THWAITE TO HIGH FORCE ON THE TEES

Saturday 15th. May 2010. PHOTO: Racock Moor to Baldersdale.
The beautiful weather continues and all of today is blessed with continuous warm sunshine and with good tramping underfoot I pace the miles with relish. Thwaite was still asleep as I walked through, in passing I stopped to photograph the Cherry Kearton Hotel (tea room closed early am. alas), named after the famous naturalist and photographer who lived here before elevation to fame and fortune. Out of Thwaite leads to a pleasant climb over the hill called Kidson then easily downhill to the attractive hamlet of Keld - I last passed through Keld on my walk along Wainwright's Coast to Coast route during the first week of August 2008. The next stage from to Middleton-in-Teesdale is a long one at 22 miles and takes a direct line north over the Stonedale Moor to the famous Tan Hill Inn. I stopped for a cup of tea and found the service appalling; I'll need to be in some extremity to be tempted across their door again. Leaving the pub the good news is that the Sleightholm Moss crossing was a bouncy romp given how dryed out it was and this is possibly the worst reputed bog on the entire Way. Next the busy A66 is crossed at God's Bridge, no need to use the bridge however as the river Greta has almost disappeared underground! Then a gentle climb over Ravock Castle to descend to the reservoirs at Baldersdale and the erstwhile home of Hannah Hauxwell at Birk Hatt Farm - took a picture for my BritLit Flickr group- and uphill to a rest by Hannah's Meadow (the meadow and the farm are now in the possession of the Durham Wildlife Trust). Here in mid afternoon, I took a short break in the sun relishing the fact that I have now walked 134 miles since leaving Edale last Monday evening so I have now accomplished half of the Pennine Way - and I'm just inside the time required for a sub-ten day completion! But the road beckons and so off north once more, I miss the Bowes Loop and will restock on food and water in Middleton about two hours walk away. Arriving about teatime I made for the local fish and chip shop and had a smashing fish-supper alfresco on the pavement tables then after stocking up on essential comestibles made my way along the west bank of the River Tees - From here to Dufton I will be travelling in the opposite direction taken when I last walked this stretch on TheTeesdale Way done in early June 2007. After passing Low Force I'm ready to turn in at the next possible campsite and soon wander off the path to camp in the juniper woods a couple of hundred yards below the High Force waterfalls, quite out of site and a good soft pitch about four miles or so from Middleton-in-teesdale. So get set up in the evening sun, put the kettle on and this is the life for a man like me!