A Pennine Journey: Day 17

Garsdale Head to Sedbergh
13 3/4 miles
Weather - warm and sunny

We woke to find clear blue skies and sunshine and we enjoyed a tasty breakfast which included porridge so an excellent start to the day.

A short walk along a B road past the fine Dandymire Viaduct to cross the Settle-Carlisle Railway. We were feeling brave so did not use the footbridge and manfully crossed the railway lines listening out for the approach of thundering engines. We were now heading for the interestingly named Flust which turned out to consist of a barn, a limekiln and some trees.

The next stage of the walk, I will admit, I was slightly concerned about due to David Pitt's description in the guide book, 'the path is more on the map than on the ground.' He calls it, 'a faint trod', in other words a path which is not even popular with the sheep. We followed the trail past shake holes, over sphagnum moss and weedy, reedy tussocks. I am happy to report that the ground was soggy but not too juicy so we were able to make steady progress with only the occasional outbreak of bog hopping. To our left Baugh Fell brooded and looked menacing. There were few sheep around and not a bird to be heard or seen. We were lucky that we had a fine day with bright sunshine. I can imagine this would have been a bleak experience in the rain and wind. The trail followed a dry gill for a short time and when the gill turned sharp right we headed straight on in a south westerly direction. The path had definitely disappeared now and we struck out using Rawthey Gill as our guide on the left and the distant view of Flust to our rear to guide us to a wall and a gate. The ground was difficult - full of bogs, tussocks, holes and so the going was slow. Mr McD's sterling efforts with navigation guided us directly to the wall and gate. At one stage we thought we had climbed too high above Rawthey Gill but, no, we were bang on the nail.

After passing through the gate we aimed for a line of trees and negotiated our way past a bull and some cows. Luckily they were more interested in each other than in two walkers struggling over hummocks. We reached the Whin Stone Gill Bridge but not before enduring twenty questions from a couple and their dog heading the other way. They wanted to know where we were going today, tomorrow and the rest of the week. As I was feeling a little jaded after the previous two hours slog across difficult terrain, my answers were a bit vague to say the least.

Uldale House soon woke us up and focused the mind again. A pack of sheep dogs, thankfully all chained up, started barking, growling and howling as we approached and then passed through their farm yard. We beat a hasty retreat out of the gates and followed the farm track past more shake holes. We were promised a shake hole big enough to swallow a bus. We found it and it was.

A hop across the busy and fast A683 and we lunched in a delightful fern filled gill. A steep zigzag path took us quickly up the hillside and onto a path leading to Murthwaite but not before we spied a weasel escaping the galumphing interest of two dogs. (Weasels are bigger than stoats, have longer tails with a black tip). We met a Pennine Journeyer here heading in the opposite direction and he had started from his home Stanhope in Weardale. (Weardale - one of my favourite places on my Pennine Journey).

Our next goal was the seventeenth century Cross Keys Temperance Inn near Cautley Spout. As we walked down the bridleway we discussed what drinks we could have - Sasparella, Dandelion and Burdock or Ginger Beer? We also considered whether the Inn would still be open when we reached it - not something we really wanted to contemplate on such a tiring, hot day. We need not have concerned ourselves as it was definitely open for business when we took a slight detour and crossed the River Rawthey to sample its delights. We staggered in and were greeted by mine host who did not bat an eyelid at our muddy boots and clothes. Drinks were offered and we retired to the cool, dark parlour and sank into comfy, squishy chairs surrounded by interesting Victoriana including a piano, a range, a wind up record player. I could have stayed there for the rest of the afternoon dozing and drinking.

Back on the trail and feeling refreshed, from a distance, we admired the natural wonder of Cautley Spout which has a 700 foot drop. We were now in the Howgills and they looked just as magnificent and perfect as when I walked amongst them with Mrs C on our Dales High Way walk. We followed the high level, terraced path and watched the farmers harvesting the hay in the fields below. Soon we descended into Sedbergh and found our B&B Holmecroft where we met our lovely hosts and enjoyed homemade carrot cake and a pot of tea.

Dinner was at The Dalesman. We asked for gin and tonics and were told 'they did not stock the likes of Gordons or Bombay Sapphire'. Instead they had a range of American Gins for us to sample. We asked them to serve us with their own recommendations and we tried 'Aviation' and 'Drop Dead'. they were both delicious and certainly deserved after our long day treading invisible paths.