Day 45 Bowes to Middleton in Teesdale

 

Today was not cold, but there was plenty of wind.

With reluctance, after I turfed Garry out the car, we all set out of Bowes, almost immediately over the A67, heading northwards into the wind and the rain. After half a mile Garry realised he'd left his walking poles in the car, so I went back to collect them and drop them back to him where he was waiting. I then continued onto Middleton in Teesdale in the car, where Alfie and me had our second short walk of the day around the town, finishing in Winter's, a dog friendly cafe, where Alfie enjoyed a sausage and me a piece of date and walnut tart. 

                                                       

Back to the walking hero. Being careful to keep the military range to his right, he traversed Cotherstone Moor, passed the outcrop of rocks called Robin Hood's Hole.

  

  

He then walked down to Blackton Resevoir, which looked reasonably full, white horses racing in the wind!

  

  

On the other side of Blackton reservoir, Garry walked through Hannah's Meadow Nature reserve where he saw a number of lapwings and curlews (good teaching from Tom!). He then had a long drag up and over Hunderthwaite Moor, which led to the more empty, but no less picturesque Grassholme reservoir. 

Finally, he went up over Lune Moor where Middleton in Teesdale was a welcome sight.

 Alfie and I had seen this sight around an hour earlier, as we had walked up from Middleton in Teesdale for our third short walk of the day. However, it was all too windy for a whippet after a mile, so we turned and retraced our steps. (Watch his ears blow in the wind!)

                                           
With the wind at his back, Garry quickly travelled down into the attractive town, where he met me and Alfie for a welcome cuppa.

Garry walked 12 .5 miles today, the main difficulty was the wind at 23 miles per hour from the West. 

A later start (and a shorter walk) for Garry tomorrow, as I have a Rock Choir to visit in Hexam in the morning!