Day 47 Tan Hill Inn to Middleton in Teesdale

21st May 2018

Weather: Blue sky until cloud built up late afternoon. From a cool morning to a hot afternoon. Cooled late afternoon with thundery clouds.

Sleightholme Moor goes on a bit, but not as soggy as I remember it from 1981. Bowes Moor, Cotherstone Moor, Hunderthwaite Moor etc: little to distinguish them, each separated by valleys to descend & ascend. None of them serious climbs, but on a very warm day, most tiring. A good excuse for a few extended drinking stops and listening to LOTR on iPod.

Simon, and the other PW walker at breakfast (who has already completed the PW 17 times) were quickly out of sight after I left at 08:20 As soon as I stepped out of Tan Hill Inn this morning I met a walker who had started at Keld and was going at such a pace I thought he would get there in half the time it took me. But the relative cool of the morning soon vanished, and by late afternoon I walked along with Andy, from Carlisle, to MIT. He was clearly very tired by the heat & large pack he was carrying.

At Wythes Hill, a sign offering water led to a long chat with a local gamekeeper and his many spaniel gun-dogs. He fully recommended the walk from Langdon Beck to Dufton, over High Cup Nick. I have been looking forward to this for quite some time as my 1981 attempt ended at Langdon Beck.

Belvedere House B&B in MIT: friendly, cheerful host. Nice place.

This is what endless moorland looks like

Some variety at Trough Heads

Andy & his load

God’s Bridge. No flowing water

Cotherstone Moor skyscape lunch stop

High Birk Hat and Hannah’s Meadow

One man and his many dogs

MIT, finally

From the bridge

I now know what to do with the other boots

Started 8:20, finished 18:00. A bit excessive for a 16 mile walk, but it seemed further in the hot afternoon