....The Cheviots can (just!) be seen in the distance for the first time
I awoke to find a dry but overcast day, and it remained that way. I was in no rush to leave Bellingham and took my time , looking around the bookshop and buying lunch in the excellent bakers.
I set off at 10 a.m. Bellingham is on the route of the Border Counties Railway, opened in the 1860's to carry coal and iron ore. It was closed in the 1950's and despite frequent rumours that is will re-open it remains closed.
Once out of the town the Pennine Way leaves the road at a bend and starts to climb northwards. There are nice views looking back to Bellingham. A fairly steep climb leads to a flat marshy plain. Hareshaw House can be seen in the distance in a small copse. The ground is very marshy once it levels out and my progress was quite slow for the next mile and a half. Much of todays walk was through marsh and bog and it was the wettest under foot of the walk so far. I say 'so far' because the remaining day was to prove far worse!
After crossing the B6320 the scenery becomes bleaker and route finding, although not too difficult, requires a little more attention. There are no good landmarks and I took frequent bearings and headed towards Whitley Pike. Once there, a track can be seen to the NW . After crossing this track route finding became quite difficult and the ground was extremely marshy and boggy.
I passed Padon Hill and the Spruce forests which dominate the rest of the days walk ca me into view. The problem with route finding now is that large sections of the forests are frequently felled and replanted and so it is important to bear in mind that the layout can vary considerably between the map and what is actually seen on the ground. I made a small mistake for a 100 yards or so following the edge of a plantation and then realised I was actually in the middle of the plantation as depicted on the map!
I found the last 4 or 5 miles through the wooded areas quite boring, though this sort of scenery may appeal to some. The interest in todays walk lay in the problems caused by bog (some very deep - see below) and marsh rather than in the scenery, hence only one photo taken.
I arrived at the Byrness Hotel at 4 o'clock. There were many walkers here and as I waited to be shown to my room I overheard one recounting how earlier that day, leading a group, he had 'disappeared' up to his waist into a particularly black and sticky bog. His rescue necessitated the efforts of much of his group and he was clearly shaken up.
I ate in the bar that evening, a good meal with two pints of Theakstons. There were three walkers there who I had passed earlier that day. They were walking 5 days of the Northern part of the PW and intended, as did I, to walk the final section, from here to Kirk Yetholm in one day. I've not measured this section myself but have read various calculations putting it at between 24 and 27 miles, excluding the detour away from the path to the summit of the Cheviot that some include. Tony Hopkins, in the National Trail Guide - Pennine Way North , estimates it at 27 miles and says to complete it in one day is hard. He splits it into two. I had intended to leave the next morning at 7:30 and was surprised to hear that the other walkers were setting off a six, as were other walkers staying in the Youth Hostel across the road. In view of this I decided to get up at six o'clock, have breakfast and go when ready.
I had been feeling strong on the previous days but was aware that the final day was likely to be the toughest. It passes through the most remote and lightly populated (by man and sheep) area of England and some would say the wildest. Breaking this last section into two presents certain logistical problems of its own, necessitating either walking to the nearest road from Clennell Street to be picked up by vehicle or staying at Uswayford Farm tel: 01669 650237, both requiring a round trip of about six miles. I felt that as I was walking in July the hours of available daylight would enable me to finish the walk in one go, even if I had to do it on hands and knees!
So it was that I set my alarm for 6 a.m and turned out the light at 9 p.m. - I was just a nights sleep away from completing The Pennine Way!
Rating for day out of 10 :-