Pennine Way Middleton in Teesdale to Baldersdale

I did the reccy for this last Tuesday and the guided walk was on Sunday. (We have to do a reccy a few days before according to The Rules)

The route follows the Pennine Way South from Middleton, past the cattle market, over the hill by Kirkcarrion, down to Lunedale through lots of flowery meadows and fields with bored suckler cows (too much pedestrian trraffic to cause any rise in bovine blood pressure) – over the moor to Baldersdale and Hannah’s Meadow nature reserve (still flowery, although just about to be cut for hay) – alongside the reservoirs and back over Romaldkirk Moor with some more energetic suckler herds, and then an easy ramble along the Teesdale railway path and by the riverside to the start. I made it 13.2 miles, those guided walks customers with GPS said it was 13.8. 

Here’s a few photies of both walks….

Counting the stewards, David and Ann, plus me, of course, there were seventeen of us and a small dog. I was a bit worried about the dog and the sucklers, but, apart from an assertive bull on Romaldkirk Moor, we didn’t have much trouble. The dog yapped at sheep, though and motor cyclists – apparently there was some kind of Hell’s Grandads rally on and there was much put-putting along the lanes…

Lunedale reservoirs. Quite pretty, really. There’s a toilet next to the pond on the right. This pic was taken from the summit of one of the huge stiles up here. It was from camp One halfway up the second stile that a telegraphic message was sent to Buckingham palace on the occasion of the Queen’s Coronation. Apparently. Its very high.

Hannah’s Meadow, with the Yellow rattle rattling, it’s just about to be cut for hay. We lunched in the barn at the top of the field. This has displays and agricultural gear and is a good place to get out of the nithering wind blowing off the Pennine glaciers. Its a bit dark inside, though.

Hannah’s Meadow is a Durham Wildlife Trust nature reserve. If you go, take a flower identification book.

As you can see from this snap, it’s been a very wet summer up here in the Pennines. This chap was testing his faith. Clearly, there’s a bit of an issue here…

This is what Kirkcarrion looks like to a really short person, a small dog or somebody who is hiding in the juncus. It was around here that our happy band of ramblers crossed a wobbly stile to be faced by a huge brown bull. Now, instead of wandering off into the distance, like what they’re supposed to do, this one stared at me for a while and then started to walk towards me. One chap scared him off and he bounced around a bit which was a bit worrying to be honest.

Not entirely sure who this miserable looking lot are. Maybe the chap on the right has told his joke again.

Look – Only kidding….  see? Caption competition??

Here’s a map. We went anti-clockwise. At least one other direction is available.