The English Pennine Way - Day 12 & 13 — Long Walks, Organics & African Stuff

Day 12 - Langdon Beck to Dufton

I had an early start from the hostel, with a gentle walk across meadows until I reached the River Tees again. The path hugged its bank for a few miles and was very rocky and treacherous. The Tees accompanied me, still flowing strongly. Across Lingley Holm, home to many adders, I didn't see any. I walked below the escarpment of Falcon Clints, a rugged outcrop of rocks, and abruptly came upon Cauldron Snout, a large cascade. Here the overflow of the Cow Green Reservoir poured, step-wise, over large, scattered boulders. The water, angry and peat-stained, pounded and frothed its way over and through them in boiling white fury.

**Cauldron Snout, a spectacular cascade falling in steps from Cow Green Reservoir overspill. © Duncan Smith**

A little further on, I met the Landon Beck road and crossed a small footbridge over the River Tees. The track took a slow ascent to the uninhabited stone buildings of Birkdale Farm, high on the moors. I imagined that, during its heyday, it must have been a very lonely, bleak place to live and work. The track then took me up to Dufton Fell moors, a featureless place with just a few cairns and the odd posts to mark the route. Fortunately, the weather was kind with only a light, cool breeze. Once across I descended from the peat and heather to rejoin Maize Beck again.

Along its edge were more limestone outcrops with thyme, saxifrage, tormentil and bedstraw and other flowers. Crossing the beck, I began a long climb up on a pleasant, grassy path. A mile later, the massive scar of High Cup opened up in front of me.

**Looking down from the head of High Cup. © Ann Bowker**

It is an astonishing sight as it falls dramatically away from the flat moorland I'd crossed. It looked like a giant equipped with a large ice-cream scoop had gouged out the earth with it. The craggy sides of this phenomenon were very steep, falling almost vertically down 100 m or so.

Skirting around its northern edge a rough path took me passed Peeping Hill and an old lime kiln. I stopped at Bow Hall for some welcome tea and sandwiches before continuing. I arrived at Dufton, a small cluster of houses around a tiny green. They included a pub, post office, and a school. The YHA turned out to be the best I'd stayed in so far, with very friendly wardens and guests. The food was also excellent. I'm not a vegetarian, but the nut cutlet they served was superb!!

It was hard to believe that having slogged for over seven hours, all day, that I was further away from the end of the Pennine Way, at Kirk Yetholm than when I'd started. Such is its' snaking path that you can be walking in all four points of the compass as you move along this 460 km journey.

Walked 20 km in 7½ hours

Day 13 - Dufton to Garrigill

The day began bright and sunny, as was my disposition after an excellent stay at the Dufton YHA. It was a good sign because this stretch of the Pennine Way is very challenging, even more so if it is wet, misty and cold. It was also the first day that I'd been able to wear shorts rather than breeches. I was determined to get my knees brown on this walk!

From the hostel was a pleasant walk through tree-lined lanes to approach farmland then onto the rougher hillier countryside. After the gentle start, it began to get very steep, so I soon took my sweater off!

**Ancient clapper bridge over Great Rundale Beck**

I crossed Great Rundale Beck, on an ancient clapper bridge, and looming in front was the day's first big hurdle, Knock Fell, at 794 m. Farmers were rounding up their sheep with dogs on its slopes. Crossing the beck on a footbridge, it was a steady plod uphill for 3.5 km before I reached its' summit, the highest point of my Pennine Way walk so far. On the flat plateau were many cairns, but I didn't need them as it was easy to find my way across safely. However, in thick mist, they would have been a boon.

**The Knock Old Man cairn, on Knock Fell**

From this vantage point, looking over the Eden Valley, I could see the hills of the Lake District to the West. Suddenly the silence was shattered as an RAF jet fighter screeched low over my head and gave me a start. They use these hills for training purposes. On the horizon I saw the other two major hurdles I had to reach and cross; Great Dun Fell (847 m) and the highest point of the whole of the Pennine Way, Cross Fell (893 m).

**Great Dun Fell with Radar installation and radio towers. © Duncan Smith**

It was to be the same from here on, a steady plod to reach both of these hills. On Great Dun Fell I found many radio masts and a radar dome, the dome is used by air traffic control.

Cross Fell was a broad plateau adorned with many cairns, many of which didn't seem to serve any meaningful purpose. In the mist, they would have been very confusing to any walker.

**Cross Fell, the highest point of the Pennine Way at 893 metres**

Again, the views were broad and clear. The Lake District and to the north the first tantalising glimpses of the northern counties and, at last, Scotland!!

The cairned-walk down the fell (an old corpse road) took me passed many old lead mines, an abandoned cottage and ugly mine workings. The scenery was empty, with rolling hills of peat and heather once again. I picked up some blue fluorspar from the lead mine workings.

Joyous news!!! For the first time since I began my trip, my feet began to feel comfortable. The blisters had nearly all gone and replaced by harder skin. GREAT!

**The walled path into Garrigill village**

I joined a pleasant walled farm track that shepherded me into Garrigill village. My night's accommodation, food and beer, was at the George and Dragon pub, foundered in 1621. Now sadly closed.

The George and Dragon in Garrigill village. — **The George and Dragon in Garrigill village**.

My plan for the following day was an easy 8 km walk into the town of Alston, said to be the "highest market town in England" (300 m asl.) for a two days of rest.

Walked - 24.3 km in 6 hours 10 mins

Back to Days 10 and 11 - https://duncangoeswalking.squarespace.com/blog-pages/the-english-pennine-way-days-10-to-11-1

Onwards to Days 14 and 15 -https://duncangoeswalking.squarespace.com/blog-pages/the-english-pennine-way-days-14-15