Day 53 – Westgate to Blanchland, 12 miles

On Thursday I mentioned to Lady Ann that my body can no longer function on merely cereal and toast, and that I really needed the full English breakfast in order to get up the hills that her country keeps throwing at me. When Dr. George does his marathon cycle rides in southern Utah, he has a full breakfast, and I deserve reciprocity when I come to England for a marathon walk. Being both sensible and sensitive, Lady Ann acknowledged the dilemma and cooked me a full breakfast this morning. As a result, I was able to keep up with Dr. George on today’s hike.

Today’s route crossed over the pastures of Westgate, and then along a quarry’s dismantled railway track to the village of Rookhope. From there, the route ascended steeply up an old funicular track formerly associated with a now abandoned lead mine. The route was created by Dr. George to test both the state of my fitness and the caloric capacity of Lady Ann’s cooked breakfast.

Wildflowers along the route were blooming again as a result of the recent rains. The heather on the moors was just about to break into its purple majesty. Another week or less should produce a spectacular display of color on the moors.

Mark

Along the way, we encountered Mark, who’s been walking the hills in the area for quite some time. He alerted us to some of the features of the former plant which powered the funicular that carried lead ore from the mines to the furnaces, and put sense into what we saw upon reaching the top of the incline.  Afterwards, the rest of the walk was anticlimactic until we met Lady Ann at the medieval town of Blanchland and concluded the walk in the proper English method of having an ale at the local pub.

Power plant ruins

© 2011 Ken Klug