25 April 2013: 30km. Started 09:15. Arrived 17:45.
The hostel warden thoughtfully suggested that taking the South Tyne Trail initially would cut out some boggy bits. However I opted for the “real thing”. The map clearly shows the route crossing the road bridge just before reaching the main part of Alston. Unfortunately I made rather an inauspicious start by setting off down the wrong side of the river. To my embarrassment, I met Tom walking towards me having just been to the post office; he says: “Well, at least it didn’t happen on Cross Fell!”
There was a fair bit of ascent, which would have been avoided on the converted rail bed of the alternative walk. It was soggy underfoot but not as bad as much of the Pennine Way. I passed a hillside Roman fort – just an embankment and ditches nowadays. Tom passed me there so at least he knew I found the right way eventually.
At Slaggyford, I passed the American lady and her friend who were just finishing lunch. They passed me later when I stopped by a stream near a railway viaduct to eat my lunch.
Some complicated route finding followed – notably with the path going over stone step-stiles through the back yards of two houses. Yes, that is correct as Paddy Dillon mentions it in the Cicerone Guide. It wasn’t me going wrong again!
I hoped for an easier time with going along the old Roman road of Maiden Way, but it was soft and boggy. However worse was to come with Featherstone and Blenkinsopp Commons probably jointly winning the award for the wettest parts of the Pennine Way so far. It made for a very tiring trek. After that, there were some less wet tracks to the A69. The road was very busy and difficult to cross. After this there was more bog and then a path round a very waterlogged golf course. No chance of being hit by stray golf balls as no one was silly enough to be trying to play on such a squelchy surface.
I was booked to stay at the hostel opposite the hotel. However it was actually the same business and meals were at the hotel. I had my own room though, so apart from no en-suite I was actually as well off as if I had paid a lot more to stay at the hotel, as the American and her friend had done.
Where's Kathryn? 