Hebridean Way (Part 1)

10^th – 14^th June 2024


Introduction

 

It has certainly been difficult having our daughter and grandchildren living five hours drive away but their Ayrshire home has one considerable advantage. It acts as a staging post and launch pad for trips to the north. And the easy transport links from Ayr to Glasgow Airport and the Scottish Isles made it the idea base to start our journey to the Outer Hebrides for a trek up the southern section of the Hebridean Way. My annual adventure with David Tucker therefore began, on Sunday 9^th June, with the long drive north for a meal, catchup and sleepover with the Scottish branch of the family.

 

Monday 10^th June 2024                    Vatersay – Craigston

Landing on a Beach

 

The almost seamless transport connections from Ayr were seriously disrupted last year when the station hotel burnt down. Trains are still not running from the town and a bus link to Prestwick has now been in operation for well over twelve months. My son-in-law kindly offered to drive us to the temporary railhead so we could get on our way. The airport bus-link goes from the rear entrance to Paisley Gilmour Street and we were checked in, through security and having a light breakfast in the airport lounge in very good time for our flight to Barra. The Twin Otter plane looked miniscule compared with the surrounding airliners. We walked out across the tarmac and were greeted by a smart young lady who ushered us aboard, gave us the safety talk and then jumped into the seat beside the captain and flew the plane. We felt in good hands as we descended into Barra in the middle of a rain storm where we dropped onto the beach at the northern end of the island and taxied up to a small terminal building at the far end. The taxi that we had booked was nowhere to be found then Neil Campbell sped into the car park claiming that the plane was early. He drove us directly over the causeway to Vatersay, bypassing Castlebay as we went. A café in the community hall was the perfect solution to our food issues and the time had come to begin our walk.

 

The start of the Hebridean Way was marked by a rather unimposing metal upright on a mound opposite the café. It gave a fabulous view over the beach and coastline around the eastern side of Vatersay. The marked route headed north along the road we had driven down. The wreck of a plane crash, the RAF Catalina seaplane on a training exercise in 1944, was scattered around the shoreline. The road kept to the coast around the hillside giving views of Castlebay across the water. Over the causeway to Barra, the road turned right in front of an industrial building. After a further 400 meters, a footpath sign pointed up the hillside on a steep grassy path which led to a false summit and then across a marshy gully to the actual high point. Suddenly views to the north opened up and we picked our way down to the rocky shore. The direction posts led over rough ground to the east bringing us gradually down to a sandy beach and the most famous hotel on the island, the Isle of Barra. We walked through the hotel on our way back to the coast road. It appeared modern and expensive so we quickly moved on into Craigston and passed a Catholic chapel as we looked for for our guest house/farm. David eventually rung on a doorbell of a roadside house to ask for directions. We had overshot our destination and had to retreat back along the lane and into an unmarked farmyard. Here we had found Gearradhmor and our accommodation for the evening. Anne proved a homely cook and wonderful host.

 

Vatersay dep. 13.40,  Craigston arr. 16.37

GPS 8.18 miles in 3hr 50mins 29secs walking time with 20 mins butty stop on the hillside.

Stayed at Gearradhmor Guest House in Craigston and were offered a meal of soup, haddock and chips and ice cream fortified by a bottle of red wine, ‘La Clape’ from L’Oratoire des Quatre Vents.

 

 

Tuesday 14^th May 2024                Craigston  – DaliburghonisterH

Whisky Galore

 

Part 1    Craigston – Ardhmor Ferry

 

Early alarm for a 6.45am breakfast. Anne saw us on our way with a cooked breakfast, lots of toast and a gallon of coffee. By 7.20am we were on our way: we had a boat to catch. The lane headed up the valley passing an RSPB noticeboard about their Corncrake conservation work. The tarmac gave way to a rough track leading onto the moor. A steep grassy path led north up the hillside which took us across a wet traverse beneath the summit ridge. The route suddenly turned sharp right and climbed to a low point on this ridge and then descended into a coire with magnificent views opening up in front of us of the east of the island and the sea beyond. The ground became marshier as we lost height but we soon scrambled onto a track that brought us passed a lochan to a quiet road. Keeping an eye on the time, we decided to stay on the official route and not bail out round the roads. Over another moor we strode with now less than an hour before we were due at the ferry. The coast road to the terminal was now down below us but we were still heading away from the ferry as the route contoured around the hillside. We abandoned the path and headed down a grassy valley on a short cut to the road. This worked out well; we even found a gate onto the tarmac. It was now only a short way along the road and we arrived in good time for the boat. A tiny café in the terminal building gave us shelter from the cold wind and a coffee for our elevenses. We sat chatting with a couple of girl cyclists whilst watching the ferry boat sailing towards us. Then we were invited to walk down the concrete ramp and into the passenger seating area. We had completed our walk across Barra. It had seemed a very brief visit.

 

GPS 6.82 miles in 3 hours 2 mins and 29 secs.

 

Part 2   Eriskay – Daliburgh

 

This time it was up the steep concrete ramp onto Eriskay and our third island. A road headed north but we took a path through the marram grass at the back of the dunes. This emerged onto the road near a walled cemetery perched of a mound of high ground. Beyond was the pub, the Am Politician, named after the famous ship that was wrecked off the Eriskay coast, the story behind the film ‘Whisky Galore’. I could not walk past, so I persuaded David to sit with me for a few minutes whilst I tried the waters. Then it was out again into the wind to cross the long causeway onto South Uist. This connection between the island was only completed 22 years ago but now carries a wide and busy road to our fourth island. The first three miles on South Uist were on the flat and open coast road with few features of interest until we came upon a café run by a young couple in West Kilbride. After scones and coffee, it was back to the serious business of making miles up the west coast, first on the road and then around a coastal trod to the Polochar Inn. Here we joined the Machair Trail, a route we would come across several times over the next few of days. The main feature of the next section was the flatness, the fertile greenness and the scattering of modern houses on the original crofting land. Eventually the houses began to cluster together as we approached the only village in miles. We turned inland down a narrow lane for a mile or so to find our hotel.

 

Eriskay Ferry Terminal 11.56, Borrodale Hotel arr.16.50

GPS 11.53 miles in 4hrs 10mins 28secs walking time plus 20 mins in the Am Politician (Seven Peaks, IPA 3.9% from Drygate) and 20 mins in West Kilbride Cafe.

Stayed at the Borrodale Hotel, Daliburgh. Dinner of halibut followed by bread & butter pudding. The beer was Skye Gold (4.3%) from Isle of Skye Brewing, and a bottle of Merlot from Tierra del Rey, Chile.

 

 

Wednesday 12^th June 2024               Daliburgh – Gerinish

Uist Unearthed

 

A full Scottish breakfast was an important factor, there not being much chance of a café today. As we walked the mile down the lane back to the Hebridean Way, we were overtaken by two ladies who intended to catch a bus back to the hotel in the afternoon. We however were attempting a much longer day, well over 20 miles, to the Orasay Inn in the north of the island. Our only chance of an escape was a recommended taxi driver on neighbouring Benbecula. We rejoined the two ladies at the ancient site of the round houses at Taighean Cruinn Cladh Halainn. Further progress on the beach seemed easier than the path through the dunes although, when the beach became stony, we withdrew from the seashore and found better going on the adjoining golf course. A grass track then headed north up the coastal plain with ground nesting birds complaining about our presence all the way. Some standing stones were indicated on the map so, at a ‘Uist Unearthed’ sign, we headed off left into some sandy hillocks. Finding nothing ancient or modern, we continued on our way until a farmer/ranger, standing beside his tractor talking to a woman, told us the standing stones were buried. He then went on to explain what Uist Unearthed was all about and how we could benefit from downloading their app. Not suitable impressed, we had a quick drink and more emergency rations and strode on until we met with a coast road looping out towards us.

 

A Dutch couple, with their state-of-the-art mobile home, proudly showed us a photograph they had just taken of a short-eared owl sitting on a post. Much as we scanned the landscape, we could not spot it. Another dune edge path left the tarmac and looped round to rejoin the road near Howmore. We ignored the turn off to the hostel and continued north for a short while to the right-hand turn into Drimsdale where we crossed the main road. Before we set out over the moor we phoned the local taxi and asked for a pick up from this same road but further north after we had completed our inland diversion. The moorland path made a change from the coastal grassy track over the machair. It was a narrow but well-maintained trod across the marshy heather with footbridges and causeways across the waterways linking the lochans. After an hour of this weaving and winding, the road appeared and we emerged through an RSPB car park. The sky was cloudless and we felt the warmth of the sun as we walked through a herd of wild ponies on our route back to civilisation and a very busy trunk road. Heavy trucks sped along this single tracked highway with passing bays and no protection for tired walkers. Another text alerted our taximan to our imminent arrival and, after passing below a hilltop rocket tracking station with the village of Gerinish ahead, we saw the taxi coming towards us quickly jumped in. Iain drove us round to the Orasay Inn and we were glad to have kept the day down to a sensible mileage. We had time for showers and a rest before we took our places in the lounge for a beer and gin & tonic. In turn we were called to table where our much-earned meal awaited.

 

 

Daliburgh dep. 09.09, Gerinish arr.16.30

GPS 18.55 miles in 7hrs 06mins 47secs walking with 15 mins for butties near Tobha Bornais.

Stayed at the Orasay Inn. Our meal started with a shared starter, crab cakes, then I had a chicken curry. A bottle of Innes & Gunn preceded the wine, a 2016 Pinotage from Kleinkloof.

 

Thursday 13^th June 2024                 Gerinish – Nunton          

Dancing Culla Bay

 

A generous breakfast and huge cafetiere of strong black coffee and we were paying our dues to the wonderful hosts at Orasay. Bang on 9am, just as we had arranged, a taxi drew up, not Iain this time but his wife Mary. In ten minutes, she had us back round to where Iain had pick us up, dropping us by a lonely fingerpost pointing over a featureless moor. Now we were faced with a five mile crossing of a remote moor just to get back to where we had spent the night. The path was in surprising good condition, easy to follow and a firm dry line that weaved between the hundreds of small lochans. Three wind turbines dominated the view ahead and, after nearly two hours walking, we turned towards them and joined the wide access track to the road at Lochcarnan. The oil-fired power station (on stand-by) lay on the coast off to our right. Exercising our brains, we speculated on the speed to the tips of the turbine blades. 60mph was our estimate. Another moor, this time poorly signed, led to the Ardmore road and the busy A-road. Calling in at a supermarket/post office in a vain attempt of finding a coffee, we were directed to a café nearly a mile off-route. No chance! On we continued over the causeway onto our fifth and final island, Benbecula, and yet another supermarket. The Co-op had no coffee but at least we now had sandwiches for lunch. The next couple of miles were a drag along a flat straight road with houses spaced at regular intervals for as far as the eye could see. 

It was a relief to arrive at Liniclate, a large group of buildings that included a school and a hotel. Our route took us right past the entrance to the Dark Island Hotel and we could not resist the popping in to see if they would make us our elevenses. Our coffee was accompanied by slices of cheesecake, so it was a much-refreshed duo that walked down to the beach and around another wind turbine, A friendly lady pointed out the path along the dunes but we preferred the beach and the prospect of seeing otters. Back of the coast path, we stopped momentarily to eat our Co-op sandwiches and then rounded the south west tip of the island and turned northwards one more. A very long stretch of beach now beckoned and, for more than half an hour, we trudged toward a natural harbour in the rocks at the northern end. Back onto the road for a short while, we finally came to a sandy track that dropped us into Culla Bay. David’s Scottish Dancing Group had introduced him to the Strath Spey dance of the same name and he was determined to reproduce a few steps on the beautiful beach. Specks of rain were falling as we traversed the sand and climbed into Aird, a small suburb of Balivanich. Our route turned away from the town and headed back south into Nunton, passing a distillery on our way to the hostel at Nunton House. The owner, Donald, had seen us and came out to settle us into our room and to offer us a lift back into town for a meal. He even popped into the Stepping Stones to reserved us a table. Such was the kindness and welcome of the people we met with on our trip.

           

Gerinish dep. 09.10, Nunton arr.16.30

GPS 16.22 miles in 6hrs 10mins 44secs walking time plus a 40 mins lunch stop in the Dark Island Hotel.

We stayed in Nunton House Hostel and ate in the Stepping Stones Restaurant, chicken & mushroom pie and cake & custard for pudding. A bottle of Innes & Gunn started the evening followed by a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon from Ladera in the Chile Central Valley. It had begun the rain so we texted Iain and rode home, dry and warm, in his taxi

 

Friday 14^th June 2024                      Nunton – Benbecula Airport   

From the Mountain to the Sea

 

We had been very lucky with the weather so far, cold but dry for much of the week. But that luck deserted us last night as a band of heavy rain came through from the west. It still had not cleared when we emerged from the hostel for our last session of this year’s trip. It started with some road walking, half-a-mile back to the route and four miles in a straight line to the foot of a mountain. The route up to the summit of Rueval was almost entirely invisible both on the ground and without any sort of marker posts. We stumbled through the heather up the hillside that got steeper and steeper. At least the rain had stopped and the clag was clearing off the tops. By the time we reached the summit cairn, we had views over the surrounding lochs and moorland but not into the far distance. As we started the long and gentle descent, the coastal panorama appeared out of the mist and the end of our expedition came into view. Weaving our way round the open waters, we eventually came to a fence that we had to step over, not the end of the Hebridean Way we had expected.

Out onto the main coast road, we turned for the airport and another three miles of road walking. A black cloud was hurrying towards us and by the time we reached the terminal, we were soaked once more and had to change in the gents’ toilets. There was no café so we ate our emergency rations and tried to get the coffee machine to work. The plane was late arriving and 15 minutes late leaving. The lady captain made up time back to Glasgow and we were so fast getting out of the terminal that we caught the bus we had always intended to take.  Back on schedule we jumped on the 5.40pm train to Prestwick and the replacement bus to Ayr. Calling into a supermarket to grab a bottle of wine, we walked round to my daughter’s house in perfect time for a lovely meal that my very talented granddaughter, Charlotte, had prepared. A perfect end to a perfect trip.

 

Nunton House dep. 09.00, Benbecula Airport arr. 12.56

GPS 9.68 miles in 3hrs 56mins 05secs

 

Conclusion

 

Such was the remoteness of this trail, the logistics in the planning and travel arrangements were a challenge. But everything worked out perfectly, mainly because all the people involved, airline, taxi drivers, hotel receptionists etc went out of their way to be helpful and faithfully to their commitments. Having a base in Scotland to leave the car and break our journey was a Godsend. Hebridean weather was on our side and kept the worst of our spring rain away. All in all, it was everything that we had hoped for. Fabulous landscapes and beaches, wonderful moorland and birdlife and the occasional mountain. 70 miles completed (65 miles on-route) and in a good position to complete the trail on our next visit. Next year, God willing, we shall fly into Benbecula and fly home from Stornoway six days later. Let us hope that we get to finish this amazing adventure.

 

 

 

Coast to Coast Walk (Part 1)

13^th – 17^th May 2024

 

Introduction

 

Mike and I, after last year’s start to the England Coast Path, had decided that our annual five days trip in the limited time we have left, should not be wasted on dreary tramps through industrial parts of the country. With the Coast to Coast (C2C) due an upgrade to a national trail, the idea of a traverse of the Lake District became more interesting. The accommodation gets very booked up so eight months in advance I had made reservations for hotels for the St Bees to Kirkby Stephen section. Little did I know that train strikes would continue and proliferate during the winter. In the weeks leading up to our departure, transport issues would dominate our plans and the easiest solution was to leave a car as near as possible to the start and finish points.

 

Therefore, on Sunday 12^th May 2024, we drove up the Carlisle, left the car in Sainsbury’s on a prebooked parking basis, and took the last train to St Bees. Leaving behind a wonderful spring day in Cheshire, it was raining as we walked from the station to Seacroft Hotel at the beach. A rather delayed meal of fish and chips, the kitchen was busy even though we had reserved a table, gave me the opportunity to mark the start of our holiday with two pints of Wainwright’s Gold (4.1%), a very appropriate beer for the walk we were embarking on. Watered and fed and after a good night’s sleep, we were ready to go.

 

Monday 13^th May 2024                     St Bees – Ennerdale Bridge

Don’t Forget the Pebble

 

Just before 9am, we stepped out of the hotel into a large, bare and rather empty car park. The rain had stopped and it was a warm morning with not a breath of wind. A haze hung over the sea as we went in search of the official start of the C2C trail. This we found at the top of some steps leading down to the pebble-covered beach. A young lady was requisitioned to take the mandatory photograph to record the moment, then we were reminded to dip our boots in the Irish Sea, collect a pebble and carry it with us across the country. The sea was too far out so we made do with a pool at the bottom of the steps. But we each chose a pebble to take over to the North Sea, and deposit at Robin Hoods Bay in maybe two years’ time. Then it was up the steps and the steep grassy side of St Bees Head and our annual walk was underway.

 

It seemed a long way along the grassy clifftop path, heading northwards and not inland as expected. Four miles of high cliffs took us passed a lighthouse, round North Head and to an active stone quarry before we turned east towards the village of Sandwith. The quiet little hamlet looked lovely as the sun burnt off the morning mist and a pleasant series of grassy tracks took us towards the Lakeland hills. A descent into a damp valley led to an underpass beneath the railway line and up the other side to a disuse railway that was now a cycleway. I had assumed that the C2C would use this old line but a sign pointed directly into Moor Row. At the entrance to the village stood a statue and monument to C2C walkers, although the stone figure looked more like a fisherman than a walker. A local led us through the village and showed us the line of the original route. We were quickly crossing fields and sports grounds towards Cleator and its little village shop. A brief halt to resupply and grab a takeaway coffee and then we were directed towards a bench in the kiddies play area where sandwiches could be quietly consumed.

 

The afternoon section began with an ascent and traverse of Dent Hill via the western ridge through Blackhow Wood. The descent on the east side began gently enough but ended with a steep drop down to Nannycatch Beck. This was a stunning remote valley which was spoilt for us only by the need to don waterproofs against the increasing heavy drizzle. The head of the valley led onto a very busy moorland road used, we later found out, as a rat-run for Sellafield traffic. Dodging the speeding traffic and even a low loader and support vehicle, we eventually arrived into Ennerdale Bridge and our hotel for the night. It had been a tough start to our week and a warning of what was to come.

 

St Bees dep. 08.52, Ennerdale Bridge arr. 16.37

GPS 14.70 miles in 7hr 10mins 09secs walking time with 30 mins lunch stop in Cleator.

Stayed in the Shepherds Arms, Ennerdale Bridge and ate a roast lamb dinner with ginger sponge and custard for dessert. Drinks included Keswick Gold (3.6%) from Keswick Brewing Co. and Mowdy Pale Ale (4.0%) from Tractor Shed.

 

 

Tuesday 14^th May 2024                Ennerdale Bridge  – Seatoller

Sailing Over to HonisteronisterH

 

It had been raining all night and the roads were wet as we left the pub in full raingear. A mile and a half of road brought us to the foot of Ennerdale Lake. The path round the south side was well made up at first but quickly deteriorated into a narrow rock-strewn trod and then a scramble up and around a steep headland. A party of Australian walkers were finding this rather testing and one of their number turned back and went round the other side of the lake. A series of wooded stream crossings slowed down the pace and it was over two hours before we had completed the four miles to the head of the lake. Here in a grassy field, a lone walker who had passed us earlier was waiting for company to pass a herd of cattle. Continuing on the south side of the river, we made better progress on a forestry track that took us another four miles up the valley. As we switched to the north bank, a group of Canadian walkers joined us and accompanied us to Black Sail Youth Hostel, probably the most remote accommodation in England. As the rain was still heavy, we slipped inside and found a spare table where we ate our sandwiches. Sharing the table was a girl walking the C2C with her dog Roo, a fox-red Labrador. Our paths would cross several times during the coming week.

 

It was raining as hard as ever as we left the youth hostel and traversed the hillside to the bottom of the Black Sail Pass. Here we were faced with a steep and slippery staircase of stones and rocks as the path ascended 1000ft up the valley wall. The trod crossed and recrossed a tumbling stream which was now in spate. Mike stumbled on one of these precarious fords and took some time to recover. Meanwhile the Canadian women had caught us up and, when we regathered the troops at the top of the pass, we set out together across the high route towards the Honister quarries and then down the old tramway to the visitors’ centre and café below. Some of the C2C walkers descended into Borrowdale down the road but Mike and I, purists to the last, took the signed track down to Seatoller. This brought us out above our hotel with no obvious access into the grounds. We were forced back to the road for the last 100 yards to the hotel entrance. Two very wet and weary walkers climbed the steps into the reception lobby. We deposited much of our wet gear in the drying room, full as it was of clothing from other guests. We had time for showers and a rest before taking our seats in the restaurant for the one and only sitting at 7.30pm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ennerdale Bridge 08.42, Seatoller arr.16.22

GPS 13.83 miles in 7hrs 36mins 22secs walking time plus a 40 mins stop at Black Sail Youth Hostel.

Stayed at the Glaramara Hotel, Seatoller. Dinner of seabass fillets and apple crumble and custard.  The beer was Loweswater Gold (4.3%) from Cumbrian Ales, Hawkshead.

 

 

Wednesday 15^th May 2024               Seatoller – Grasmere

Up Greenup and Down Easedale

 

Pole position for breakfast enabled us to be walking by 8.15am. Borrowdale looked a picture in the morning sunshine, especially after arriving in yesterday’s dreich weather. We cut across the field path to Seathwaite Church and then crossed the river to gain the path up Greenup Gill. A long and steady climb high up above the stream led between steep-sided hills that closing in around us as we gained altitude. In the upper reaches of the valley, the path contoured round to cross and recross the rushing mountain torrent. I looked back after one of these crossings and was alarmed to see Mike lying head down on his back just above a small waterfall. He had slipped and fallen onto a small waterfilled ledge and was lucky not to had hurt himself. With much mirth, I helped him to his feet and we proceeded up to what we thought was the top of the climb. Only to be faced by a 200ft wall of grass and rocks leading up to Greenup Edge. Pretty exhausted, it was a relief to find that much of the path across the high plateau was flagged with stone slabs. Faster progress could now be made over the highest point where views over Easedale and Grasmere began to open up. Eventually we arrived at the top edge of Far Easedale and were tempted by the level path along the ridge to our left. But we would have to go down sometime so now was the moment. Down we plunged on a stony trod and wet grass.

 

The drop to the valley floor was tricky and time consuming and some care was necessary on some of the steeper sections.  Just as the going was flattening out and we were crossing a grassy patch beside the stream, Mike again disappeared from view. I found him sitting in 2 ft of water facing upstream in a fast-flowing pool. This time I had great difficulty helping him. His torso and the rucksack were entirely submerged and there was little to take hold of to haul him out. He threw his walking pole and camera onto the bank and slowly worked himself into a position to crawl out. He was soaked to the skin, his rucksack was saturated and his camera was damaged beyond repair. A change of clothes was necessary before we continued tentatively down the valley and across the footbridge onto easier ground. A long winding track led along the side of the now quietly flowing beck and we followed this into the outskirts of Grasmere. Our original plans were to bypass the village and ascend to just below Dunmail Raise and thence up Little Tongue to Grisedale Tarn. It had taken nearly 6 hrs to complete 8 miles and the prospect of another major mountain stage was not good. We sat on a bench near Goody Bridge, ate our sandwiches and discussed our various options.

 

Although Grasmere was busy with tourists, I was sure we would get accommodation somewhere in the village. This would mean foregoing our pre-paid bookings at Glenridding and Shap, an expensive choice. An alternative was to bus it round to Glenridding, miss out the afternoon section of our route, and keep to our pre-arranged schedule for the last two days. Taking coffee in Heaton Cooper’s café, Mathilde’s, we were able to watch the buses depart regularly for Windermere so we jumped on one driven by trainee driver who lost a side mirror in a roadside tree. The trainer made the trainee walk back to recover it whilst he drove the bus the rest of the way to Windermere. Here we popped into Booth’s to get sandwiches for the following day, then caught the bus over the Kirkstone Pass. This dropped us outside our bed & breakfast in Glenridding and once we had negotiated entry via a key in a code box, we had time for showers and depositing clothes in the drying facilities before hiking up the road to the local pub.

 

Seatoller dep. 08.19, Grasmere arr.14.45

GPS 8.19 miles in 5hrs 55mins 54secs walking time plus 30 mins eating butties near Goody Bridge.

In Glenridding we stayed at the Fairlight Guesthouse and ate at the Travellers Rest. I had Penang curry followed by apple & blackberry crumble and custard.

 

 

Thursday 16^th May 2024                 Glenridding – Shap

Reunion with Old Friends

 

It was a quiet, still and warm morning as we slipped out of the silent guest house. It did not remain that way however as I had to crash back in again to collect the walking pole I had left in the bedroom. A short walk along the roadside took us passed Patterdale Church where we turned into a field track to Side Farm. A path from there climbed steadily up the hillside with magnificent views of Brotherswater and the Kirkstone Pass beyond. The climbing ended when we pulled onto Boredale Hause. The well-defined path then headed across a plateau of hillocks and stony outcrops. Contouring round the largest of these brought us to the wonderfully situated Angle Tarn. It had started to rain and the hills around us were now capped in cloud. The hillside ahead was peopled by walkers, some of them familiar to us from earlier encounters. Two figures in particular were instantly recognisable, a girl and her dog struggling up the long slog beneath the Knot. This surely was Anita and Roo who we had met with at Black Sail two days before. We followed them into the mist and stood chatting briefly until two Australians, again old friends, climbed to join us. Then a party of C2C walkers completed the ascent of Ramsgill Head and were rewarded when, halfway across the head of Riggindale, the mist began to clear revealing a gloriously sunny day to the east. There was a regathering of all parties at Kidsty Pike summit cairn and then began the big descent pausing briefly to eat our Booth’s butties and wallowing in the view of Haweswater below.

 

The first part of the descent was a tricky set of rocky steps through a buttress of cliffs. This became very steep grass that only began to ease at lake level. I had a start on the rest and was be able to take my time on this taxing section. Roo the dog was the first to catch me followed by his owner, Anita. As I waited for Mike, Roo was set the task of retrieving his ball from a fast-flowing mountain stream and he was loving the diversion from the main task of covering the miles. It was a magnificently sunny afternoon along the lake (or reservoir to be accurate). A lakeside path wound for three miles or so above the shoreline, sometimes climbing away from the water’s edge to circumnavigate a crag or some woodland. At the end of Haweswater, the route passed through the tiny hamlet of Burnbanks and onto a concessionary path that wound its way through marshy meadows and sheep-grazed fields. Eventually the field paths brought us to Shap Abbey, a ruin that stood majestically next to a farm in a quiet valley beside a small stream. A farm track crossed the stream and, ignoring a pointless field path, we continued up and into a series of lanes that led directly to Shap village. Our accommodation for the night was the first building we came to.

Glenridding dep. 09.00, Shap arr.19.00

GPS 16.76 miles in 9hrs 36mins 48secs walking time plus a 20 mins lunch stop below Kidsty Pike.

We stayed in the New Ing Lodge and for a meal, we walked ½ ml through the village to the Kings Arms where I ordered chicken tikka, naan bread and rice and drank Keswick Gold (3.6%) and Neck Oil Session IPA(4.3%) from Beavertown Brewery, Tottenham. To cap a classic day on the hills, Anita and Roo joined us for a late drink and we chatted till well past our normal bed times.

 

Friday 17^th May 2024                      Shap - Orton 

Outside the Chocolate Factory

 

The plan for our week away involved catching a train from Kirkby Stephen to rescue our car. So that our homecoming was at a reasonable time, the 5pm train was our aim but the station was nearly 20 miles from Shap. And at yesterday’s pace we would not get there in time. We examined the option of an intermediate taxi pick-up point on route. But the taxis were not available after 3pm because of school run commitments. An earlier pick-up was unavoidable even though this which would curtail our day even more. We settled on a 2.15pm taxi rendezvous outside the chocolate factory in Orton some 8 miles down the trail and a chance to catch an earlier train. A more leisurely breakfast could be enjoyed followed by our latest start of the week. The C2C exits Shap village from the main street opposite last night’s pub, the Kings Arms. We were soon out in the fields above the houses. Shap is basically a one street town. Within minutes the west coast main line railway was crossed and we were walking beside the M6 motorway. I took a photo of the motorway footbridge as I had driven this stretch of road countless times and have never known which was the actual one.

 

On we pressed at a goodly pace across much easier terrain than we have had all week. An industrial complex contained a quarry and reservoir and just beyond was a large farm at Oddendale. The route then turned at right angles and traversed a sheep-grazed limestone plateau with the occasion stand of limestone pavement. Two trees were the dominant features in a generally bare and windblown landscape. A large ‘accidental’ rock of granite-type composition could have been Robin Hood’s grave, or at least one of his several graves we have encountered. Crossing a narrow moorland road, the route proceeded in a loop over rougher grassland and emerged on a busy road that led down into Orton. The C2C reach Orton via a lovely grassy descent through a wooded hillside and over some farmland following a small stream. The entry to the village was across a flower meadow that was so ecologically important that it had been designated as an SSSI. The old vicarage had an impressive tree-filled estate and garden and was adjacent to the Orton Scar Café, a great opportunity for lunch before our trip home. As instructed we were sitting outside the chocolate factory at 2.15pm but the taxi man was not in a hurry. The first thing he did when he arrived was to disappear into the factory shop and emerge eating a massive ice-cream. It did not take long to reach Kirby Stephen station and we had time to figure out the ticket machine before the 3pm train arrived. Our week was over and next year’s continuation would necessitate a taxi pick-up and transfer back to Orton.

 

Shap dep. 09.08, Orton arr. 13.00

GPS 8.30 miles in 3hrs 50mins 33secs

 

Conclusion

 

I had planned and booked the schedule and accommodation some eight months in advance to ensure that, on this busy trail, we had our annual week away organised. What I had not taken into account was the difficulty of the terrain and the inevitable march of time on our lessening abilities. Although I had originally kept the daily mileage to 17/18 mile maximum, the third day plan for Seatoller to Glenridding, involving two big mountain passes, was beyond our present capabilities. In retrospect I should have split that third day plan into two and made it a six-day trip in total. But the lack of flexibility with prepaid bookings did not allow me to  change the arrangements. The bus alternative from Grasmere to Glenridding kept all the hotel bookings in place but missed out a 9-mile section of the C2C over Grisedale Tarn. We will have to go back and complete this at a later date. In the meantime, we have 63 miles under our belts and are in a good position to return next year to Orton and attempt the next stage to Richmond and Danby Wyke via Kirkby Stephen and Keld.

 

Trans Pennine Trail (Part 1)

18^th – 21^st February 2024

 

Introduction

 

Go back four years, almost to the day. I was planning a winter walk along the Trans Pennine Way (TPT), somewhere local and mud free, getting some miles in the legs in preparation for the spring walking season. I was wondering why accommodation around Liverpool was booked up until I twigged that a mid-week European match was scheduled for the week that the Covid pandemic was spreading through continental Europe. Within days, Covid had arrived in Merseyside, lockdowns were on their way and the football season came to a sudden halt. As did my walking plans.

It was time to try again. The rain it raineth every day. The footpaths around the Peak District had become waterlogged and muddy bogland and there were few opportunities, on these short winter days, for long-distance multi-day trekking. Back to the TPT, a route around Merseyside and Greater Manchester on cycle paths and old railway lines that should avoid most of the slippery conditions. I had a four-day window in weather and family commitments so I concocted a schedule for getting the train to Southport and walking home or as near home as possible. Train tickets were booked and reservations were made for three nights’ accommodation. It all seemed so simple and it was until I turned up at the station for the early morning train only to find cancellations all round. Nothing was heading my way for 90 minutes, too late to make connections and completed a 16-mile afternoon dash. A desperate attempt to negotiate a taxi ride to Stockport initially came to nought. Then an Uber drew up to collect a couple who invited me to share their fare. I hopped in and was soon in the café on Stockport station eating a breakfast bap whilst waiting for a Liverpool train that was running very late, so late in fact that I might miss my next connection. The train made up some of the time deficit, enough for me to sprint across Liverpool Parkway and leap onto the Merseyside service to Southport. After much stress and tribulation, I arrived at the head of the trail with just about enough daylight to reach my first hotel.

 

 

Sunday 18^th February 2024             Southport – Netherton (Sefton)

Cob Pony and Trap on Old Railway

 

The sun was shining as I walked down to the seafront from Southport station. With no time for a café, I headed straight for the start of the trail. Pausing briefly have a selfie in front of the sun sculpture, I walked on for another mile to the trail head and the rather attractive metal sculptures around. Now for the serious part of the day, six or seven miles of promenade and roadside pavements and cycleways followed busy roads passed golf courses and Ainsdale. Cutting inland, the route followed a quiet country lane that eventually gave access to a wet farm track and a dismantled railway. Another six-mile stretch was mostly on solid ground with the occasional section of waterlogged and muddy going. The sun was low in the sky, the dog walkers were heading for home when suddenly a horse and trap appeared in the distance heading straight for me. This was driven by a very talkative chap who was keen to show off his sturdy little Cob horse, a beast that was bred for pulling horse-drawn carts and canal boats.

 

In the outskirts of Maghull, the old railway was blocked so a detour was necessary along some suburban streets. The line of the old railway was regained just before the trail turned away east through some quiet woodland. Darkness was falling fast and I was conscious of the need to reach civilisation before the light went completely. The district of Netherton is more a neighbourhood than a village. The Leeds & Liverpool canal runs through its centre and the trail uses a short stretch of the towpath. After half-a-mile, in near total darkness, I turned onto the Northern Perimeter Road to find the Premier Inn where I had a reservation. I had a very quick shower and change of clothes and then ventured next door to the Beefeater restaurant where a table reservation awaited.

 

Southport Station dep. 12.13, Netherton arr. 18.00

GPS 16.76 miles in 5hr 47mins 11secs walking time.

Stayed in the Liverpool North Premier Inn. My meal package was at the adjacent Beefeater Restaurant where I chose fish & chips & mushy peas, then apple pie & custard, The only real ale was Sharp’s Atlantic Pale Ale (4.5%).

 

 

Monday 19^th February 2024         Netherton  – Hale

I Just Met a Girl Called Maria

 

I could afford a less frenetic day with a similar mileage to yesterday but all day to complete it. After a pleasant lie in, I wandered round to the Beefeater for a full English breakfast and lots of coffee. The Perimeter Road took me back to the canal and its puddle-ridden towpath. Within minutes I climbed up to a road bridge and followed a dual-carriageway through the centre of Aintree. A brief excursion through some woods led to Aintree Station and then back onto the main road. A disused railway that crossed over this road was accessed via a loop to the east and a set of steps. This dismantled railway was to be my companion for the next ten miles passing through the eastern suburbs of Liverpool via West Derby and Knotty Ash on its way to Halewood. I had expected a dry passage but parts of the trail were entirely submerged and quite impassible without taking a paddle. I got into a good rhythm and started counting the miles. The only problem was that eventually my body started to demand a coffee break and there was absolutely nothing in front but a corridor of trees.

 

Eventually I came to an area which I recognised, the East Lancs Road and Queens Drive and the spectacular tower of St Matthew’s church, an area I knew from my frequent visits to watch United play Liverpool or Everton. A lovely section of the trail near Knotty Ash ran through a cutting where a fine building stood on the bridge dominating what must have been an old station. But still no café. I then fell into step with a lady out for her morning walk. She was moving smoothly along and we were soon exchanging our thoughts on the benefits of walking. I then told her of my need for a coffee and she immediately knew just where to go. Another mile, a right turn up a non-descript street and there was Millie’s café, standing like a miracle before me. I was so thankful that I asked her to join me for a coffee and we chatted on whilst I demolished a tuna melt panini. We parted as good friends, she to walk back home whilst I continued south into the Halewood Triangle. I had just met a girl called Maria.

 

The last section of the day was pretty dreary, firstly around a huge industrial park (there was even an AstraZeneca plant) and then across some very busy roads. The three-mile-long circumnavigation of Speke was a drag and it was a blessed relief to take a short cut across some soggy grassland onto the road to Hale. This was a charming little village in a flat area of farmland, quiet except for the planes that regularly skimmed the rooftops on their way to Liverpool Airport. My accommodation was slightly off-route on the northern edge of the village in a farm where many years ago I had parked our car whilst flying out of the airport. This time there was no parking, just an unmanned block of bedrooms. I was going to have to walk back into the village for a meal and drink, probable on unlit lanes. I was glad I had brought my torch. The things one must do for a pint!

 

Netherton dep. 09.41, Hale arr.16.22

GPS 16.81 miles in 6hrs 01mins 54secs walking time plus a 30 mins (13.00- 13.30) stop at Millie’s Café in Childwall.

Stayed at Lenox Farm, Ramsbrook Lane, Hale. Ate at the Childe of Hale, a Greene King pub near the church in the village. Chicken Tikka Masala with rice & chips followed by a Belgian waffle with ice cream and toffee sauce. The beer was Ruddles Best (3.7%).

 

 

Tuesday20^th February 2024             Hale – Lymm

A Power Station on the Fiddle

 

No breakfast was on offer. In fact, I saw no one in my entire stay on the farm. An early start was therefore a natural step. All I had to do was find a café. Nothing in the village except a small store selling sandwiches (yesterday’s). I set off up the main road towards Hale Bank clutching a stale ham and cheese butty. Heading for the coast passed the sewage works, the route emerged into Pickering’s Pasture, a beautifully landscaped parkland beside the Mersey estuary. Here I found a bench where I sat and ate my meagre breakfast. Round the next headland and under two bridges, one for trains and the second for motor traffic, the route passed an olde worlde area of Widnes with a pub, riverside gardens and an old fort. This led onto extensive grasslands below the Catalyst Museum and the entry lock into the St Helens Canal. I had read about trail diversions due to bridge repairs so I was relieved that, after traversing Spike Island, I could squeeze onto the canal towpath beyond the missing bridge. I was now faced for another of those long straight lines that was proving a feature on the TPT.

 

This section was dominated by the chimney and cooling towers of Fiddlers Ferry power station, which is due for demolition in the near future. Many years ago, after I had started a secondment from my old job, my first environmental assignment was here at Fiddlers Ferry conserving sand martin colonies in the ash lagoons. On and on I plodded going once more into café deficit syndrome. I knew however that there was a pub at the site of the old ferry. Horror of horrors, it was closed. Maybe my early start was working against me. I was too early for lunchtime opening. So, even more towpath had to be endured before the route turned into Sankey Park and then through a rather barren section of ex-industrial land. The trail crossed and recrossed the Mersey as it wound its way through the flatlands south of Warrington. Eventually I gained the banks of the Manchester Ship Canal and within a few hundred yards came to a Morrisons supermarket that hosted a coffee shop. It had been a very long morning,

 

Rain began to fall as I set out on the last stage of the day’s walk. Back on the Ship Canal towpath, I donned full rain gear, just in time for the heavier rain. Crossing Latchford swing bridge, the traffic was heavier than the rain but the road alongside the canal was a lot quieter. Underneath a railway viaduct high above the road, I realised that my onward route was up there along the dismantled line. The way up involved continuing along the road to Latchford locks, then taking a right turn into a side street and climbing a muddy track that gave vehicular access to the disused railway. Work vans had churned up the surface and, in the rain that was falling, it was becoming increasingly waterlogged and mud-filled. The going gradually improved and, after crossing under the M6, became an artificially-surfaced cycle route. With Statham Lodge Hotel to my left, I walked on for a further mile to the nearest exit point to Lymm village. Here I turned through the village outskirts to reach the humpbacked bridge over the Bridgewater canal. My pre-booked room was in the centre of the village almost next door to the Brewery Tap. There is a God!

 

Hale dep. 08.32, Lymm arr.16.00

GPS 17.71 miles in 6hrs 45mins 48secs walking time plus 30 mins (13.15 – 13.45) having coffee and cake in Morrisons in Wilderspool.

I had beautiful accommodation in Lymm Boutique Rooms. My evening started in the Brewery Tap where it was taster night. So, I was able to try Bridgewater Gold (4,0%), Chirotherium (5.5%) and Stamford Bitter (4.2%) before staggering over the road to the Spread Eagle for a superb meal, pan-fried seabass and apple crumble & ice cream and a pint of J W Lees MPA (3.7%).

 

 

Wednesday 21^st February 2024                   Lymm – East Didsbury       

Tales from the Riverbank

 

It was a case of industrial reluctance. After lying in bed listening to the rain hammering on the window lights of the attic room, I was slow to pack and step out into the dreich morning. Again, no breakfast was on offer but this time I had a café next door. A bacon bap in Cuppello’s was a luxury indeed especially as they put some Sibelius music on for me. Eventually I had to face the day and thankfully the rain had eased somewhat. Back on the TPT, a co-op store appeared within yards and I therein acquired a butty for my lunch. There was no evidence from the map of a café on route. Station Road at Heatley was totally underwater and I climbed fences to find a way round. It was too early in the day to get wet feet. A long straight stretch led passed Dunham Town and another brewery before disgorging me out onto some busy lanes that weaved through Altrincham Business Park and Dairyhouse Farm. Except for the flooding, the section provided little excitement. That was about to change.

 

A rutted lane passed Woodcote Farm and a sewerage works brought the designated route to an area of open ground offering the trail walker a choice. Whilst the bike route went round a track to Ash Farm, the walker’s route turned around a solar farm and out across this rough ground in a more direct line. However, the path across this wilderness was very hard to pick up and my initial attempt ended with me getting onto the wrong side of an uncrossable ditch. I finally located a muddy trod through some scrub that led into a waterlogged mire. So much for having dry feet. I was back into the sort of winter walking I had wanted to avoid, slipping and sliding around in glutinous mud. The housing estate where I came out was off-route and I had to take a diversion into some woodland to get onto a firm walking surface. Traffic lights helped in the crossing of the Carrington spur road to reach the access road to the Aston-on-Mersey sports fields. A brief excursion into a wood led to the dramatic footbridge over the Mersey. I was now very close to my childhood home over the far side of Urmston meadows. But today’s target lay in the other direction, along the riverbank and as far as I could get before dark.

 

The river level was as high as I have seen it for some years. The riverside track was wide and featureless as it followed the sweeping bends of the Mersey. A long afternoon session was in prospect. As I rounded one of these bends, a group of buildings came into view. As I got nearer, I could hardly believe my eyes. Here, in the middle of nowhere was a café in a shipping container, Riverbank Coffee. I sat briefly eating a lovely cake in a wooden shelter, sheltering from the rain. The TPT left the river at this point and followed cycle paths under the M60 and round Sale and Chorlton Water Parks, remote wetlands in the middle of South Manchester’s populous suburbia. Breaking out onto the Mersey again, near the Jackson’s Boat pub, the river weaved round huge meanders, passing Northenden and its golf courses and under the A34. A figure jogged slowly towards me in the late afternoon sunshine, a very familiar figure, Tony Wagg, friend, work colleague and walking companion of many years. In three minutes, we caught up with the last few years then I moved to continue. Tony warned me of flooding ahead where the riverside track had been overtopped by the fast-flowing river. I pressed on regardless and when I reached the underwater section, as day walkers turned back, I waded on through the calf deep river water and out onto dry ground beyond. When you only have a mile or so to go, you get less precious about keeping feet dry. At Simon’s Bridge, I dropped off the flood bank and onto a quiet lane into the centre of Didsbury, crossing Wilmslow Road and onto the path beside the Metrolink tram line. This led  to its terminus at East Didsbury where I crossed the line into the car park that defined the end of my journey. It was getting late and I was keen to get to Stockport as soon as possible and catch a train home. I had started in sunshine four days ago and finished in the last rays of a February sunset. Not too bad for a winter walk.

 

           

Lymm dep. 09.28, East Didsbury arr.16.45

GPS 18.88 miles in 7hrs 08mins 38secs walking time plus 15min at the Riverbank Café beside the Mersey near Stretford.

 

 

Conclusion

 

I soon found a bus stop and boarded a bus bound for Stockport. The half mile up to the railway station was steeper than anything I had confronted in the last four days. A Northern train was due so I was soon winging my way to Macclesfield where I found the Redwillow bar very difficult to get passed. So, I slipped in for a pint of Headless (3.9%) and then waited for my wife and her kind offer of a lift home.

 

In total, I had completed 70 miles over the four days, 67 of which were on the Trans Pennine Trail. I had a wet finish to day 3 and a very wet start to day 4, but a total of three out of four dry and, in the main, sunny days is more than I could have hoped for in such a wet winter. The walking was flat and fast and, except for one or two sections, firm and dry underfoot. It was far more interesting than I had feared with some sections of delightful countryside. The hard surfaces were cruel to my feet and I ended up with tender soles and the odd blister. But for a winter trek avoiding the bottomless mud of the north of England’s rights of way, it was a most successful venture and I shall be back next winter, DV, for the next section, up Longdendale and over the Pennines into Yorkshire.