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Day 57: Alston to Kellah (11.7 miles)

I had a peaceful night at the Alston YHA - definitely recommended. After a good breakfast I left around 9 and headed for the South Tyne Trail walking with my German friends for a bit who had arrived late last night after discovering the Alston “campsite” was a caravan site.  They headed up to Cobbles Cafe for breakfast whilst I set off along the Trail. They were catching the train to Slaggyford so they were going to look out for me! As I walked through the station and dropped down to the river I was pleased to see sand-martins nesting in the sandbank and fish below in the water.

There were men getting the steam engine called the Green Dragon out ready for the 10:30 train with the carriage waiting further along. I would listen out for the whistle to take photos.

As I walked along there were lots of Green veined butterflies which I had also seen yesterday feeding on daisies and red campion.

Following the railway line was obviously straightforward but there was still beautiful scenery and interesting old stations along the way. Just before 10 I walked out of Cumberland and into Northumberland!

There was plenty of bird interest - I was amused to see 2 lapwings telling off a lamb that moved swiftly on and back to its mother. I saw no sign of chicks today so not sure if they are defending chicks or their eggs at the moment.

In the past I’ve not made the time to learn the songs of the different warblers. So it is with the greatest pleasure that I’m gradually building this up - willow warblers were singing all around me when I took an early elevenses break at Linley Halt. Before that, just past Kirkhaugh, I learned that of the sedge warbler which then obligingly started feeding insects from the willow above me - I was able to enjoy the subtlety of its beautiful plumage.

The train passed shortly after and I got a cheerful wave from my German friends, Fabian and Jonas. I had to laugh when I then saw them having a lesson up in the signal box as I passed by Slaggyford at 11. They were clearly having a great time.

As I left the village I heard a cuckoo and I rejoined the old line this time with no tracks. I was surprised to reach Burnstones and my turn off the South Tyne Trail so soon after, but it was hot work now, and I wondered how Cathryn who I had met at the YHA was doing. She was scouting sections ahead of doing the Summer Spine North Challenge in June and needed to get to Haltwhistle today - that would be 20 miles and I didn’t envy her on a day like this.

I stopped for lunch around 13:00 at the Glendue Burn (where Martin and I had stopped in 2020)- 7 miles done - shoes and socks off for a quick dip in the cool water - and then dry off in the sun - bliss!  

Coming over Hartleyburn Common, it was starkly clear how dry it has been recently - this and Blenkinsopp which I would walk tomorrow to get to Greenhead are notoriously boggy and the streams had been in spate when Martin and I had gone through here. There was no bog - just springy spagnam moss - and the burns were a mere trickle.

There was a pretty deep ravine to navigate and some very recent steps had been put in to help what before had been a tricky and often slippery scramble. This was however followed by poor signing around Batey Shield - one gets the impression the farm doesn’t like having the path here.

But I was nearly at my destination for the day arriving just after 4pm - Kellah B&B - where the 6 year old grandson proudly and competently showed me my room before his mother arrived looking a little horrified and made sure I really knew where everything was! It’s a delightful place, where I’ve been provided with a frozen lasagne to cook myself in their beautiful kitchen, with an honesty box for other goodies including beer and wine.

I’ve been tired this afternoon so settling down to rest, relax and recuperate ready for tomorrow - Hadrian’s Wall tomorrow!










Location: Kellah, Haltwhistle NE49 0JL, UK

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