Date: Friday 20th July 2007
Mileage: 21 miles
Weather: Grey, overcast and very windy (no rain)
A long day today- the longest day so far and the furthest I've ever walked in one day- but we did it in eight hours - huzzah! The highlights were: waving to lorry drivers as we crossed the footbridge over the M6 motorway (very exciting), seeing a hare which was only three yards away from us (beautiful) and Smardale Viaduct (a lovely surprise to spot it as we toiled up Smardale Fell). We covered the ground pretty quick today and we were in Kirkby Stephen at 5 o'clock.
We trekked over boggy moorland past ancient settlements which if the guide book hadn't told us about them we would never have known they were there. The last climb of the day over Smardale Fell was almost a fell too far. We were both very tired with sore feet and both wanting it to be over. We passed through some very remote and isolated places today and enjoyed the solitude and stark beauty of it all. It is very different to the Lakes but variety and contrast is what makes this such an interesting walk to do.
Our B&B, Fletcher House, is a Georgian delight with tea and cake waiting for us when we arrived. The Black Bull served us one of the best meals of the trip - homemade cottage pie - mmmmm! We shopped in the local Co-op to get our provisions for the next day. Kirkby Stephen - what a town- it's got it all - history, shops, parrots!
We trekked over boggy moorland past ancient settlements which if the guide book hadn't told us about them we would never have known they were there. The last climb of the day over Smardale Fell was almost a fell too far. We were both very tired with sore feet and both wanting it to be over. We passed through some very remote and isolated places today and enjoyed the solitude and stark beauty of it all. It is very different to the Lakes but variety and contrast is what makes this such an interesting walk to do.
Our B&B, Fletcher House, is a Georgian delight with tea and cake waiting for us when we arrived. The Black Bull served us one of the best meals of the trip - homemade cottage pie - mmmmm! We shopped in the local Co-op to get our provisions for the next day. Kirkby Stephen - what a town- it's got it all - history, shops, parrots!