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Contents :: PENNINE WAY :: Day 10                       INTRODUCTION DAY 4 DAY 9 DAY 14   PREPARATION DAY 5 DAY 10 DAY 15   DAY 1 DAY 6 DAY 11 DAY 16   DAY 2 DAY 7 DAY 12 DAY 17   DAY 3 DAY 8 DAY 13 PREP RUNS                     THE PENNINE WAY PASSES OVER REMOTE MOORLAND     NATIONAL TRAIL GUIDES UK           Day 10 :: Thistles and Flies :: Bowes to Thwaite :: 12 miles           Last night Rachel and I were obliged to share the same room.  Our landlady had misinterpreted our instructions.  I am sure Rachel did not like this but she was good enough not to complain, and although I woke her once or twice with my snoring we both slept well.  Upon waking the first thing I did was to peer out of the window.  Yes, as expected, it was misty, but by the time I commenced my run it had cleared sufficiently, although the mist hung around threateningly for most of the day. Today I would be running along Sleightholme Beck to join a minor road leading to Sleightholme Farm and from there to Sleightholme Moor.  I would be taking the Sleightholme Moor Road (not actually a road, just a track) which would lead me to the road upon which Tan Hill Inn lay.  I would then follow the road to the Inn where I would cut across Stonesdale Moor, up Tan Hill and then Lad Gill Hill, descend to Lad Gill, cross Low Brown Hill above Startindale Gill and leave the moor at East Stonesdale Farm near Keld and from thence along the River Swale to Kisdon and finally across to Thwaite, where I would be staying the night. The Pennine Way started right outside of our accommodation.  I cut across a field and some stepping stones across the Sleightholme Beck.  The Beck radiated a lovely gurgling sound and had the weather been better I could have stayed there for much of the day, daydreaming.  After crossing the Beck  I made my way along Trough Scars, passing a number of fields containing an over-population of thistles.  These had been mostly cut down but were lying strewn across my path and as I ran they stabbed into the soft tops of my shoes forcing me many times to stop and remove thistles sticking perpendicularly into my toes. I was not successful in removing all of the thistles and one such was not removed until after several weeks.  I thought my toe was bruised, not realising there was a thistle (more than ¼” long) sticking into it.  More thorns seemed to lie dormant in my socks for hours, working their way into my flesh later on and even after many washings I still found thistles in my socks.               East Mellwaters from Sleightholme   Pennine Way in thistle field above Trough Scars           The path eventually took me to the minor road near Trough Heads, which runs parallel to Sleightholme Beck  I followed this to Sleightholme Farm through which I advanced and then followed a good track over Sleightholme Moor, affording me splendid views of the Sleightholme Valley and the moors beyond.  In the distance I could see Tan Hill, which appeared as a dark mirage on top of the horizon.  To think I would be running to it today and well beyond! As I was running along the Pennine Way towards Sleightholme Moor Road I could see industrial plant in front of me and a labourer who seemed not to be labouring.   He was sitting on a machine, just at the fork with Sleightholme Moor Road.  I did not stop to check that this was my correct junction but as I approached the labourer I asked if it were the Moor Road, and he told me it was.             Sleightholme Beck   Tan Hill in the distance from Sleightholme Moor           The road was not a proper road, but rather a stone track, although it was clearly sufficient to drive plant and machinery along.  After passing him I realised that I had not actually called the track by its right name and wondered if in fact I was on the right track.  This was another one of those occasions were the area I was running was on a crease of the map and I had already turned the map over, hiding from me the actual track junction. On the section of the map now visible to me where three tracks, two of which led to Arkengarthdale and would take me 3 to 6 miles out of my way, depending on which track I was on.  The third track, the Sleightholme Moor Road was not as clearly marked on my map.  One of the problems I repeatedly experience when running and reading a map at the same time, is that I tend not to stop to read it, but try to read it while running, and do not always carefully examine the detail on the map.  This was one of those occasions and I automatically assumed I had taken the wrong track, particularly as it seemed to be continuing far longer than I expected it to.  I thought I was on my way to Arkengarthdale. I accepted the blunder.  I would continue to the Tan Hill road and would have at least an additional 3 miles to run when I reached it.  Once I reached the road (with considerable relief) I stepped up my pace and headed toward Tan Hill, determined to make up for lost time by running faster. I had a particular aversion to this part of the run.  The perspiration was pouring from my head and face and I was under a constant fog of flies, which seemed to be keeping pace with me for my entire journey.  Whenever I came to downhill stretches I ran faster, hoping to outrun the flies, but I never did.  The constant swatting at my face wearied me even more. After some 30 minutes on the road I realised that I had in fact been on the Sleightholme Moor Road and that I had joined the road at the correct place, i.e. at Great Cocker.  I could now see the Frumming Beck valley.  There was nothing else it could be and it was edging nearer to my road, just as it should be.  This was a considerable relief to me. The road was now climbing steeply and I ran with much labour.  There was still no sign of the inn, although in the very considerable distance I could see a building.  I hoped that this was not the inn for it was so far away.  At last I rounded a bend and saw the top of the inn’s roof, not more than 400 metres ahead.               Coal Gill Sike   Bridge over the Lad Gill           I did not stop at the inn, but turned off onto a good track opposite Tan Hill Inn and up Tan Hill and then Lad Gill Hill, stopping to take a look back at the inn before taking on the bleak moorland ahead.  At a fork in the Pennine Way where I had become confused on an earlier run I was pleased to note a number of new Pennine Way signs. The path to Lad Gill descended steeply and was very boggy.  Over the gill itself was a small stone bridge, simple but sufficient, stretching across the tinkling water and providing an interesting contrast to the otherwise bleak moor.  I knew what lay ahead of me and did not relish it.  On my last run here it had been raining heavily and the water was flowing off the side of the moor and across my path.  This is a very boggy area of the Pennine Way and there are numerous sikes cutting across the path, many of which are very difficult to cross. Although today was drier than previously, it had, until very recently, been raining for a considerable time and I expected the bogs to be even more difficult to negotiate.  I would soon see. To my right I could see across to West Stonesdale and beyond to Thomas Gill Rig, Thomas Gill Hill and Robert’s Seat.  On my left was Low Brown Hill and although I could not see any of it from where I was I knew the whole wilderness of Arkengarthdale lay just beyond. I now came upon the bogs and numerous dissecting sikes, draining into the Startindale Gill running parallel to my path just below.  I was, however, able to cross the sikes without too much difficulty, and after the bogs I had experienced in the last week or so I could hardly complain about these.  As it turned out they were not as difficult to cross as on my last run here. Mould Gill was a little larger and more awkward to cross, but it came and went.  All too soon I came upon evidence of habitation.  Near to Frith Lodge I could see a number of barns and tractors in fields, busily hay-making.  The scene was quite refreshing after a long period in the moors and as I passed the hay-makers the wonderful aroma of dry grass rose to meet me. How Gill presented an attractive scene.  On passing through a gateway How Gill appeared without any warning, as a deep valley on my right, dropping very steeply, and lined along both its banks with Mountain Ash, all displaying their scarlet berries.  A very pretty scene.               West Stonesdale from the Pennine Way near to Keld   How Gill           As I neared Keld I beheld wonderful views of West Stones Dale, where it met Birk Dale and its beck.  The becks of these two valleys would meet just beyond Keld to become the River Swale.  A swift descent down a stony farm track led me through East Stonesdale Farm and down to the footbridge over the Swale.  At a bend in the path, just before reaching the footbridge the Way teeters on the bank of East Gill Force, an attractive and easily reached series of small waterfalls. I returned here later to make sound recordings and to sit and relax in the late afternoon air.  This fall is not as magnificent as Kisdon Force, just a little further along the Way, but it is less populated with tourists.               East Gill Force on the edge of the Pennine Way   River Swale from above Kiisdon Force           A track above the River Swale then led across the limestone cliff tops toward Muker, but veering off at Kisdon to reach Thwaite.  Thwaite is an attractive village and I was pleased to be re-united with Rachel once again.  Rachel knows that I am really missing her mother and has been very nice to me today, trying to make it easier for me. She met me with brie-filled bread rolls and spring water.  I consumed the water, stretched and then ate lavishly.  Rachel and I then made our way back to East Gill Force to make a sound recording and then drove to Hawes, firstly to look around the town and then to visit Hardraw Force to make another recording.  Hardraw Force lies in the village of Hardraw, a mile from Hawes.  An entrance fee is paid to the innkeeper of the Green Dragon and there is then a walk of ¼ mile or so to the Fall.  I was amazed at the number of tourists there, and because of them I was unable to obtain any meaningful recording.               Day 9 Day 11       Author - Roy McKee Copyright © Roy McKee 2006