded by sheep, a feeling that I have finished something I started upon a long time ago. The rain abates, but the clouds linger.

At the edge of the woods, leaving the moorland and farmland behind, under rainy sky and a surprise visit by the sun.

A look back from the woods.

On its way through England, the Pennine Way passes through remarkable few forests, as most of them has disappeared. There still exists some, and the most famous is probably Kielder Forest, which lies still some couple of kilometres away north. Backed by a surprising light from the sun, it is then quite welcome to enter a section of the trail that goes through a forest. Although the forest may not be the most inspiring. Looking back, I get a last glimpse of the vertical crags of the wall, rising up against the dark background. The walk through the forest is a wet, muddy and squelchy experience. Rain returns. I pass by the turnoff to the remote bothy at Haughtongreen (1km off the route), ignoring the thoughts of taking a look at it.

The last view of Hadrian's Wall and its crags and path.

Bellcrag Flow, once a shallow lake left when the ice retreated after the last ice age, now a huge peat bog.

I take a short and wet detour to the Bellcrag Flow, an ancient and one of 57 border mires. The peat here has accumulated up to 10 metres deep over 10 000 years, that is a bog you do not want to fall down into. The vegetation is here close to natural and consists of a unique mix of plants and insects. Looking out over it, is is a remarkable open ground cutting through the forest.

Heading into the open moorland of Hawk Side.

Not a sheepfold, but a treefold, a stone fence in the middle of Hawk Side keeping the trees from escaping into the moors.

Just as open is the moorland afterwards, over Hawk Side. A flat expanse under the rainy clouds, with soft and wet ground. Located in the middle is the remains of a stone building, or just a stone fence. Now it only serves as an enclosure to keep the few trees inside from venturing out into the moorland around. Good spot for a break, and in the bleak weather I feel it is time for some Romney's Everest Kendal Mint Cake. Of course, this is far from being Everest. It tastes really sweet, with an abundance of mint.

A bleak view and scenery from Hawk Side, somewhere down there the Hadrian's Wall Path goes.

Fueled by mint, I leave Hawk Side and disappear into the wet and quiet woods again. From the forest, the Pennine Way heads through a sparse countryside in the vicinity of Stonehaugh (where Sid and Gil went to yesterday), only a few scattered farms lies around. I can hear voices from the Ladyhill Bird of Prey Visitor Centre, and wonder for a short minute if I should go take a look, they have days where you can witness falcons and owls in flight. As the falcons fly, my mind wanders on and so does I. On the gravel track someone had drawn a jellyfish and written 'jelly 5eva', both things seems out of place. Rain is on hold again.

A wet walk through the forest.

After leaving the forest, the Pennine Way enters empty farmland in the area outside Stonehaugh.

After more empty spaces and a crossing over the Wark Burn lying deep down in the landscape, I come to the lonely farm of Horneystead. Here a young couple also walking the Pennine Way, although I have never met them before, has installed themselves and are preparing lunch. The owners of the farm once hiked the Pacific Crest Trail and inspired by the trail magic they met on that trail, they have open up a part of their farm to provide shelter, food and drink for the hikers passing by. All on a serve-yourself basis. The young couple is tired of the rain and surface and is considering leaving the trail for another paths. Rain starts up, more intense. It is good to have shelter for a short time, I spend it eating my lunch. Sophie and Roxanne appear just as I about to leave.

A lonesome farm underneath a dark sky.

The feeling of the walk is now more like the Camino in Spain, not a bad thing in itself, with walking on paths interspersed with some walking on tarmac. The rural landscape around is significantly farmland. No cars on the roads at all. While walking towards and up to Shitlington Crags, the air thickens with rain and clouds, rolling fast over the landscape. The world is a bleak representation of its usual self, or maybe this is usual here. A farmer is out herding his sheep, with his dogs posing valiantly and obediently on his atv, before sending them out to chase the sheep.

After Lowstead, the Pennine Way took to paved roads.

The path climbing up Shitlington Crags, rainclouds upon rainclouds rolling in behind.

Shitlington Crags provides the only sort of elevation or climb of any sort today, through an interesting little track leading up between small cliffs and rocks. The view from the top is a contrastful mixture of heavy rain and streaks of sunlight. A large communication mast towers above. The last of the moorland walks follows afterwards. By this time I am quite wet, although not soaked all the way through. Together with the sheep I can vaguely spot Bellingham through the grey colors.

Light and dark from Shitlington Crags.

Bellingham in view through the grey weather.

Somehow taking the wrong turn, I end up on the road instead, which I follow all the way into Bellingham. I am heading towards The Cheviot, so fittingly I take a room at The Cheviot Hotel, getting a large room where a little sheep doll greets me welcome. Rainy day by all means and not the same exciting scenery as before, but still a strangely good day on the trail. I do not go straight into the shower (already spent a lot of the day in a shower), but sit down and ponder. What to do now?

A sheep greets me welcome at The Cheviot Hotel.

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The Pennine Way // day 16 // Greenhead - Twice Brewed

The Pennine Way, day 16.
Distance: 19.8km (377.5km), time spent: 7:07.
Weather: Most of the time nice.

Again I will stand face to face with Hadrian, or more correctly, the remains of his wall. From Greenhead the Pennine Way shares the path with the much busier Hadrian's Wall Path. I walked it six years ago and if you are interested you can read about that walk here. So to me, this part of the Pennine Way will be a walk down the memory lane. One of the best memories I have from that walk is the third day when we walked to the Twice Brewed Inn. I had hoped to stay there at the end of this day too, but as the Hadrian's Wall Path has become a lot more popular lately, there was not a room available there today. Nor in any of the other accommodations at the same place, everything was fully booked. Plans needed to be adjusted.

The remains of the Thirlwall Castle.

Sid and Gil would go to a campsite at Stonehaugh today, as for Rob, he planned on going all the way to Bellingham. I adjusted my plans so that I would return here after finishing my walk, taking another night at the youth hostel, basing my luck on the Hadrian's Wall Bus. Meaning two things, I could walk with only my small backpack (slackpacking) and that I could make time to visit Vindolanda. When I did the Hadrian's Wall Path, I did not get to see that old Roman fort.

Back on Hadrian's Wall Path.

Built in the 12th century on the bank of the River Tipalt, the Thirlwall Castle welcomes me back to the Hadrian's Wall Path. Originally home to the Thirlwall family, the castle ended up being owned by the Earl of Carlisle in 1748, after which it began its journey into being a ruin. Part of the castle was fortified using stones from the wall, one of the reasons why there are no remains of it nearby.

Sheep on the wall.

After walking up from Thirlwall Castle on a round and grassy hill, I get the first view of many of the distinct crags both trails passes over. A significant feature of them is the vertical drop on one side, most usually on the northfacing side. When doing the Hadrian's Wall Path, you really do not get to see the wall until the third day, thankfully the Pennine Way does a sort of best of compilation of the wall. You will see almost all of the best sections when doing the Pennine Way. Above Walltown Quarry, I get to the first remains of the wall. The setting is familiar, I recognize the fallen tree lying on the ground, it was still fallen back in 2013, but had more branches on it then.

Walltown Crags.

Six years is some time, there are sections that I remember, and sections that I do not. Which is far from being a bad thing. And there is also the fact that I am now walking in the opposite direction that I did at that time, making the feeling a little bit different from then too.

Walking on the Hadrian's Wall Path in opposite direction, heading towards Cawfield Crags (the wall you see here is not built by Hadrian).

The first part of the walk is the most sparse, both in wall and people. I knew that I would not see the wall that often on this part, but I had expected to meet more people given what I have heard of how the numbers of walkers has risen in the recent years. Not that I complain, it feels fine not walking in too much of a throng. Over the Walltown Crags the wall is prominent at first, with some milecastles visible, then it disappears, leaving only the distinct shape of the crag behind. Milecastles were called milecastles because they were built within a Roman mile from each other, about 1481m.

Hadrian's Wall on Cawfield Crags with Milecastle 42.

When I walked the Hadrian's Wall Path, I found the scenery to the north of it fascinating. It appeared a lot more sparse and less inhabited than the area to the south and was in fact one of the reasons why I find myself walking the Pennine Way now (that will however be a subject in the next post, not this). They fell more similar now, although the northern side still has the upper hand when it comes to sparseness.

A look back from Cawfield Crags, there is distinct gap between these crags and Walltown Crags.

Being a popular walk, the surface and path is good to go on, no squelchy bogs here. The crags gets more open, with only a few scattered remains of the wall visible. Far back in the horizon to the south, I can see the faint outline of Cross Fell, now some days ago. In the distance ahead, the more prominent crags are seen jutting undulating up from the landscape. I walk through a minor woods, passes by a farm and then walks over the remains of an old Roman fort that is now invisible to the human eye (almost), Aesica. All scenery that I have seen before, some forgotten, some remembered.

Turret 41a.

It is interesting that the enormous sheet that I am walking on, the Whin Sill, is the same that I walked on earlier on the walk. The dolerite bedrock, known locally as whinstone, forms quite wonderful structures where it reaches the surface. Such as here on the crags, but also on what I have seen before, at Cauldron Snout, High Cup Nick and High Force. The scarp face of the Whin Sill was however removed by the quarries here, at Cawfields and Walltown, and hence the Hadrian's Wall too. From the Cawfields Quarry, I begin walking on a particularly wonderful stretch of the Hadrian's Wall.

Looking north, no picts to see or hear today.

Here the remains of the wall is wonderfully prominent. The width of the wall varies from 2.5m to 3.5m wide and up to 6m high (this is measures regarding the whole of the wall, not only here). Walking up and down the wobbling path and crags, the views are fascinating, with the wall following the same outline, although sometimes normal drystone walls appears as substitute for the one Hadrian built. Memories keep coming back, at one point when I look back from where I came from, I remember a tree hanging over the wall and path. Now only the tree stump is visible on the other side of the wall, a poignant remember of time.

When I walked the Hadrian's Wall Path back in 2013 there was a tree here, hanging over the path, now you can only see the stump that is left of it.

I arrive at the highest point of today and of the Hadrian's Wall Path on Winshields Crags, Green Slack at 345m. The views are great and in cooperation with the light, wonderful. I can see the Twice Brewed Inn below, fells to the south and Scotland to the North. Crossing Steel Rigg, the path suddenly becomes significantly busier, quite teeming with people, at least comparing to before. I know the reason why, although I find it quite funny. It is a great section of the wall though, whatever the way you look at it.

Wall and crags.

Because here the trail passes by a prominent milecastle before it descends down to the most pictured place on the whole of Hadrian's Wall, the famous Sycamore Gap. I do hope that it is for some other reasons than being quite immortalized by the Robin Hood movie starring Kevin Costner, as 28 years has passed since that movie hit the screens.

View from Green Slack towards Crag Lough and Highshield Crags.

Sitting atop the sheer drop of the Highshield Crags cliffs, I have my lunch, looking down at Crag Lough. My time at the Hadrian's Wall Path comes to end after Crag Lough and below the Hotbank Crags, although I go for a little while further before turning back. It was great being back, rekindling the memories from before.

Sycamore Gap.

From Crag Lough I follow a public byway down to the road. To get to Vindolanda I had spotted another public footpath crossing over some fields near High Shield farm. The clouds has now turned on the sky, there are a few scattered raindrops in the air and things looks gloomier. Low rolling hills in the background, but between them and me lies Vindolanda, watching over my approach.

Crag Lough below Highshield Crags.

Vindolanda was lost to me back then, but now I could return to look closely at it. The fort actually predates the building of Hadrian's Wall, being built around the year 85 AD. It was connected to Carlisle and Corbridge by the Stanegate, an ancient and important Roman road. At first the fort consisted of wood and turf, which later become replaced by stone. With the Hadrian's Wall finished in 122 AD, most of the men stationed here was either moved to the Antonine Wall further north or to the nearby fort of Vercovicium (Housesteads).

Vindolanda in view.

Walking around, I find the remains of the fort quite impressive, but as I recall it not as impressive as Housesteads. Even with the intact foundations, I still find it a little bit difficult imagining how it must have looked like. Although there are people here, it is not overly crowded, except for the huge group of archaeologists working at the site. There must still be things to be found here.

The bath house in Vindolanda.

A new wooden structure, probably built to resemble the old wooden forts that stood here, is amusing, but I guess mostly for the kids. I go visit the attached museum with its park, a little piece of ancient Rome in England.

Old pillars at Vindolanda.

Time to leave and from Vindolanda it is all road walk back up to Twice Brewed with its inn. In the distance, I can see the crags wits its wall, and in a gap the distinct shape of a sycamore tree. The sun returned to its proper position while I was at Vindolanda, although with clouds mixed into the view up there.

The remains of the Sevaran Circular Huts.

Regarding accommodation when I walked the Hadrian's Wall Path, the Twice Brewed Inn was one of the best places then, feeling somewhat that it is the Tan Hill Inn of that trail. Now, the pub has changed, it has expanded and grown more modern. Not keeping the same kind of cozy feeling it had before, I do not see it as that big a loss of not getting a room here. Still a nice place, though. I end up taking probably one beer too many while watching Hadrian's Wall Path hikers arriving.

The Robin Hood tree in the distance.

Next to the Twice Brewed Inn is also the Whin Sill National Landscape Discovery Centre. Before catching the bus back to Greenhead, I have time to pay it a short visit. It is interesting and well worth more time than I could give it. The bus arrives and brings me back to Greenhead, while I can sit and look back up at the landscape that I have just walked in.

Inside Twice Brewed Inn.

In Greenhead, I now have the whole youth hostel for myself. Henry and Ana has now arrived after having walked from Alston and we spend the evening together. It is good to see them again, but I think this will be the last time. They had chosen to walk a different route than the Pennine Way here today, visiting the Lambley Viaduct on the way. Henry's toe felt better. I have a crusty ale pie for dinner.

In Greenhead, last evening with Ana and Henry.

Sort of a rest day today, but not a zero day. It was great being back on the wall, revisiting my memories from six years back. I had not the same feeling today looking north from the wall as then, but then again, the weather was more optimistic now. Tomorrow there will be some more walk along the wall, I will get to the point that set me on the course of the Pennine Way and I head North, into the land of the picts.

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The Pennine Way // day 15 // Alston - Greenhead

The Pennine Way, day 15.
Distance: 28.8km (357.7km), time spent: 8:56.
Weather: Nice, changing to rain.

Today carries every mark there is of being a transport stage. Having passed through the Yorkshire Dales and the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Beauty (although technically still in the North Pennines), the walk to Greenhead appear to be designed only to get you to the next prominent feature of the Pennine Way. Which is the section where the Pennine Way joins forces with the Hadrian's Wall Path. Prominent not only in scenery and history, but in people too.

Walking through farmland and fields after Alston.

Instead of running on top over the fells, the Pennine Way this time takes on the valley below them by following the Tynedale and the River South Tyne northwards. I have on the other hand been assured that I will not be following a straight line though, making use of the slopes of the valley several times. With vague paths. Last time I heard that description was on another so-called transport stage, the one between Ickornshaw and Gargrave. Being one of the more obscure stages in a way, I had felt some kind of anticipation regarding today.

The footbridge over Gilderdale Burn.

Did not sleep that well this night, thanks to quarreling from a party outside. About to walk out the door, I find out that I forgot to take my cellphone out of my evening trousers and it is now firmly packed at the bottom of my backpack. Not the perfect start of the day. Maybe not for Henry too, he woke up today with an aching toe, having injured it yesterday. About to walk out of Alston, I make a short visit to a supermarket, where I notice a packet of the notorious Kendall's Mint Cake on the shelf. Having heard so much about it, I just have to buy one. Who knows, maybe I will be in need for it later.

Whitley Castle (or Epiacum).

Leaving Alston by crossing the bridge over the River South Tyne, I spot another walker going underneath the bridge and heading northwards along the river, assuming he is taking the South Tyne Trail instead of the Pennine Way. This trail is a path that follows the river more closely than the Pennine Way and can be used to short-cut this stage. Turns out that I am wrong though, soon being passed by by the same walker. Rob is also walking towards Kirk Yetholm and had just taken a wrong turn. Wrong turn being the name of the game at the beginning. After both of us having taken different ways further, we meet again and walk together to Epiacum. The walk so far has mostly been through large open farmland on unseen paths, with views of Alston at the start and the surrounding hills on both sides.

The Boss.

Epiacum is of course not what it is known as now, that was what the Romans named it. Whitley Castle, or the remains of it as it resembles anything but a castle at this time, looks like someone has driven a gigantic rake through the land and covered it with grass. A rake with up to eight fingers, as the castles prominent feature is a set of eight parallel ditches and embankments. Sheep has replaced the Roman centurions, decanuses and legions. The castle was apparently built to control the mining in the area. Some nice views of the Tynedale to be found here too.

South Tynedale Railway train puffing by.

Cattle is a more demanding livestock met on the trail, most of the time they are docile, but there are rumours circulating. Bullocks appear in several of them. Although it is not a bullock that are standing and eyeing me ominously, but a big muscular bull (without the ock). There he stands measuring me, The Boss, with the cows roaming at will behind him. I cannot run fast here, the surface is all squelchy mud (with manure mixed into it), not that I can outrun a bull if the distance is too long anyway. I must measure out fine in his eyes, for he leaves me be. First encounter today, more to come.

Lintley Viaduct hidden behind the trees.

The route through the dale passes under and next to some wonderful railway arches (and the best one of them all is not mentioned in the guidebook, the Lambley Viaduct, a shame). At Lintley I get to the first, a splendid structure almost hidden in the vegetation. Shortly afterwards is the path likewise, hidden in the vegetation, disappearing into a large field of burdock plants. Just before I got to the viaduct, I could see the little South Tynedale Railway train very slowly puff by.

The Pennine Way disappearing in a field of burdocks (or so I believe, feel free to comment if I am wrong).

More train related stuff to come. At Slaggyford, I visit the train station where they run a little café in a used train carriage. A good time to stop for a coffee break and sit down pretending to take the train instead of walking, sitting down and looking out at the gentle Tynedale landscape. Two other Pennine Wayfarers arrives to, Sid and Gil.

At the café at Slaggyford Train Station, imagining taking the train instead, watching the landscape roll by.

After Slaggyford I come to another great viaduct, this time the one pictured in my guidebook, but wrongly captioned as the one back in Lintley. This one crosses the Knar Burn and is more prominently displayed in the scenery, meaning not as hidden.

The viaduct over Knar Burn.

The following part is one of the more bizarre experiences on my hike. For all the talk and laws about the public rights of way in England, it then feels slightly surrealistic to walk straight through what essentially is the backyard of a farmhouse. With small white arrows and Pennine Way markers pointing the direction. No garden party at the time at least.

A Pennine Way waymarker.

Then some steps later I walk through a gate in a drystone fence, turn around and face a herd of cows coming charging at me out of another gate. With their seemingly empty eyes they appear to be aiming straight at me. Not entirely sure of what to do, I do what I use to do in similar situations like this, I charge at them. Staring into its eyes, I run straight towards the leading cow, while clapping my hands and yelling at the same time. It worked. Stopping dead in their charge, they soon scatter away one each side of me. They might not have ran me over, but I would not want to be there to find out. I was going to say, do noy try this at home, only that it is not home that I talk about.

Tynedale, looking back at the beginning of the Maiden Way.

It is first when the Pennine Way heads into the area known as Lambley Common that the route gains some significant height, although it is not much to speak of. Until then, the route has kept itself close to the bottom of the valley, while still not being entirely flat either. Returning to the complex rules of private versus public land in England, adding the word Common to the name of a place posed some questions in me. Commons are commonly referred to as land or resources belonging to or affecting the whole of a community and for the benefit of the general public, or land owned collectively by a number of persons, or by one person, but over which other people have certain traditional rights, such as to allow their livestock to graze upon it (which is the Wikipedia definition of it). This led me to believe that this would mean land open to the public, but despite being named a Common does not mean that it is common now. Many historical commons have been turned into private land, and has been for a long time. In one of my early plans for my hike, I had put Lambley Common up as a possible place to camp.

Drystone wall and Tynedale scenery.

Common or not, the view has more in common with the rest of the Pennine Way has than the walk so far from Alston. Easygoing at such, the scenery is now distinctly more moorland again, following what is known as the Maiden Way. A Roman road, but unknown if it really was called Maiden Way then. From the top it is supposedly possible to see The Cheviot in the distance, but it is the first sight of the undulating crags of the Hadrian's Wall Path that first catches my attention. The Cheviot, although not very far away in the future, is still some days away. An adder slithers away from me into the tall grass. Next to another wall of stone I sit down to eat lunch, postponed due to my visit to the train café in Slaggyford.

Grouse on a stone wall at Lambley Common.

The Pennine Way leaves the Maiden Way almost unnoticeable, at least if you do not pay enough attention, but I noticed the signpost in time. I also cannot fail the notice the strange bulls here, they look like zebras, zebra-bulls. Slightly empty landscape follows, then a quiet road and more empty landscape. A broken farmbuilding ahead, and two other wanderers. Behind me is Sid and Gil coming up. Scenery appear more like indistinct moor and farmland now, although few livestock and farms are seen.

Maiden Way.

A slight gap in the landscape comes after a ruined barn, where the route crosses over another burn, Hartley Burn. On the slope leading up afterwards, a farmer must have had enough of waylaid hikers, prompting the signpost 'NOT Pennine Way'. I wish there was a similar signpost later on, as the route then disappear in the moor after a farm. I was warned, but still took the not Pennine Way. Thankfully the approaching rain has not arrived yet, so after trudging a bit over the moors in mild confusion, I can locate the fence where I know the trail goes next to. If making the same mistake when entering the Hartleyburn Common, the trick is not to follow the most distinct path and turn more left, aim for a fence heading north.

Zebrabulls...which actually are Belted Galloways.

Bleakest part of the day, accentuated by the rain. That is the description of the walk across the Hartleyburn Common, nor is it the most special moorland on the trail either. And the rain and clouds will block the most anticipated view of today too, the now approaching Roman wall. Undulating over a wet surface, the path makes it way past the usual sheep, then entering the next common next to a trig point, Blenkinsopp Common.

A ruined barn before Hartley Burn.

Through the pale clouds I can see the faint outline of the crags the Hadrian's Wall Path goes over, it would be a nice view, if it had not been for the power lines disrupting parts of it. The rain has passed by when I descend from the moors. I will return to the trail I walked back in 2013, but will not make any steps on it until tomorrow. After crossing over a golf course, I see Thirlwall Castle, knowing that I have reached the end of today. From the ruins of a castle there is a short walk off the route down to Greenhead.

NOT Pennine Way.

Accommodations next to the Hadrian's Wall Path can be busy at times, but I had no problem getting a bed here. Although I had to settle with the youth hostel, the hotel was full. The hostel is not, it is quite large and seemingly empty, I get a room for myself.

Bleak over Blenkinsopp Common.

At the pub, I meet Rob again. After he went ahead when I stopped to take a closer look at Whitley Castle I did not see him again. Sid is later joining us, Gil however did not feel well so he stayed back at the room. We talk some about the state of the trail today. They felt there were a lot of places today that were badly maintained, especially where the route vanished in the burdocks. Talk about cows, bulls and bullocks also entertains us. They make some eyes when I say that I charged at the cows, so maybe it was not the wisest of decisions.

The crags of the Hadrian's Wall Path.

I had not seen Sophie and Roxanne since I left Langdon Beck, now they appear at the hotel in Greenhead. Trails are funny that way. After looking at the hostel, they do not want to stay there and arranges for a cab to take them to nearby Haltwhistle. Sophie told me that she had fallen to her waist in a bog after Tan Hill and felt slightly scared of the bogs after that, which I do not blame her for.

Thirlwall Castle.

A strange day on the Pennine Way, and one of those days where I felt content by just walking and not in need for anything really special. To be on the move, seeing the scenery change, however slow. There is less than a week left of my walk now, tomorrow I will be back on the memory lane and I look forward to it. My blood blisters has stopped bothering me long time ago, things are flowing.

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