From: Thwaite to Tan Hill Inn
Distance: 8m / 12.8km
Cumulated distance: 647m / 1041km
Percentage completed: 62.9
It was another short day today. We had to ‘keep a sharp eye open’ this morning so that we didn’t leave Thwaite on the Coast to Coast Path instead of the Pennine Way. The two cross in the village, heading off to entirely different destinations. I woke up very early in time for the sunrise. From the window I could see the glorious colours across the hills.
View from Kearton Country Hotel early in the morning
We had a very leisurely start, taking time over our kippers and scrambled eggs, only leaving around ten.
Off to a cracking start ..
Thwaite is a very pretty, unspoilt little village in Swaledale. We climbed out of the village fairly quickly and contoured above the River Swale to Keld, another lovely village. The name Keld derives from the Viking word Kelda meaning a spring and the village was once called Appletre Kelde – the spring near the apple trees. I love finding out about the origin of these names.
The sunshine raced across the landscape, delivering wildly contrasting photographs of the river and valley.
Looking back at Thwaite
Nick has always had a penchant for rude bothies. I was able to find him several today, although they were all rather too comfortable-looking for his liking.
Nick with his first choice
Ingenious if primitive way to keep the door closed
The River Swale looked beautiful from above, meandering over shallows and rapids. It’s a major tributary of the River Ure, which I walked along for a short time yesterday. This then becomes the River Ouse, emptying into the North Sea via the Humber Estuary.
River Swale
Mist approaching
Trees clinging to the sides of the valley
Warm one minute and cool the next
Across the valley, on the other side of the Swale, we could see the intriguingly named Crackpot Hall, now lying in ruin. Visitors to the home in the 1930s, reported seeing a 4 year old girl called Alice, with a crazy laugh, ‘wild like the moors around her’. I’d love to tell you tales of how she evolved into Mrs Rochester .. but history does not recall any more.
Half way through the day we took a small detour into Keld, to find lunch. Sadly, the pub didn’t open until 2.30 for food .. go figure. We took advantage of their cosy porch and ate our rucksack-squeezed sandwiches without a pint of Wallop.
Approaching Keld
The guidebook warns walkers to leave the marked path from Keld to Tanhouse at their peril .. ‘the open mouths of old colliery bell-pits await the unwary’. All in all it sounded as if it were to be pretty bleak. But actually it was absolutely fine. We had a 100 metre climb out of the valley and then there was a flat approach to Tan Hill.
Dramatic but completely safe landscape
Like the good fairy, Tan Hill Inn suddenly appeared on the horizon out of the blue, offering comfort and sustenance. The PW goes straight past it. It’s the highest pub in England and offers an enterprising range of accommodation, including the fluorescent orange Hägglund BV206, cracked up to being the ‘ultimate luxury camping experience’. This needed to be investigated .. had I made a grave mistake in opting for the single room with bath. The Hägglund is a Swedish-made amphibious personnel carrier. It’s been used extensively across 35 countries, in particular by the Norwegian armed forces. I could go on about its hydraulic cylinders, its steel reinforced rubber tracks etc etc .. but there was a chilled wine waiting for me and a pint of the specially brewed Tan Hill Ale for Nick inside the pub and anyway, I’m quite happy with a conventional bed and bath. The light on the moors at the end of the day was utterly glorious.
The Path from which we came
AC arrives .. guess which car. Yep, the car transporter.
Black Dog Tails
This bright-eyed little girl is called Fire. She’s pictured here with Sgt Maj Andy Dodds. Together they collected a medal for bravery for Sasha, another bomb disposal dog, who died in Afghanistan.
This is like sharing a love story Jules – too beautiful and thank you. Xx
Gosh, what a beautiful comment, Frannie. Never been paid such a lovely compliment. xx
More wonderful landscapes! More wonderful pics.
Ask Nick how he proposes to shut the door with the rock from the inside…………
He always has been a rude bothy boy. (Though you can safely leave out the bothy bit.) Morning Nick!
Way too logical for Nick! x
More fabulous photographs. My mother lived for a few years in Swaledale as a young girl in a large house named Ellerton Abbey. Her father was in the Army; stationed in Richmond or Darlington. He designed a beautiful water garden at Ellerton Abbey. Yorkshire is a glorious county and very large. You should soon reach the Border, I imagine. It is so interesting checking in with you every evening or the next morning. I have copied a few of your photos. The one you took recently of a field full of lovely sheep, with black legs and faces and yesterday’s picture of that enchanting little lamb are two that particularly appealed. xx
It’s so easy these days with an iPhone! And there are so many sheep who need their photos taking!!xx
Great photos today and quality sections of the PW. When I passed through Tan Hill Inn on my LEJOG it was crazy time. The pub changed hands recently and I think the new people are just bedding in – the previous occupants were renowned for their eccentricity – I had met Dave on the campsite at Keld the evening before. We still exchange the odd email from time to time.
“25th May 2008. I plodded on over moorland to The Tan Hill Inn, which I think is supposed to be the highest pub in Britain at 1732ft.The pub was very busy, even at 9:45am, and when I asked for tea and a bacon butty I was told to go into the kitchen, make my own tea and plead with the lady in there to make the butty for me. This was all done in a crazy good humoured fashion, and everybody in the place seemed to be quite eccentric. I got everything I wanted, then had more tea and bought some Kit Kats and got somebody to take my picture. As I was leaving Dave arrived. I never like to impose on people on these kind of walks and would not normally walk with somebody else unless invited to do so, and therefore I went on my way. As I walked round the corner of the building I was almost taken off my feet by the wind. After an hour or so I stopped for a rest which lasted longer than planned because I suddenly received several text messages on my phone and set about making replies which always takes time, and then Dave appeared. We walked the last five miles together into Bowes and camped on a fairly basic farm site, but we both managed to wash some clothes and put them on an improvised drying line using walking poles. We ate together in the pub in Bowes.”
How funny! Well the owners may be different but the service is pretty similar! We loved it.
You have excelled your usual high standard of fantastic photos with some amazing views today! Love the light and dark contrasts, and the vibrant colours. I always read your blog first thing in the morning (in Tasmania) with my first cup of tea – a great way to start the day!
Love to imagine you reading in Tassie .. I fell in love with Freycinet and Hobart earlier this year. Can’t wait to do some more walking there. Thank you for the message.
That sunrise sky is amazing – a well deserved reward for rising so early. You are looking so fit and healthy. How are the limbs now? Presumably they find 8 miles a tad on the short side?
Oh I don’t mind an 8 mile day from time to time! Limbs doing well but knees do a fair amount of complaining towards the end of the day! All put right with a deep bath and a glass of wine. xx
Nice pics. Now only 6 weeks before I am there. Staying at the Tan Hill Inn too. Was it wet underfoot this day? I am hearing that the ground is quite damp at the moment. Love following your adventure. Over 1,000 kms walked now. That is incredible. What an adventure.
We avoided the first 2 miles going north from Tan Hill by using the road. Several people had advised it would be horribly wet. The road was v quiet .. just a couple of cars passed us. Unless much changes I’d probably advise the same. If there’s anything else I can help with pls don’t hesitate to ask.