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Day 59: The Sill to Bellingham (16.5 miles)

I had a very pleasant evening with Richard and Paula. I really appreciated the company and wonderful to catch up with Richard and meet his wife - thank you Richard!

I was very impressed by The Sill YHA - a marvellous building but made by the friendliness of the staff. After a calorie-enriching breakfast I left at 9am. Although I didn’t meet many people (I think it was 5) it seemed like I had long conversations with each of them!

The first was a gentleman of 80 walking his 16 year old chocolate lab for 6 miles who - fascinated by my walk, proceeded to tell me of his escapades up the Munros and Graemes in Scotland - heading off to the Lakes the following day and Scotland in June.

I climbed up Steel Rigg enjoying the scramble and the feeling of height walking along the scarp. I came to the now Sycamore-less Gap with very mixed feelings now the trial has found the pair guilty. It’s such a waste, but with the stump sprouting it is a great symbol of regeneration and hope.

One of the highlights of the PW for me is the walk above Crag Lough. I do love looking down over cliff edges to the consternation of Martin at times!

I was starting to walk up Hotbanks Crag when one of my best encounters occurred. A gentleman with a 5 year old eager sheepdog caught up with me and after a brief exchange we walked together until he turned back where the Pennine Way leaves Hadrian’s Wall. It was a conversation I found both affirming and quietly supportive - thank you Ian. You left me in reflective and positive mood.

I finally left the Wall at 10:40 - I hadn’t expected to enjoy this section so much but it had turned into a distinct and memorable section of the walk.

As I passed rough land past Greenlee Lough where I had originally intended to wild camp, I saw a couple of stonechats and a cuckoo called as I approached the Forest. I actually encountered some bog as I crossed over to the Forest track - I actually felt relieved - this dryness is a worry. I stopped for elevenses at 11:30 just as I was entering the Forest.

It was wonderful to hear a chorus of chaffinches, chiffchaffs, willow warblers, wrens, robins and song thrushes and then to identify the sound of gold crests all around me.

Almost all the forest Martin and I had previously  walked through to Bellingham - and not just Haughton Green - had been cleared. I was later told (by Helen of Horneystead) that this was actually a result of Storm Arwen which had flattened the lot and caused great damage to farm buildings too.  

I met Darren who was walking JoGLE (North to south) for Make a Wish - a charity for terminally ill children - who was struggling to get enough calories in, or water. He was walking around 22 miles a day and was, I think, 39 days in. He was pretty emphatic that I’d be mad to do Cape Wrath Trail to finish LEJOG. A consensus definitely building with everyone I was meeting. He assured me that the Great Glen Way is beautiful but to be prepared for the barbed wire fences you have to negotiate on the John O’Groats Trail.

I was delighted to see Highland cattle at Willowbog Farm as I joined the road, as well as a cuckoo and more stonechats. I stopped at the lunch spot Martin and I had used in August 2020 - a very convenient bench to sit on. I was amused to hear the Cuckoo again. They would shortly be leaving the UK and migrating south again so I was glad to be hearing them so much now!

For a while I walked through an open forest of mixed deciduous trees and glades full of birdsong including that of a tree pipit which I was lucky to have clear sight of. I noticed that the stonechats were definitely putting in a reappearance now after an absence for quite a while.

The nature of the walk changed to undulating terrain which I suspected could be drumlins, and then limestone and sandstone. Crossing the deep valley of Warks Burn I was grateful to use the facilities at the pit stop of Horneystead. I was particularly delighted to meet Helen as I was about to leave. Helen must be pleased by the numbers of walkers at her pit stop and it’s another meeting I will long remember. Helen if you are reading this do go for it with LEJOG. If I can do it you most certainly can!

Before surmounting Shitlington Crags I decided to have a snack at 4pm, managing to scrape my shin (yet again incidentally) with the base of rucksack. I hoped the infamous Shitlington guard-dog wouldn’t like the smell of blood!

As it happened there was no sign of the lively dog we had encountered in 2020, and I made my way up through the fields of cows - again without incident, apart from a heron silently flying overhead - and eventually made it up to the radio mast at 5pm.

I remembered a long drawn out approach to Bellingham and that stood me in good stead as I didn’t find it as bad as I had anticipated. It was still a relief to reach the B&B (yes I had decided to indulge again in a nice comfy bed) just after 6 having enjoyed walking by the river and past St Cuthbert’s Spring.












Location: Bellingham, Hexham NE48, UK

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