21 April 2013: 29km. Started 08:45. Arrived 17:45.
Oh dear – the hostel had lost its rubber stamp – now that would never have happened in the “old days” when everybody had their membership card stamped.
I was out of the hostel at 08:45 and sadly the sunny weather of the previous day was no more. It was dry to start but the rain began as I was climbing on to Great Shunner Fell – the highest point so far on the Pennine Way.
I stopped to put on all my wet weather gear and was caught by an incongruous couple – a young lady from Florida walking with an older man. It turned out that the man was a retired encryption engineer, but unfortunately he was a “messy” walker with his stick all over the place, including almost managing to knock me over when he sunk in some boggy ground. I had planned to stop at the summit where there was a shelter, but so had they and I decided to walk on. They subsequently overtook me when I stopped for a drink, but they were carrying a lot less than me; I think they were using a luggage transfer company.
The rest of the day was stormy and miserable and the ground alternated between boggy or treacherously slippery. My gloom was lightened by seeing an attractive waterfall.
The walking day ended with a climb up to Tan Hill. The inn is the highest in England at 1,732 feet and I had a booking for the quite expensive bed and breakfast. I had looked forward to it as one of the highlights of the expedition to stay at this famous establishment. Clearly such a remote place would have high overheads and so a premium price seemed reasonable. I was excited and relieved as I saw it on the horizon and realised that this soggy walk was ending.
On arrival, I was immediately presented with a credit card machine to pay for the overnight. The young barman was extremely abrupt and in my panic I had a complete mental blank and forgot my PIN. Fortunately, the card has the same PIN as my husband’s. Still dripping water, I phoned him and was able to find out the number. It was a bit embarrassing, but everywhere else had let me pay my bill in the morning so as to include all extra charges – and I certainly intended to eat at Tan Hill.
I was shown to my room where the bed was unmade with clear signs of having been slept in by someone else. So I was shown to another room, where the bed did appear to be freshly made, although I guess there is a possibility that it was just that the previous occupants had left it neatly. The room was cold, damp and grubby – not what I had expected for the price I had paid. However there was a good shower with lots of hot water.
The evening improved as I enjoyed good company and there was a blazing open fire in the bar. Tom who I had met previously was staying in the bunk house. Liz and Peter were heroically camping in their tent outside on the windswept and wet camping area, with mother nearby in the camper van. However they were eating both dinner and breakfast inside the Inn.
The night at Tan Hill was indeed a memorable experience but not for the reasons I had envisaged. Since then I have read Neil Hanson’s book “The Inn at the Top” about his life there as landlord in the late 1970s – a fascinating and humorous story full of interesting anecdote, but I don’t think he had much empathy with walkers either.
Fast forward a few years to the end of August 2016 and I found myself in the area again but walking my version of the Wainwright Coast to Coast. Coming off the moor from Nine Standards Rigg and down Whitsundale, I arrived at a remote farm at Ravenseat where cream teas were advertised. It was still morning but the offer was too good to refuse. I was served by an assortment of very pleasant, well behaved but active children of various ages who then proceeded to play in the farm yard. After a while their mother appeared and was extremely friendly and chatty. When I explained that I had previously stayed fairly nearby at Tan Hill Inn she enquired about and was clearly unsurprised by my experience. She had just given birth to her ninth (I think that is the correct number) child. What I didn’t realise was that she is famous as “The Yorkshire Shepherdess” and most of those who visit Ravenseat actually go to meet Amanda Owen and even to get their books signed. This area clearly has scope for unique and contrasting experiences! For the record, I have bought one of her books now and even considered going to one of her talks (but I was working).
The unexpected is part of the joy of this sort of expedition. I wouldn’t recommend Tan Hill Inn as a good place to stay but it was certainly an interesting and memorable experience. I’m glad that I stayed there once, especially as it turned out to be a talking point over three years later when I met “The Yorkshire Shepherdess”, but its not somewhere I would choose to stay again without very good reason!
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