A slightly
longer entry than usual because, in order to maximise the time available to
complete this potentially tricky stretch of the walk (postponed over the winter
months) the team assembles the day before at the Sun Inn, Alnmouth. John
arrives at lunchtime from Edinburgh, having witnessed Gloucester coming second
to Stade Français in the European Challenge Cup. Ben and Gary arrive late in
the afternoon from London, Gary having witnessed the first leg of Fulham’s
Championship play off semi-final which leads, following the second leg a few
days later, to them coming second to Reading. When Ben and Gary arrive, they
find John in the bar of the Sun (not a surprise) having a pot of tea (more of a
surprise) and decide that a cider and beer respectively will be more welcoming.
A stroll around Alnmouth, including discussion of John’s views on wading across
the River Aln on our next trip, precedes supper and a relaxed night back at the
Sun to prepare for day 96 when we’re picked up by Carol at 9:30. The weather forecast
is far from promising – rain, wind and, according to John, wind chill
temperatures on the Pennine Way of zero. Four or five layers, to include
waterproofs, would seem to be prudent and, based on conditions witnessed on the
one hour drive to Barrow Burn, are going to be required. When Carol drops us
off shortly after 10:30, the rain has relented slightly, and the wind is brisk
at best. Thankfully, it’s blowing from the south east, so it doesn’t unduly
inhibit the first 90 minutes or so of the walk which is a long steady climb of
nearly 4 miles up to Border Ridge at almost 1,800 feet, where we turn to walk
alongside the border fence. The rain, whilst steady, still isn’t too heavy and
the wind is now from our right, but the combination of the two, and the
consequent low temperature, is clearly going to prove very tiring. Indeed, when
we stop for just a few minutes for our first loggage on the ridge, we all
notice a distinct drop in body temperature. Fortunately, the ground conditions
are better than those which we experienced up here last October in that there
are more extensive sections of paving slabs which have been laid, and the other
sections are at least reasonably firm under foot. However, after rounding the
Cheviot turn to continue north along the border, we soon feel the need to take
advantage of the Auchope refuge hut where John supplies energy boost gels
(accepted by Gary but rejected by Ben) before we tackle the next climb of nearly
600 feet over the Schil. When we leave the hut after 10 minutes, a new member
of the group – a walking pole which Gary has brought with him – is left behind,
but this is quickly noticed and John yomps back to retrieve it, with the extra
yardage thereby logged causing subsequent data adjustment issues. Ben and Gary
proceed at a more sedate pace and John rejoins them before the approach to the
Schil. The initial climb is relatively gentle but, as it becomes steeper, our pace
slows, markedly in Gary’s case, so John carries his rucksack for the final 100
yards which proves to be a very effective handicapping system. The resultant
increase in Gary’s speed and decrease in John’s means that they reach the
summit together, a couple of minutes after Ben. Who needs energy gels? By now,
the rain has stopped, the wind has weakened, and we are able to enjoy some
great views over the hills and down into the valleys. Soon after leaving the
Schil, and following a walk of around 7 miles on the ridge, we turn left to
follow the border on the Scottish side and start the 4 miles descent to the end
(or beginning) of the Pennine Way at Kirk Yetholm. It’s been a hard day. Just
over 15 miles have taken some six and a half hours but, given the dreadful
forecast, we’ve emerged relatively unscathed. Shortly after 5:15, we get to the
Border Inn where somebody who has just completed the Pennine Way doesn’t seem
too interested in conversation with John who also finds that a bowl of soup
which he’s been hoping to have on arrival by way of warmage won’t be available
until 6 o’clock. We content ourselves with a reviving cider (for Ben) and beer
and crisps (for John and Gary) before adjourning to check in and freshen up at
our B&B for the night, the Farmhouse, about 5 minutes away. We then return
to the Border where we’ve booked a table for supper, but John is slightly
delayed by having to dry wet clothing in his rucksack. Although the rucksack
has a waterproof cover, the clothing wasn’t in separate bags inside. Rookie
mistake. He does however secure at the Border, somewhat belatedly, his much
anticipated soup (Cullen skink – pronounced as being excellent) before we all
tuck into haddock and chips. A post-supper sticky at the bar is taken in the
company of the landlord, who regales us with further stories about the New Year
Spine Race along the Pennine Way, and also procures the first available log
book of recorded Pennine Way walk finishers. This is marked “Book 2” and starts
in mid-August 1971, which is slightly frustrating for John who completed the
walk whilst at school in early August 1971. He may well have appeared in Book 1
but this was apparently destroyed in a fire! With a degree of disappointment,
we leave the Border and get back to the Farmhouse at 9 o’clock.
Day 95 – Belford to Beadnell
On opening bedroom curtains, bright skies indicate that we may once more have cheated the weather forecast. But by the time we leave at 8:30, conditions have changed and it’s snowing. Our destination today is the Craster Arms at Beadnell (about 13 miles away) where we’re due to be picked up at 2:15 so as to get to Alnmouth for a train at 3 o’clock. The terrain shouldn’t be particularly challenging and so, despite the weather, we should get to Beadnell with enough time to spare for a drop of lunch. It’s a different, more southerly, route back to the coast, but again it involves a stretch of road (albeit shorter than yesterday evening), a field to the A1 (this time crossed without any horn blastage), and a woodland trail to the east coast main line. Here, there is no bridge across the railway, but instead there’s a telephone which provides a connection to a line controller who, having ascertained the number in our group and our estimated time to walk over the track, instructs us to cross as soon as we’ve replaced the receiver. Instructions are duly followed without incident, and the only other issue which arises before we reach the coast is whether to get to Warren House on the edge of Budle Bay via a couple of right angled roads, or along the hypotenuse of a field in which, according to a sign by the gate, there is a bull. It’s not a huge surprise when two of us opt for the road route and one chooses the hypotenuse. It’s even less of a surprise who arrives first outside Warren House – and announces that there was no evidence of a bull in the field. By now, about 90 minutes after leaving the Blue Bell, the snow has just about relented, but the wind is strong and in our faces as we turn north east and get down to the beach to walk to the headland at Budle Point. Thankfully, it isn’t too long before we’ve rounded the headland and are back in a more southerly facing direction towards Bamburgh. We need to go back to the cliff top at Bamburgh Castle Golf Course where the wind makes us realise that the beach was relatively sheltered and where, as a result, there are more people in and around the club house than on the course itself. But within 20 minutes we’re able to get back down to the beach and to the beautiful stretch of sand which takes us beneath Bamburgh Castle and alongside the dunes all the way to Seahouses. Wonderful. Gary’s suggestion of a coffee and post card stop is scuppered by our route taking us away from the centre of Seahouses and around the very quiet and rather bleak harbour (no boats going over to the Farne Islands today). The relatively easy underfoot conditions – and also the following wind – have meant that we’re going to reach Beadnell soon after 12:30 and, although this is an earlier finish than we would like, the next potential stop along the coast at Newton is likely to prove a step too far, even if we’re able to divert our booked Colin to a different pick up location. So after leaving the harbour, we’re able to take our time walking over Seahouses Golf Course and can pause to watch a threeball teeing off on a hole which crosses in front of us. The two who get their shots airborne allow for the cross wind by aiming at us, and manage to find the fairway. Alongside the next hole, a path leads down to the shore, so we get another 30 minutes of beach action before reaching Beadnell and going up to the coast road. Our “official” walk ends here outside a house (no. 20) because it transpires that we’ve slightly overshot the street leading to the Craster Arms and need to walk back along the coast road to reach it. As anticipated, we arrive at the pub around 12:30 and have no difficulty whiling away the next hour and a half with a couple of pints and a crab sandwich – the crustacean in question having apparently been caught earlier today by a man sitting at the bar. Colin (or Carol) arrives just after 2 o’clock so we arrive in very good time at Alnmouth station which, disappointingly, has no refreshment facilities – in fact no facilities at all apart from a ticket office. However, we’re all catching the same train as far as York and so, for the first time in quite a while, we’re able to share on board glasses of wine before John disembarks to connect with a train to Cheltenham.
Day 94 – Spittal to Belford
Ben and
Gary’s train from King’s Cross today is unaffected by track obstructions of any
kind, and arrives at Berwick on time – 40 minutes before John’s train, which
affords to Ben and Gary the opportunity for, among other things, a relaxed late
morning sandwich in the station’s refreshment kiosk. By the time John arrives,
our Colin from the last trip is waiting in the car park to return us to Spittal
and we set off from opposite The Blenheim around 12:30. Given that the latest weather
forecast is for wind, rain and snow, we’re pleased – and slightly relieved –
that we’ve postponed the Windy Gyle section to our next planned couple of days
in May but, when we reach the Spittal esplanade, there is no rain or snow in
evidence and, although there’s quite a brisk and chilly wind, it’s blowing from
the north and therefore at our backs. The sea looks suitably wild (to
landlubbers) under leaden skies, and the walk starts along the esplanade and
then slightly inland through some fields so as to circumnavigate Goswick Golf
Course, or at least the northern part of it because, after another half an hour
or so, the route joins a road which takes us across to the clubhouse and then towards
the sea past some very brave people attempting to smite small white spheres
back into the wind. We experience a couple of short and not particularly heavy
hail showers, but the skies gradually become clearer and the tide is beginning
to go out. We therefore get a bit of shoreline action (beach action would convey
the wrong impression) as we approach the still submerged causeway to Holy
Island where a couple of cars are parked with occupants ostensibly waiting to
drive over to the island. If they are, they must be very patient souls because
the causeway won’t be above water for another couple of hours at 5pm. Shortly
after passing the causeway, we turn slightly inland and encounter a local
resident who says that we won’t be able to continue along a track parallel to
the shore because of some tree felling work. It’s not entirely clear whether
this would present a problem but, because we’re not immediately deterred, the
resident eventually leads us through his garden back to the shoreline which
we’re able to follow for about another hour, almost as far as Elwick. Here, we
have to turn inland again, through some fields, and over a bridge crossing the
main east coast railway line. This brings us to a woodland and a path, running
initially beside a stream, which emerges by the A1. There’s no bridge over the
road, but fortunately it’s just a single carriageway, so crossing doesn’t present
major problems. Or rather it shouldn’t. Gary’s slightly delayed decision to
follow John and Ben does prompt a blast on the horn from an approaching car,
but this seems (to Gary at least) to be out of an abundance of caution rather
than because of any clear and present danger. Anyway, after continuing through
another field, our final mile or so is alongside the road into Belford and our
overnight stop, the Blue Bell Hotel. Shortly after our arrival the forecast
snow materialises. This prompts a comment from one departing local about
“southern softies” which seems a bit harsh – even though we are settling down
in the warmth with a pre-check in pint. After check in, and retiring to our rooms
for 45 minutes, supper is taken with a couple of bottles of wine, followed by a
double and single sticky. A toast is probably due to Newcastle Utd who have
secured promotion to the Premier League this evening with a 4-1 win against
Preston.
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