Massive Group of Hikers Seen on Bolts Law

Another of the Durham County Council walks wot I’ve lead was today – a walk entitled “Hunwick Hobble” a ten mile long and hard (their definition, not mine) walk from Baybridge to Bolt’s Law. I did the reccy for this a few days ago along with Bruno who knew the way and was legal since all of the walk is on public rights of way or roads.

The actual walk happened today (I mentioned this above by the way) and counting everybody including me and three stewards – Dave, Neville and Sheila – there were forty six of us.  Forty seven souls if you count the small dog that came too.

There are no photographs of the guided walk group due to the fact that I forgot to put the memory card in the camera and the USB port on it is broken , so there’s no way of getting any of the three pictures of the long snake of walkers that followed me around the North Durham moors. I’ve deleted the pics now in a moment of petulance and low blood sugar, so they’re gone.

It was a good walk, though, on a beautiful summer day with huge views from the Cheviot to the North Yorks Moors.

It was hot, too, when me and superdawg did the reccy. The keepers were out and busy again, preparing for August 13th (12th is a Sunday, so there’ll be no shooting on that day) and haymakers were turning hay in the meadows, so there was the sweet perfume of Sweet Vernal Grass.

The route wanders up boggily through Deborah Wood and through the pastures to Townfield – all part of my adopt-a-path route – but then it goes through the Derwent Mine and over rough moor to Packletts Gate and, after a bit of a road walk, by the bridleway to Bolts Law. It was here that today’s party lunched and here, on the reccy, that me and Bruno snoozed for ninety minutes in the warm breeze.

Then, by devious paths to the smelting flue chimney and over the moor on tracks and bridleways to Blanchland Bridge and back to the start through the woods.

I think most people enjoyed the walk in the specially-arranged warm sunshine although the odd steep climb and the rough moor was a bit of a challenge for some of the walkers, but with 46 people, there’s inevitably going to be a range in people’s form and fitness. We’ll see what the feedback says.

Here’s a map. It’s a good walk. Do it!