“Always my boy of wish returns
To those peat-stained deserted burns
That feed the Wear and Tyne and Tees,
And, turning states to strata, sees
How basalt long oppressed broke out
In wild revolt at Cauldron Snout.”
(W. H. Auden, New Year Letter, 1940)
A new long distance walk, aptly named the Roof of England walk has been established.
The walk is a 14-day hiking route, described as “an exciting journey around the North Pennines National Landscape and UNESCO Global Geopark”.
On the walk you can go to far-flung corners of the beautiful North Pennines, found straddled across the counties of Northumberland, Durham and Cumbria. There is a variety of landscape along the walk from the tops of the Pennine moors to colourful hay meadows and relaxing riverside walking and woodland stretches. There is plenty for everyone to enjoy.
Immersing oneself
The walk can also help walkers to learn more about the area’s rich industrial and mining heritage and lose yourself the glorious nature that the North Pennines provide for us.
As the website for the walk says, “experience unrivalled peace and tranquillity and marvel at sparkling clear, inky-black, night skies. Feel the wind on your face and the touch of northern rain – we have ‘proper’ weather in the North Pennines. Hear the dramatic and evocative calls of golden plover, curlew and lapwings as they bring the moors alive again in the springtime”.
Guardian review
The whole walk is 188 miles long and is not necessarily designed to be done in its entirety. Guardian writer Rhiannon Batten did what many walkers will be expected to do. She tested a 50 miles stretch of it over a period of 5 days, starting in the market town of Alston, before heading north to Haltwhistle, east to Beltingham and then south-east to Allendale, Blanchland and Edmunbyers.
The beauty of that section of the walk can be ascertained from her review of it, as she regales us with tales of, yes, rain some of the time, but also some of the many beautiful places she sees on her 50-mile walk. However, that is only part of the story as Rhianon also makes this point having reached Edmundbyers: “From a ridge on the moor I look out over 360 degrees of purple, gorse and slate, and realise I’ve been approaching the North Pennines all wrong. There may be history and wild beauty along its path, but this is a walk for looking up, rather than down – to the ever-changing skyscape of rainbows, storm clouds, sunrises and stars on the roof of England.”
The route of the walk
The walk is split up into 14 sections beginning at the small Cumbrian town of Appleby, in the beautiful Eden Valley, then climbing up the spectacular High Cup Nick, gouged out by a glacier all those thousands of years ago, before descending again to the village of Dufton , in the shadow of the mighty Cross Fell.
The next leg is a long and strenuous but rewarding one of 31km, climbing up Little Dun Fell, Great Dun Fell and finally Cross Fell itself, before descending to Alston, the highest market town in England.
The third leg follows the River South Tyne, as it heads north to Haltwhistle, with expansive views, looking north into Northumberland and up to the border with Scotland.
The next leg continues along the valley of the South Tyne as it winds its way peacefully eastwards to meet with the North Tyne near Hexham. The leg goes as far as Allendale and takes in the dramatic, wooded gorge at Allen Banks.
Leg 5 takes us from Allendale, over the hills to Blanchland, which has been described as taking a trip back in time and a “picture-perfect village”. This leg also encounters many of the reminders of the region’s lead mining industry.
The next leg is a littler easier, 8.5 km from Blanchland to Edmundbyers, taking in views of the idyllic Derwent Reservoir.
From there it is over the moors again to Wolsingham at the entrance of upper Weardale, with plenty more of those lovely long views, the North Pennines can so readily give us. The next leg takes the walker up the valley of Weardale, to the pleasant sandstone town of Stanhope, while the ninth leg goes further up the valley to St John’s Chapel.
The tenth leg is another truly spectacular one, taking us up the Greenhill Causeway to Saur Bridge and including the wonderful cascade that is Cauldron Snout in Teesdale. If lucky, you might be accompanied by the curlew, with its haunting, plaintive cry.
From there, it is down the superb Teesdale valley to Middleton-in Teesdale taking in two more glorious waterfalls at High Force and Low Force. An absolute gem of a walk.
The last three legs take the intrepid walker from Middleton-in Teesdale to the famous Tan Hill Inn, which again has wonderful views, then on to the Upper Eden market town of Kirkby Stephen, before returning us to Appleby.
A beautiful area
The 20th century poet W, H, Auden saw the North Pennines as his symbol of us all and the limestone crags and bubbling streams were his special place. And in some respects, they are mine as well. This walk, deliberately split into legs of different lengths to suit the walkers’ taste will help more people to appreciate just what a wonderful place we have on our doorstep here in North East England.
But perhaps not too many…after all its solitude is one of the North Pennines great attractions!
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