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St Cuthbert's Way
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Melrose to Ancrum (16 Miles)
It was a little before 10am when I eventually
set off from Melrose. On the advice of a couple who I met at breakfast,
I popped into the tourist information centre to pick up details
of a couple of diversions. The first had been in existence since
the Foot & Mouth outbreak, and was already marked on my map.
The second was a temporary diversion that avoided a closed bridge.
I was also advised that the first day's walk was notable for the
many footbridges and flights of steps that have been built to
help walkers and prevent erosion of the paths.
The first flight of steps took me out of Melrose
and onto the Eildon Hills. I was escorted down the other side
by two low-flying F-15 Strike Eagles from the US Air Force. I
then failed to locate the path out of Newtown St Boswells. A couple
interrupted their conversation to point to the St Cuthbert's Way
sign at the top of the lamppost they were stood under.
For the next 4 miles, I followed the fast flowing
River Tweed. This was briefly interrupted by a walk into St Boswells,
and alongside one of the prettiest golf courses I have ever seen.
By the time I reached Maxton it had begun to
rain, lightly to begin with, then heavier as I turned onto Dere
Street. Being a Roman Road, I was expecting it to be straight
and fairly level, however, it is now largely overgrown which made
the path narrow and difficult to follow. The rain was now coming
in at an angle, so I decided to shelter under a tree and have
something to eat.
I reached the Harestanes Visitors Centre shortly
after 4pm. After getting my route card stamped to confirm I had
completed the first stage, I attempted to phone the owner of my
accommodation to confirm my arrival time. Following a couple of
phone calls to a rather irritated lady in Galashiels, I discovered
I had been given the wrong dialling code for Ancrum. I eventually
got through to the owner, and set off on the final mile or so.
On arrival I found that I was to have a house to myself for the
night. And it had a drying room! After a meal and a pint in the
nearby Cross Keys
it was back to the accommodation for a bath and the James Bond
film on the TV.
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Ancrum to Morebattle (12 Miles)
My clothes had dried nicely by the time I set
off from Ancrum heading back to Harestanes. The official trail
began gently as I walked through woods around Monteviot House,
before crossing a rather wobbly suspension bridge over the River
Teviot. Then it was back onto the Roman Road and the first diversion.
For the rest of the morning the walk was fairly
dull. The landscape was uneventful and the sky was grey. Luckily
things picked up after Brownrigg. Unfortunately it only lasted
for the couple of miles to Cessford. At least the sun was out
now. The last few miles into Morebattle were on road which meant
I could at least pick up the pace and arrive at the Templehall
Hotel in time to get a pint and watch nearly all that day's tennis
from Wimbledon.
Morebattle to Kirk Yetholm (6 Miles)
Day 3 was easily the shortest leg of the walk,
however, it took me over the highest point of the St Cuthbert's
Way, Wideopen Hill at 1,207 feet. After a leisurely breakfast,
and as late a departure as the hotel would allow, it was more
or less straight up and over.
With fine views throughout the day in glorious
sunshine, and excellent conditions underfoot, I arrived in Kirk
Yetholm at 1.30pm. Unable to check into my accommodation for at
least a couple of hours, I spent the afternoon in and around the
bar at the Border Hotel. This also happens to be the end point
of the Pennine Way, so there were plenty of fellow walkers to
swap stories with. Later I popped along to the YHA to get my route
card stamped, before returning to the Border Hotel for my evening
meal. I rounded off the evening with a walk into nearby Town Yetholm.
Easily the best day of the walk so far!
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Kirk Yetholm to Wooler (13 Miles)
Day 4 started in a similar way to the previous
day, with a climb, this time onto the northern edge of the Cheviot
Hills, following the Pennine Way for a short time. The reward
was the border crossing between Scotland and England and my final
glimpse of the Eildon Hills. My first ever steps in Northumberland
were through some of the darkest woods I had ever been in. The
walk then took me past idylic Hethpool, and back into the hills
before the long descent to Wooler.
Walking midweek to midweek, I had not met many other
walkers, either on the walk itself, or in the accommodations.
Those that I did, were all walking in the opposite direction.
Today I met two couples. The first couple stopped me, initially
to warn me of a snake they had nearly trodden on, before the conversation
changed to walking equipment. The second couple were from Wooler,
my destination for today. They reassured me that I only had a
couple of miles of easy walking ahead of me.
Arriving at 3.30pm I had time for a couple of
lattes in a cafe, before finding the tourist information centre
where I got my route card stamped for the penultimate time.
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Wooler to Holy Island / Lindisfarne (19 Miles)
I opted for an early breakfast at the Tilldale
Guesthouse. I had to be at the start of the causeway across to
Holy Island by 5.30pm at the latest, or risk being cut off by
the tide. The last stage also happened to be the longest, and
it had been extended by a mile because of the temporary diversion.
The walk out of Wooler began with a gentle climb.
The diversion was long and boring, but was on road throughout,
so I didn't lose too much time. Following a long stretch across
farmland, I arrived at St Cuthbert's Cave at 12.15pm. Knowing
that the causeway was only a few miles away, and downhill all
the way, I felt I could relax a little.
The only hurdle between me and the sea, was the
east coast mainline railway where frequent trains were racing
past my crossing point at 100 miles per hour. I had to phone the
signalbox after each train had passed and request permission to
cross. Ten minutes later and I was on my way, reaching the causeway
at 3.15pm.
Following the road, it took me exactly an hour
to walk to Holy Island. Before checking into the Lindisfarne Hotel,
I found the Post Office where I had my route card stamped for
the final time, confirming I had completed the walk. Then it was
off to the hotel, only to discover that my bag had not yet arrived.
As I prepared to phone the courier, the taxi that was carrying
it pulled up outside the hotel. The taxi driver had forgotten
it was in his boot, then panicked when he realised he had to get
onto the island and back ahead of the tide.
After a bath and a meal, I walked along the coast
path to Lindisfarne Castle. The tide was now in, cutting the island
off from the mainland.
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Holy Island / Lindisfarne to Melrose via Berwick-upon-Tweed
Cut off by the tide until lunchtime, and with
the castle and priory not due to open until the tourists arrived,
I had little choice but to wander around the island and shop for
souvenirs. The No. 477 bus to Berwick-upon-Tweed thankfully departed
on time, dropping me off at the same stop in Golden Square that
the No. 60 bus to Melrose was due to depart from two hours later.
I left Melrose shortly after 5pm for the long journey south.
My holiday was organised by Contours
Walking Holidays. Apart from the incorrect dialling code on
the first day, their information pack was excellent, as were the
accommodations and baggage transfers. Although the route was very
well signposted throughout, I used the Harvey
St Cuthbert's Way map, backed-up by the St
Cuthbert's Way Official Guide and OS
Explorer maps 338, 340 and
OL16.
Clive
June 2005
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