Day 9 - Bents Farm, Newbiggin on Lune to Kirkby Stephen - Sunday 25th May.

 

This blogspot has been moved to my own personal domain. 

I have been finding this app quite tedious to use and so decided to give up on it 

and move everything to a new place.

 

www.lianesoutham.co.uk 

 

So after a night of being a bit scared in the tent, worried a tree was going to crash down onto my tent, with the wind howling and the rain tipping down all night, pretty much, I woke up and decided I was going to pack up and leave whilst there was a gap in the showers. My tent was wet when I put it away, but it wasn't possible to get it completely dry. I decided to do without my morning cuppa and porridge, making do with fruit, a Chorley cake and some trail mix, washed down with water. It was fine. I knew I would be in Kirkby Stephen by lunchtime and was preparing to having something more substantial there.

It was a struggle to get everything back in my pack, it felt like I had more than I had started off with, but in reality the only extra thing I had was a small backpack

I headed out from the farm and found my way back to the C2C path. The sky was starting to look a little bit brighter, so maybe things were going to be fine.

The scenery from here into Kirkby Stephen was far nicer than that of my walk yesterday. 

The new signage on the trail is so good, however, I am not entirely convinced that the miles shown is accurate.

Smardale Bridge over Scandal Beck South of Smardalegill Viaduct, which is a listed building.

Smardalegill Viaduct - a disused railway line

Looking back to the quarry

 Mummy sheep and her lambs, they followed me for a short distance baaaaing as they went. This part of the walk was absolutely brimming with sheep and lamb, and of course you know what you get with lots of sheep ..... sheep poo!!! I have never seen so much! 

I met a couple on this stretch who were walking the C2C in the opposite direction. They were impressed with the fact I was carrying all my gear as they were making use of a transport service to have theirs moved on each day. I think I was more impressed with that idea, it seemed far more sensible!

 

I made my way into Kirkby Stephen and sat on a bench for a rest but was joined by an elderly gent who wanted to spend some time chatting. He said he loved stopping and chatting to folk so I was happy to comply. Shortly afterwards I found a nice pub to have something to eat, washed down with a pint of Landlord, it was divine. Such simple pleasures which always taste better when you've worked up a good appetite.

 

It was after eating and deliberating over the weather forecast that I knew I had to make a decision. I was either going to push on, up towards Nine Standards and across the higher part of the walk, or take a day off until the weather improved. The thought of another night in the tent being battered senseless really did not appeal.  I phoned Mark and he came up with a brilliant plan. Rescue mission!! He headed up from Chorley and picked me up from Kirkby Stephen and whisked me off to Grasmere to spend the night in a hotel and make the most of the remainder of the Bank Holiday weekend.

 

Whilst waiting for my knight in shining armour to rescue me on his trust white steed (in reality he was wearing a very nice fleece from some outdoors shop and driving his motor vehicle, but that doesn't sound quite so heroic), I had a stroll around Kirkby Stephen and found some really interesting things, some of which were C2C and Wainright related. 

There was a statue of this lady in the square, several days later I found a book about a walk named after her. It is now firmly on my agenda!

 

Bents Farm to Kirkby Stephen -  approximately 5.5 miles 12,650 steps. 

A short day of walking on the Coast to Coast, however, I did climb a hill in the Lake District in the afternoon.