Chollerford > Heddon, 15.1m

I woke up this morning not wanting to leave my lovely suite, especially as 100% rain is predicted at 10/11am – no way to walk around that.  A generous breakfast of cappuccino and Eggs Florentine turned my frown upside down and so I got ready for my penultimate day on the HWP.

I started walking just after 8am hoping to make it to the first cafe before the rain comes. It was a mile on the B-road before venturing off into the woods and fields…

I say last section of Wall but of course it was all around me, just in unrecognizable form: stone fences, churches, barns, houses – the ultimate recycling program.

The rain started about 9:30am; fortunately without wind so used my brolly again. It kept me dry, just, but the rain became torrential and I was ever so glad after an hour of it to reach the oasis of the Errington cafe where tea and a fruit scone awaited. Spent a good 40 minutes there then left during a short break in the rain.  Definitely clearing from the torrents of earlier but the umbrella was still needed.

Slogged for 4.25m through edges of fields, along hedgerows, but always beside the Military Road.  Finally reached the Robin Hood Inn at 1pm – time for a beer and cake to prep for the last 5.7 miles of the day.

My respite was truncated after 20 minutes when I checked the bus timetable for Heddon (my destination) and realized I only had 2.5 hours for the ~6 mile walk! On flat land that’d be fine but with the hills, mud, photo taking, route checking, etc I was a bit worried. My accommodation tonight is a few miles away from Heddon and the bus is only every 2 hours so I marched without stopping (much) and made it with 20 minutes to spare.

I’m in a room above a pub on the edge of town and went no further than the little grocery store 2 doors down. A hot bath turned me into a wet noodle so it’s chips & Midsomer Mysteries on this evenings agenda.