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Walking Land's End to John o'Groats with Mark Moxon

Baldersdale to Middleton

A sign saying 'Keep on the Road'
A sign near Middleton, which I took to heart

There aren't too many opportunities for short walking days when you're trying to cross an entire country, but today and tomorrow are both tiny walks. I didn't plan it this way; I'd actually hoped to have a rest day around this time, in preparation for the long days over the Pennines that are looming in the near distance, but a combination of fully booked hostels and a dearth of B&B vacancies has forced me to walk for two short days instead of one long one, and it's turned out to be a masterstroke. I've just had a great day.

The Hotel from Hell

I last saw Matt two days ago, when we met among the chickens in Thwaite and walked to Keld together. The next morning Matt left before breakfast and headed off to a hotel on the A66 to which he'd mailed a box containing food, new socks and the guidebook for the northern part of the Pennine Way; when I met him this morning he'd just come from there and he looked thoroughly miserable.

Kirkcarrion near Middleton
Kirkcarrion near Middleton; the dead used to be buried here, and not surprisingly it's said to be haunted

Barnard Castle

The River Tees from the Round Tower at Barnard Castle
The view of the River Tees from the Round Tower at Barnard Castle

The Pennine Way grinds you down physically and mentally, and when you're walking it on your own, it can get to you; I've already been through the misery of injury and early retirement from the Way, and it's not much fun. But when you're feeling down, sitting down in the pub with the maps, a pint and someone else is a good solution, and after a while Matt realised that a bit of rescheduling might just save the day. I'm only planning to walk a really short 6.5 miles tomorrow, so we've decided to team up for that section too, which will enable him to see if his hip is really problematic, or whether it's just a glitch.

The Round Tower, Barnard Castle
The Round Tower, Barnard Castle
Mortham Tower, Barnard Castle
Mortham Tower, Barnard Castle

Country Pubs

The bakehouse, Barnard Castle
The bakehouse, Barnard Castle

The town of Barnard Castle is adequate but not as delightful as it should be – apart from the lovely park round the castle it's mainly a high street with some pretty tawdry shops – so Matt and I decided to head back to Middleton for an evening meal in the pub and an early night. It turned out to be a disappointing move.

The Round Tower and bakehouse, Barnard Castle
The Round Tower and bakehouse, Barnard Castle