Day 64 - June 12th - Alston to Bardon Mill - 17.9 miles
It was a long time in the planning but today was the day for Herbie to join me for a walk in his neck of the woods.
It was Herbie's brilliant suggestion to walk to Bardon Mill via the River Tyne trail which in part follows the route of the South Tynedale railway. At Alston Station
we met Kevin, the station manager and Guard for the day who gave us a potted history of the railway. Built originally to serve the lead mines above Alston it now runs with salvaged carriages from Sierra Leone and Romania!!
Kevin's parting remark from the footplate of his guardsvan...." What this country needs is a National transport policy?
We could have stayed for a longer chat but we had a walk to get under way!!
Crossing one of the many bridges along the route, we marvelled at the size and weight of the coping stones and how they could possibly have been lifted into place.
No Herbie!.....leave it where it is!!
The route crosses the old Cumberland / Northumberland boundary.
Along the way, the stations looked like they'd been plucked out of a
child's Triang set.
The railway ends at Slaggyford - which sounds like somewhere straight out of a Thomas the tank engine story.
The trail continues along the route of the old line and crosses the river again at Lambley viaduct.
It felt like I was getting closer to Scotland when we came across this guy.
As the rain came on we took shelter under some trees on a farm track. Time for a lunch stop and the first of Herbie's satsumas.
The rain didn't show any inclination to stop so Herbie decided to get out his full wet weather gear and slipped in to the nearest changing room ......where a large number of admiring ladies looked on!!
Avert your eyes ladies please!!!
Then past Haltwhistle and along the Unthank Road to Willimoteswick Castle - actually a Bastle - a fortified farmhouse built to resist the border reivers. It was the birthplace of Nicholas Ridley who became bishop of London but was one of the Oxford Martyrs in 1555 when he was burned at the stake. Hugh Latimer the other martyr apparently passed out asphyxiated by the smoke but the account of Ridley's death is pretty gruesome.
The house is nice though.
We decided that today was not the day to walk on to the Roman camp at Vindolanda so stopped at the pub at Bardon Mill and enjoyed a well deserved pint.
before being picked up by Susanne and returned to Humshaugh for a delicious supper and a little too enthusiastic consumption of a fine Malbec ......and a few Taliskers! My Downfall!!!
Total distance walked so far = 824.6 miles
Total ascent so far = 98 414 feet
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email: david.LL.thomas@gmail.com
mob: 07850109100
If you'd like to contribute to any or all of the great charities I'm supporting, here are the relevant links.
- Just Wheels UK - this is a small charity set up to provide wheelchairs in a rural community in Tanzania. It does this through funding training, education and the local fabrication and servicing of bespoke wheelchairs. My nephew uses a wheelchair and as he grows I can see the life changing freedoms that proper wheelchairs can bring to both users and their families.-
- Parkinsons UK - My dad had Parkinsons in his latter years and the research work this charity funds and the support it provides to patients and their families is invaluable. - https://www.justgiving.com/
- RNLI - these are the brave guys who selflessly head out to sea to help others. I volunteer at Littlehampton RNLI shop and often meet families of those who’ve had first hand experience of their loved ones being saved from the sea. Having sailed for years I can say thankfully we’ve never had to call on the RNLI's services but it’s amazing what it does to know they are there
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