Jeri’s Steps: 28,701
Miles walked: 11.8
Elevation: 1,161
Pints: none (wine)
Churches: none
Stiles: 19
Benches: 3

Today was a day of bright sunshine but wet boots, but more of that later. From Slaggyford we again walked the River Tyne Trail north until Lambley, in preference to the Pennine Way and for this section the rail lines had been removed so once again we were on another disused railway line. The views to our right across the Tyne valley were superb. At Lambley we came across a very impressive viaduct and although our legs complained about it, we took the steep footpath down to the river, underneath the arches and back up again.  Then the Way took us across sheep fields to High House, Batey Shield and Greenriggs before dumping us on yet another moor. This one was Hartleyburn Common and it was very boggy, so once again our boots got a good soaking. Also the path was frequently nowhere to be seen so we did a lot of wandering about, but at least we could see where we shouldn’t be, unlike Cross Fell ‘in-the-cloud’ on Saturday. But soon we were over the summit and walking down Blenkinsopp Common and the views exploded outwards to right and left. On the far left we could see as far as the Solway Firth, the area of sea between England and Scotland and indeed the Scottish hills beyond. The last time we saw the ocean was near Bridgwater on July 12th when we could see the Severn estuary and beyond it Wales. To our right we could see the distant Cheviots, the last range of hills we will climb on this walk this year, so the end truly is in sight. Amazing stuff. Geographically, today also marked the end of the Pennine hills as everything after this consists of Hadrian’s Wall, lots of forest and then the Cheviots. But it is still called the Pennine Way.

Tomorrow is a rest day and after that we have just five more days of walking; it’s surreal to think that we have been walking so long that there is a future without it. We might have to stop eating so much as well…