I was expecting today to be difficult, particularly after the rain yesterday: the guide books suggested that the walk across the moors is really boggy. However, we awoke to sunshine and a strong breeze and had a lovely walk, initially climbing through fields of sheep and then onto the moors. We were able to avoid the wettest parts, and the hills were gradual climbs up and down. The second part of the day was through Redesdale Forest on straight wide gravel paths – not comfortable underfoot! We met other walkers, and discovered that we were all staying at the same accommodation.

Forest View Walker’s Inn is a very friendly place, and we were greeted with a cup of tea. Supper was a communal event, all sitting down to eat together. Most of the other guests were walking the Pennine Way, but we met a New Zealand couple who were also walking LEJOG. An early start tomorrow for our long walk into Scotland over the Cheviot Hills.

A Backward Glance

It was a long climb up out of Bellingham, but as we did the horizon widened and we found ourselves on good paths walking across wild moorland again. We met some others walking the Pennine Way North but they quickly overtook us. Later, while we were stopped for a lunch break a Park Warden named Pat, who was out to plant a camera in a nest of two Harriers in the area, came across to chat (and check that I could get back up again). He has a fascinating job and we enjoyed chatting together. He told us about the Spine Race that was currently taking place where some people get along the full 268 miles of the Pennine Way in just over 70 hours! Gosh! I thought, we’ve taken over 70 hours already and there’s still nearly thirty miles to go. He explained that they spend a total of only about four hours sleeping in a bag along the way. Then I realised our mistake, we’d actually spent just over 150 hours sleeping on our sprint along the Spine. He identified for me the small brown bird that had been popping up out of the grass tufts and hovering in the air around us as we’d been walking the moors over the last couple of weeks – ‘Meadow Pipits’. They behave a bit like ‘skylarks’ but are smaller and less noisy. (The unexpected guest at lunch is often fascinating company). We eventually left the moor with its distant views of Scotland ahead of us and were tramping along a monotonous wide gravel path through Resedale Forest used by logging trucks. The day concluded with pleasant banter at dinner among fellow walkers who’d overtaken us on the Pennine Way today, also staying at the Forest Inn. Our last night in England!