Day 16 of The Pennine Way

THE PENNINE WAY
Start - Edale, England
2 7 1 M I L E S
Finish - Kirk Yetholm, Scotland

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Day 17; Day 16 Maps; Day 16 Photos; P.W. Index Page; Index Page

DAY 16 OF THE PENNINE WAY

Day 16 - Summary - Personal Report - Analysis - Facilities

STARTING POINT

Twice/Once Brewed (Depends where you decided to sleep) (O.S 86/87 - 753669)

FINISHING POINT

Bellingham (O.S 80 - 840833)

LENGTH OF DAY

16 Miles (26 Km)

ASCENT

1400 FT (430M)

Day 16 - Summary - Personal Report - Analysis - Facilities

DAY 16 SUMMARY

Eighteen miles to Bellingham on a mixture of moor land footpath and forest. The terrain was slightly soggy for the first time especially though the forest. After walking to the 7 miles mark we stopped at the Honey Farm cafe for a scone and a hot drink, a very nice farm house on the far side of the forest. After that we marched pretty quickly to Shitlington crags or Ealingham Rigg, as it was renamed, on a very well marked out path, almost a farm track type of path. This is where we stopped and had lunch. We then did the last 4 miles to Bellingham at a swift pace on a constantly deteriorating moor land path, before following a farm track again. A steady gradual descent in to Bellingham then finished off the day, with the footpath leading you out on to the main road.

Day 16 - Summary - Personal Report - Analysis - Facilities

HOW I FOUND DAY 16

To Follow...

Day 16 - Summary - Personal Report - Analysis - Facilities

A MORE DETAILED LOOK AT DAY 16

At Once or Twice Brewed the Hadrian's wall continues for another 2 miles along the Pennine way before the wall continues East towards the coast and the Pennine way goes North. However if you want to put an extra few miles on today you can follow the walk for an extra mile up to Housesteads that was an old Roman Fort. This fort is still in good condition, and it can still be used to work out how forts were built in the times gone by.

The official route comes off at Hotbank Crag and immediately after leaving the wall you are put onto a short stretch of easy to traverse moor land, before you come to a forest. The forest even in the hottest summer as we had when we walked it in 1995, is rather damp and soft. This makes it a soft and enjoyable walk though the forest.

The exit to the forest is the only place that it tried to rain for us on the whole walk, but even that gave up after half an hour, of very light drizzle. This was the nearest that we got to getting out our waterproofs actually on the whole Pennine way, during walking hours, but we didn't. In fact in all the time we were on the walk we only used the waterproofs once, and that was in the evening at Malham while we were exploring the town while we weren't walking

Near the middle of the forest you climb to the top of a very small hill. This hill is called Hawk Side Hill and was named as such because of the rapidly increasing number of Sparrow-Hawks around that area.

At the edge of the forest the Pennine way continues along the same kind of moor that was being travailed along before the forest. This is the same all the way to the end of the day's walk in Bellingham. The only thing that now stands in your way is a short climb up Ealingham Rigg or Shitlington Crags as it was renamed

From Shitlington crags nothing difficult stands in your way on your journey to Bellingham. After turning off the moor on to a road, you are quickly on the boarder of Bellingham. When you get to the road you have just 0.5 miles to go to the small town.

Day 16 - Summary - Personal Report - Analysis - Facilities

REFRESHMENTS

None on the route. A Hotel/public house and guest houses, cafe and shops in Bellingham.

ACCOMMODATION

A youth hostel, hotel/public house and guest houses in Bellingham.

Day 16 - Summary - Personal Report - Analysis - Facilities

Most Popular Next Links -
Day 17; Day 16 Maps; Day 16 Photos; P.W. Index Page; Index Page