Wednesday 17th February 2010 - Liam's Road Trip, Day 3 - Barnard Castle to Once Brewed

Wednesday 17th February 2010 was Day 3 of the road trip. Our first rendezvous was with High Force. We parked in the visitor car park up on the main road, and walked down the specially made tourist path to the viewing point. This was a very enjoyable walk on a beautiful clear sunny morning.

   

We then drove up to the Langdon Beck Hotel, which is closed until Easter, so we then drove up to Cow Green Reservoir. We walked around the shore of the reservoir which was completely frozen across the surface - a spectacular sight with a backdrop of the white mounds of Mickle Fell G/NP-002, Murton Fell, Dufton Fell, Knock Fell, Great Dun Fell, Little Dun Fell and Cross Fell G/NP-001. I had hoped to walk all the way to the dam and Cauldron Snout, but the going was slow in places and we turned back. Even so, the eerie sound of the water burbling underneath the ice and the loud crashes of cracking ice echoing around the place was entertaining enough. I hadn't spotted the possibility of walking down a service road to the dam.

   

 A very brief stop in Dufton was followed by a slightly longer one in Garrigill - I bought a Turkish Delight in the Post Office, which was also the accommodation Jimmy and I used on the Pennine Way in 2006. In Alston we had a short circular walk mainly by the River South Tyne between the railway station and the youth hostel.

       

By the time we got to Greenhead, it was going dark, so after a quick photo we drove across to Once Brewed. Which is where we secured accommodation, staying in the Once Brewed Youth Hostel, and making use of the internet cafe in the Twice Brewed Inn next door. We aimed to 'complete' the Pennine Way the following day.