Just Walking

Day 60 of the End to End, which is half way through the proposed number of walking days, was as good a day as any for just walking. One of the things about getting to day 60 is the 59 days of just walking that I’ve done before today.

Although yesterday was forecast as wet weather, today had plenty of grey clouds and showers. The term Thunder Stone from the start of today’s walk refers to a very large stone, perhaps an erratic or maybe placed by neolithic forbears. We saw several both at the start and end of today’s walk. This part of Cumbria has many cairns, tumuli and stone circles although some require a fair dose of imagination to see them as circles at all.
On the first part of the walk the wind was quite gusty and showers rattled at my back. There were sporadic pieces of eroded limestone along the route (some of this part of the route coincided with the C2C). There are also shake holes marked on the map which are a result of limestone erosion.

Bob came back with the car and we had lunch by a quarry. I then had a short snooze in the car before carrying on for the last 4 miles of today’s walk to Little Strickland down what was essentially a fairly straight road. We finished at the small church of St Mary in the village.
After the walk we drove to Shap to see the small Keld Chapel. It dates from the 16th century and is now looked after by the National Trust. The large key hangs on the door of the house opposite and opens a wooden door to a simple building which still has no electricity.

On the way back from the chapel we stopped to see the Goggleby Stone, a large single stone in a nearby field, said to be part of the Shap Avenue Neolithic site.

We went onto Kendal to have a meal and long conversation with Ruth, an old friend. It was a good way to finish a day of just walking.

From Ruth 1

Wherever you go I will go.
Your people will be my people.
Your God will be my God.

Walking together, walking separately,
Walking each day, walking north.
Talking and eating together,
Sharing conversation and memories.
All in one day.

Tonight, God grant us a quiet night and a peaceful end.

JAL 05.06.2019
Day 60 of the End to End from Thunder Stone farm to Little Strickland.