It rained a lot, as I followed further edges south. I was a bit worried of [possible] lightning but didn’t happen. Stopped at a National Trust cafe to escape rain, had a delicious Homity Pie. Walked through Chatsworth Estate, even though there was a show on – but no-one checking tickets at this time in the day.
There were signs up about footpath closures due to Chatsworth Country Fair so I was a bit nervous of being turned away. I wasn’t clear if these were just permissive footpath closures or whether they had permission for public footpath closures. In any case this did not come up as it was the end of the day so no-one was checking tickets.
Following a slow day walking with a hangover, I had some distance to make up to reach the hostel I had booked in Hathersage.
Friday 2nd September 2016
Started walking at 7:30am. Stopped in Holme for coffee and classic Friday morning love songs in pub! After Dunford Bridge, easier paths – Trans Pennine Trail [a flat cycle route], then Mickledon Edge [a gradual climb also suitable for cycles]. Kept up a good pace. Then long walk by reservoirs, past Banford to Hathersage hostel.
I really enjoyed the scenery and architecture in the Upper Derwent Valley.
Showered, dinner, made a friend in hostel kitchen. Bed.
I was really exhausted! Typically when spending an evening in a hostel I might relax for a while in the lounge with a pint, but after such a long day I was ready to collapse as soon as I had eaten! My dorm bed ended up being a tiny room to myself, so I slept well.
This was the longest distance covered on any day of my entire journey. It was also the first time I can be sure to have covered a marathon (26.2 miles) whilst walking. There were many times I walked about 25 miles in a day, but usually no more, or if I did a little more, I had not recorded my route.
I liked this warning to cyclists. I may tape it to the handlebars of my bike.
After a minor pub crawl in Hebden Bridge, I continued on at a slow pace, despite knowing that I had 50 miles to cover over two days in order to reach the next hostel that I had booked.
Thursday 1st September 2016
A slow day over moorland and past reservoirs and main roads.
Slow due to the hangover. Usually during the walk I limited myself to a couple of pints – which gave me the extra calories I needed. Occasionally I’d stretch to three pints. My evening in Hebden Bridge was the only time on the entire walk when I drank more.
I didn’t write much about the day’s walking, but I remember a couple of things. Firstly, up the hill from Hebden Bridge there was a snack hut. The snack hut had ice creams, drinks, cakes with payment to be placed in an honesty box. Honesty boxes are fairly common along popular walking routes, but this is the only place I have encountered an entire hut of snacks offered on this basis!
I also remember chatting to a couple of farmers (father & son perhaps?) who were working on a wall. They congratulated me on my journey, and they were particularly pleased that I had chosen to walk in the UK rather than go off travelling around the world. The older farmer proudly stated that he had only been abroad once in his life! That approach may seem rather insular, but I tend to agree with it: when many young people have never even seen a cow, I think people should get to know their own country before going off around the world.
Veggie burger and chips in the evening at Marsden, then into the peak district. I found an ideal camping spot by river, with evidence of previous occupiers: a cheap 3 person tent, with beer cans strewn all around.
I had been following the Pennine Way, but I had to leave it because I wanted to stop at the legendary Hebden Bridge. Hebden Bridge is an old mill town, which became run down after industry declined. It was invaded by squatting hippies who gave the town new life, and now is ironically one of the most expensive places to live in the region, but still has an alternative side to it, recently becoming known as “the lesbian capital” of the UK.
Great Britain is on the outskirts of Hebden Bridge according to Google Maps!
Hebden Bridge also represented the half-way point for my walk. My guidebook was split into six sections, and Hebden Bridge was at the end of the third section. It’s also roughly in the centre of Britain, as may be noticed on Google Maps where “Great Britain” appears as a label a couple of miles out from the town.
Wednesday 31st August 2016
Walked down towards Hebden Bridge in morning, over moorland, past reservoirs and along river at Hardcastle Craggs. Used a “wormery” toilet – would be rude not to feed the worms!
As I passed lesbian couples with kids walking by the river, I knew I must be close to the town.
Sat in town hall cafe at Hebden Bridge, and walked around town. Checked into hostel at 5pm.
I was the only person staying in the hostel! There were more staff than guests. Hopefully that was just a mid-week phenomenon, because Mama Weirdigan’s is a nice independent, slightly wacky, vegetarian hostel – as one would expect in Hebden Bridge.
Went down to the Trades Club for dinner – £4 veggie food (same for all), though I had some extra for £2 as I was extra hungry.
The Trades Club is a had a fantastic atmosphere – everyone talks to everyone and made me feel welcome in Hebden Bridge straight away.
I was invited to another pub, where I got involved in political arguments, before making friends with a couple of Trump supporting climate change deniers.
I didn’t expect to meet right wingers in Hebden Bridge, but nothing should come as surprise in that town, it’s such a tolerant place! After putting politics behind us I went on to a third pub and for more drinks with the locals.
From Malham I continued south (as always) on the Pennine Way.
Tuesday 30th August 2016
Left Yorkshire Dales to walk through farmland and along canals to Gargrave and Thornton-in-Craven. A couple were walking Pennine Way in same direction, but quickly left them behind.
Then over high moorland, passing through villages but feeling more and more remote. A beautiful evening bringing out colours, particularly red grasses. I was walking into darkness in attempt to get to Top Withins bothy, which I found still existed but was locked. Set up bivi next to it while midges feasted [on me].
Top Withins/Withens is an old ruined farm house in the hills said to be inspiration for Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. The weather was mild when I was there, but it still felt very remote and one can imagine it being a harsh place to live much of the time.
Despite the remoteness of Top Withins, it is popular with tourists. I was awoken the next morning by a Chinese Emile Brönte fan who had travelled up from London for one night just for a quick visit at dawn. My presence didn’t seem to bother her, in fact the chance to chat to a wild camper seemed to enhance her sightseeing experience!
After two days wild camping in the Yorkshire Dales I was exhausted, so decided to take the afternoon off walking and stay in the next village. After all, it was bank holiday, and everyone else was taking a break.
Monday 29th August 2016
Walked down past Malham Tarn, then down to Malham Cove, where I sat for a while and booked into Malham YHA Hostel. The village was packed with bank holiday visitors. Say in pub for beetroot burger and coffee (and wifi).
Checked into hostel at 5pm, showered, hung things in drying room, had 3 course meal in hostel. Walked back up to Malham Cove for sunset then down to pub for a pint.
I had survived wild-camping during a thunderstorm in the night.
Sunday 28th August 2016
Packed up after removing about a gallon of water from my bivi, which must have got in through the air vent I left open. A fairly easy walk down into Horton-In-Ribblesdale, where I stopped for a long break of lunch, coffee and cake. The fellow serving me seemed fairly knowledgable and I discussed my plans (and accommodation options – none!) with him.
Once I had explained the extent of my journey he was also very keen for me to sign his guest book “to put the Pennine Way walkers in their place”.
I also bought veggie sausage sandwich to take away as no shops. Over Pen-y-ghent then Fountains Fell, met horned cattle where I planned to camp, so continued to a sheep field further on.
Pen-y-ghent is an impressive mountain – not the tallest but very prominent. The name dates back to Cumbric, a Celtic language closely related to Welsh (mountains in Wales are also often named Pen-y-*).
A slightly late start, then continued on A Pennine Journey along River Eden. This took me back into the hills, past a couple of ruined castles. Next over to Cotter End on the Pennine Bridleway, which was remarkably flat as it followed the hill side.
Followed road and footpaths into Hawes and had broccoli bake in the pub. The quality of the food has improved markedly since Scotland (particularly the north).
There was a YHA in the village but being bank holiday weekend, it was fully booked. The rain was non-stop, but I decided to carry on walking late into the evening for some sneaky wild camping in the hills.
Walked up towards Ten End (hill) in half light on a muddy path, then set up camp on a reasonably flat sheltered patch. A storm overnight meant I got rather wet, lightning wasn’t nice either.
This was an understatement – it was really scary! I was not at the peak of the hill, but I was 500m up and praying the lightning wouldn’t hit me as I lay in my bivi bag. I would not have gone up the hill if I had known the thunder storm was on the way, but only heavy rain had been predicted in the forecast. This was the first time I slept with the hood on the bivi bag almost entirely closed, because the rain was so heavy, but somehow it still found its way in and I awoke to a puddle around my feet.
Didn’t fancy going back north along winding Pennine Way so left it to follow Wainwright’s A Pennine Journey. An easy walk into Appleby then stopped for lunch (soup, cake, coffee).
Then followed the River Eden, a nice walk though muddy in parts. Didn’t fancy a detour into Brough so took path to Soulby, where the locals sound like Wallace (of Gromit fame), followed by road walk into Kirkby Stephen (the locals call it just “Kerby”). Hadn’t booked accommodation, but there was space in hostel – an old church. Duke of Edinburgh kids were a bit loud but a decent enough hostel.
I had one task for the day: cross over Cross Fell, which at 893m is the highest mountain in the Pennines and would be the highest point on my entire journey (excluding Ben Nevis which was an off-route optional extra). The Scottish Highlands had many taller mountains but I never crossed the peaks.
Thursday 25th August 2016
First a low stretch along river. Stopped at Post Office for coffee. Then long gradual climb up Cross Fell. Stopped in Gregs Hut (bothy) on Cross Fell to eat lunch. A good path down past a radar station / death star which appeared out of the mist.
I later found out this was Great Dun Fell Radar Station. The station has additionally been used by the University of Manchester for cloud experiments. Appropriately it was in the cloud when I saw it. I did not see it until I was very close, and it took me by surprise as I was not expecting to find such a large structure up there!
