LEJOG day 41: Alston to Haltwhistle

The mantra of the past few days has been "I'm not here to walk the Pennine Way", and today was a great example of why: I am so much happier walking when I can just walk and the Pennine Way is honestly often reluctant to let you do that.

My day off in Alston was a bit of a washout- my boots got dry but only because the rain never stopped for long enough for me to consider leaving the B&B. They had a leaflet in the information folder with a historical tour of the town which looked really pretty good, so I was sorry not to be able to get out to do it. Instead I sat inside listening to music and the whistles of the steam engines on the heritage railway line.

Then this morning I set off on the South Tyne Trail, walking beside the heritage railway all the way from Alston to the end of the track, where they seemed to be building a new station (and the workers addressed me as "pet" which has never happened to me before). However, the line used to run all the way up to meet main railway from Carlisle, and so I got to continue the lovely flat surface almost until Haltwhistle, including over the viaduct over the Tyne.

The only hiccup was right before the viaduct, where some clot has been allowed to buy a house right by the old railway line and somehow or other withdrawn the rights for the Trail to run through their personal section, all 100 yards of it. Sadly, because it's right by the viaduct, in order to get around the Trail drops precipitately into the valley, virtually down to the river, in order to go underneath the viaduct, then climbs back up the same bank to get you onto the viaduct at the other side of this hermit's domain. I was frustrated by how silly the whole thing was. But at least I still got to walk over the viaduct.

Tomorrow is going to be a less fun day: I'm off over Hadrian's Wall and back on the Pennine Way for over 19 miles to Bellingham. My hostess this evening has suggested a different route to the one I'd planned - which she thinks will be difficult - but I don't know whether to listen or not given she keeps one hand on the wall as she makes her way around the house.

Distance walked: 14.09 miles
Time taken: 4h22
Percentage completed: 56.5%
Days since I was last rained on: 1, hurrah!
Miles per £1 of boot: 4.9
Lunch: tuna and cucumber sandwich, wotsits and a fruit smoothie
Last night's B&B: The Ryder House, Alston: lovely friendly owners who are themselves keen on walking, very comfy

 First sighting of the viaduct
 On the viaduct!
 From the viaduct!
...this is just a bridge. Same river, too

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