What a difference a year makes! Day 71 of the End to End in 2019 was wet with low cloud and thunder and lightening in the Southern Uplands. One year on in South Yorkshire we had one of our hottest walking days ever.
I described Day 71 of LEJOG as a day of two halves because we waited for the weather to clear a bit in the morning before walking in the afternoon. I took a path alongside the River Nith in the Drumlanrig Estate. It was beautifully shaded woodland and water dripped from leaves and branches.
One year later we decided to try a section of the TPT we hadn’t walked before in South Yorkshire. The Longdendale section just right past our home and that has been one of the things to motivate us to complete the rest of the route. Before Lock Down we’d been west to Southport in various sections over the winter months. Our original plan for the Spring had been a walk to London via the Grand Union Canal, but that’s still one hold. We therefore thought we’d try some further bits of TPT and went east for the first time for three months today.
Starting at Wombwell I began to walk back towards Oxspring, where Bob parked the car and started his half of the route. Bob has actually completed the whole TPT by bike in 2013 as part of one of his sabbaticals.
Today was a very hot day, as I already mentioned. Temperatures of 30 degrees were forecast. We took lots of water of course. One of the things about the hot day was there were a great many butterflies out as well as many wild flowers to enjoy. Hot and tired we made it back to Oxspring in a bit under 5 hours.
Walking is still a great thing to do together. It was a wonderful route, with lots of shade along the line of the old railways. Penistone was a good place to get some ice cream at the end.
(the marks on this bridge of the Nith were left after a tragic accident in the 19th century)
Although I don’t like walking in rain, I’m not that keen on high temperatures either! Last year on LEJOG no day was as hot as today, I’m glad to say. Although we didn’t originally plan to walk the TPT it has proved to be a good option. Today it was not really busy at all and we’ll see what kind of plan we might make for the rest of the summer as we go from West to East if we can.
From the remembered bible, part of Psalm 139
If I flew away beyond the east or lived in the farthest place in the west, you would be there to lead me and help me.
As I walk this repurposed route,
I am grateful for care and support from fellow travellers.
My feet ache after the longest hottest walk in a while
and I seek a welcome place to rest.
The benches that regularly pop up along the trail are especially welcome.
God grant a quiet night…
JAL: 24.06.2020 on the TPT.