DGH and JRH Walks- 2022

  David and Paul- Langsett David and Paul had their monthly training amble, this time from Langsett Reservoir. We were a little time-constrained and were slightly stymied by the closure of a part of the moorland. We did manage to get up to Margery Hill  which we'd visited with the usual team some time ago. Not many pictures this time (too much talking) but, as ever, it was great to be able to see some of the notable points in The Peak District. Mam Tor and Back Tor in the far distance, Crookstone Hill on the horizon to the right Margery Hill trig point 11¼ miles, 450m ascent.

  St. Cuthbert's Way- A Coda After our night in Kirk Yetholm we returned to Edinburgh via Berwick-upon-Tweed. As our train was early afternoon, we had a pleasant half day walking around the town. It's surrounded by well-tended ancient defences and here are a few snaps of things of interest. One of many benches supported by serpents "The Lions House", named after the lions on the gateposts, painted by L.S. Lowrey in "An Island" "The Lions House" L. S. Lowrey's "An Island" Beautifully tended allotments just below "The Lions House" Victorian post box squeezed into a spare corner

  Morebattle to Kirk Yetholm Our last day, and one that which take us to just over halfway along St. Cuthbert's Way. We left Morebattle and followed the route around the countryside outside the town, crossed the river and began the climb up to Wideopen Hill. The walk up to Wideopen Hill This was the only real climb of the trip and it felt a little like a walk in The Lake District, with a lovely view of The Cheviots. A Cheviot Panorama It was quite something to reach the high point (368m) and the official halfway point between Melrose and Lindisfarne. Halfway and the highest point From Wideopen Hill, it was a pleasantly undulating walk down to Primsidemill. The descent from Wideopen Hill We had lunch beside a direction sign to, amongst other places, the somewhat oxymoronically named "Sourhope". The Sourhope Oxymoron From Primsidemill it was something of a slog along the road to reach Kirk Yetholm. It was good to go to The Border Hotel and drink a lot (to rehydrate, of cou...

 Ancrum to Morebattle A big day. We had to walk from Ancrum to pick up the next stage of St. Cuthbert's Way, where we entered the woods near Monteviot House. The back(!) of Monteviot House We worked our way around to the Monteviot Suspension Bridge, purely a footbridge; although pretty elegant, its main supports were a stark concrete although the footway itself was wooden. The Monteviot Bridge We followed the route on to Jedfoot Bridge and across the countryside towards Oxnam Water. We managed to slip up on the route-finding (the first and only time, it has to be said), finding ourselves heading towards Crailing, on the (slightly more major) A698 road. The mistake was quickly rectified and was "only" an additional 1km. We descended to Oxnam Water and crossed at Coldhough Bank- always a bit distressing to have to lose height and then regain it! The ascent at Coldhough Bank with the valley of Oxnam Water in the background On our way to the zig-zag road crossing at Brownrigg...

  Rest Day (St  Cuthbert’s Way) We’d decided to have a rest day at Ancrum as our accommodation was an AirBnb and the minimum stay was two nights. It’s a lovely village and a good base for a gentle amble. As well as The Ancrum Pantry, it has a well-tended bowling green.  Ancrum Bowling Green. No fence to keep the scallies out! We retraced our steps to the drive to The Harestanes Visitors Centre and went in this time, taking a break to enjoy a locally made ice cream. Walking on to The Teviot, we got a great view of Monteviot House- a very private residence with a well-curated path around its edge, beside the river.  Monteviot House on the banks of The Teviot We followed the riverbank round to the suspension bridge servicing The St. Cuthbert’s Way (part financed by European Regional Development Fund) and stopped to watch the river flow before returning to Ancrum.  Watching The River Flow (I) Monteviot Suspension Bridge Watching The River Flow (II) What did the EU ...

  St. Boswells to Ancrum The day started with a lovely section along the golf course at St. Boswells with the River Tweed flowing beyond the course. We were able to look back to see the Eildon Hills, which we’d traversed in the mist the day before.  The Eildon Hills- we’d passed between the two right-hand summits the day before  We passed the very fine sandstone Merton Bridge and followed the Tweed- rather more open than yesterday, which was good. Along the way, we passed a grand house where the inhabitants, the Elliot Family, had engineered a donkey-driven water pump to spare the maids the effort of carrying pails of water up to the house from the spring. Plaque describing the Elliots’ donkey-driven pump Spring, source of the Elliotts’ water supply  The spring is just behind Jacinta and donkey chamber on the higher level We stopped for some crisps from our packed lunch at an Information “Bus Shelter” in Maxton and followed a section on the road. The Harvey Map offe...

  Melrose to St. Boswells We took the train from Edinburgh Waverley to Tweedbank and then walked to Melrose to start the walk proper. The approach walk was enjoyable in itself, passing a suspension bridge dating from 1826 complete with its own rules and regulations.  The “Chain Bridge” at Gattonside Rules and regulations for The Chain Bridge Melrose Abbey was an amazing sight and it was a shame that we could only see the outside as work was being carried out on the interior. First view of Melrose Abbey After a good look at the abbey we started the walk in earnest.  From Melrose we climbed up the Eildon Hills in the mist we only really got a view of them the next day. The route was very clearly waymarked but it was good to use the Harvey Map to confirm where we were and what was coming up.  St. Cuthbert’s Way waymarker We walked down through the woods to Bowden, a very pretty little village and had lunch on a bench near the village well in the rain.  The Bowden...

 We wanted a relatively close and short walk today, so it was back to Old Glossop, for the first time since 11th January, when we walked with Rob .It was a lovely sunny day and after the customary snack stop at Dog Rock we decided to go up to the Hern Stones, then east to the Pennine Way, down Hern Clough and the Devil's Dyke. As it was a Sunday we passed lots of people going up to the plane crash site at the Higher Shelf Stones. One team of four that we met heading west from the Hern Stones asked if we knew the way to the crash site- they had overshot considerably! It was something of a relief to turn right into Doctor's Gate where we took our first photo, looking comparatively unpopulated and wild. The view west down Doctor's Gate We stopped in a very pleasant and quite secluded spot just off the path in Urchin Clough and headed down the steepish path, crossing a couple of spectacularly muddy spots which fortunately ceased at the sturdy bridge crossing Shelf Brook at SK07...