{"id":1350,"date":"2017-03-25T01:38:35","date_gmt":"2017-03-25T00:38:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/?p=1350"},"modified":"2017-03-18T10:12:51","modified_gmt":"2017-03-18T09:12:51","slug":"alston-and-garrigill-cumbria","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/?p=1350","title":{"rendered":"Alston and Garrigill, Cumbria"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script type=\"text\/javascript\">function popwalk(walk) {var url = \"\/Walks\/amap.php?f=\"+walk; varwalkwindow=window.open(url,\"walkwin\",\"height=840,width=1230,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes\"); if (window.focus) {walkwindow.focus()}}<\/script><br \/>\nFirst published in: The Times <a href=\"javascript:popwalk('Alston.gpx');\" rel=\"nozoom\" title=\"Click here to view a map for this walk in a new window\">Click here to view a map for this walk in a new window<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/farm6.staticflickr.com\/5695\/30996201441_b487dbc171.jpg\" title='Bridge over the South Tyne near Garrigill'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm6.staticflickr.com\/5695\/30996201441_b487dbc171_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm6.static.flickr.com\/5443\/30967197272_266f145240.jpg\" title='Pennine Way near Garrigill'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm6.static.flickr.com\/5443\/30967197272_266f145240_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm6.static.flickr.com\/5676\/30303060513_7277587f7e.jpg\" title='South Tyne Valley - lead mine spoil heaps, sheep pastures, stone walls and moorland fells'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm6.static.flickr.com\/5676\/30303060513_7277587f7e_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm6.static.flickr.com\/5593\/30967200272_dea26e39fb.jpg\" title='Lead mine spoil heap at Low Craig'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm6.static.flickr.com\/5593\/30967200272_dea26e39fb_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm6.static.flickr.com\/5523\/30303065193_59d307440f.jpg\" title='Field path to Low Sillyhall'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm6.static.flickr.com\/5523\/30303065193_59d307440f_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm6.static.flickr.com\/5554\/30996210031_0ac89f0b70.jpg\" title='GV, South Tyne Valley 3'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm6.static.flickr.com\/5554\/30996210031_0ac89f0b70_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm6.static.flickr.com\/5736\/30742618780_9cf154ac62.jpg\" title='Door lintel at Annat Walls (perhaps a former bastle, or fortified farmhouse): &#039;IW, FW, 1707&#039;'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm6.static.flickr.com\/5736\/30742618780_9cf154ac62_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm6.static.flickr.com\/5818\/31073750526_9fd6c4bb27.jpg\" title='Annat Walls'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm6.static.flickr.com\/5818\/31073750526_9fd6c4bb27_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm6.static.flickr.com\/5642\/30742623680_84c9b9b519.jpg\" title='In the lane near Annat Walls'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm6.static.flickr.com\/5642\/30742623680_84c9b9b519_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm6.static.flickr.com\/5477\/30967215302_0bdc4b3846.jpg\" title='South Tyne Valley - inbye pastures, with old lead mining scars above'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm6.static.flickr.com\/5477\/30967215302_0bdc4b3846_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm6.static.flickr.com\/5582\/30996216051_9710c418c3.jpg\" title='GV, South Tyne Valley 2'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm6.static.flickr.com\/5582\/30996216051_9710c418c3_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm6.static.flickr.com\/5528\/30967219412_5407c93831.jpg\" title='GV, South Tyne Valley 1'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm6.static.flickr.com\/5528\/30967219412_5407c93831_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm6.static.flickr.com\/5555\/30967222252_c0558e784c.jpg\" title='Flood pebbles in the River South Tyne'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm6.static.flickr.com\/5555\/30967222252_c0558e784c_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm6.static.flickr.com\/5588\/30996221121_bc95859423.jpg\" title='Beside the South Tyne'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm6.static.flickr.com\/5588\/30996221121_bc95859423_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a><br \/>\nFacebook Link: <script src=\"http:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/all.js#xfbml=1\"><\/script><fb:like href=\"http:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/wordpress\/?p=1350\" layout=\"button_count\" show_faces=\"true\" width=\"200\" colorscheme=\"dark\"><\/fb:like><br \/>\n<a href=\"javascript:pwindow=window.open('\/Walks\/prn.php?f=1350','pwin','height=700,width=1000,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes');\" title=\"Click for printable version\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/Walks\/print.gif\" align=\"right\"><\/a><br \/>\nThe little sloping market town of Alston lies among the North Pennine hills. Stone-walled lanes lead away from the town across the fells, and I found one to follow southwards along the eastern flank of the River South Tyne.<\/p>\n<p>In front of me jolted the postie in his red van, delivering letters to a string of farmsteads. At Fairhill, farmyard ducks waddled among superannuated tractors. The immensely solid walls of the house and byre at Annat Walls betrayed their origins as a pair of bastles, fortified farmhouses built when this was a lawless countryside where folk lived in fear of robbery and murder. The view today was a sublime Pennine prospect, down sheep pasture to the river, up the green inbye fields of the far slopes, squared off with a wriggle of stone walls, then further up to rough moor slopes with the dimples and velvet nap of former lead mining sites.<\/p>\n<p>Big grey rain clouds were jostling up from the west. They sat fatly on the hilltops and glowered down, threatening an afternoon deluge. I got a hustle on, hurrying across the mossy cleft of Nattrass Gill and past Bleagate and Low Sillyhall, where the fellsides had been newly planted with thousands of trees &#8211; oak, rowan, hawthorn and alder. By contrast, conical lead-mine heaps stood like miniature alps above the empty house and byres of Low Craig. <\/p>\n<p>The tiny settlement of Garrigill, tucked in round its village green, was once a loud and lively lead mining centre. Later it became a hub for walkers on the Pennine Way National Trail. Last time I was in Garrigill, the George and Dragon Inn had been bursting at the seams with wet, hungry and peat-plastered hikers. I was one myself, having got horribly lost in a pea-soup mist on the heights of Cross Fell.<\/p>\n<p>Today, hardly a bird stirred in beautiful little Garrigill. The pub had given up the ghost. So where were all the walkers? &#8216;Too many trails to choose from nowadays,&#8217; said the village postmaster. &#8216;The old Pennine Way&#8217;s a bit rough for most of &#8217;em, you see.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>I fancied a bit of rough, as it happened. So I followed the old Pennine Way through quiet sheep pastures beside the River South Tyne back to Alston, with wind and rain and sunbursts competing to chase me all the way.<\/p>\n<p>Start: Alston Market Place, Alston, Cumbria CA9 3HS (OS ref NY 719465)<\/p>\n<p>Getting there: Bus 681 (Hexham-Haltwhistle-Alston).<br \/>\nRoad &#8211; Alston is at junction of A686 and A689, signed from A69 (Newcastle-Carlisle)<\/p>\n<p>Walk (8\u00be miles, easy underfoot, OS Explorer OL31): Downhill, and follow A686 (Penrith). Just before river bridge, left (717462, &#8216;Pennine Way&#8217;\/PW) through stile, up steps. Right (PW); in 200m, left (green arrow) up through cemetery and walled lane. Right at top (720460) along lane for 1 mile, following yellow arrows\/YA past Fairhill (720456) and Annat Walls (720451) to High Nest drive (720444). Left to road; right to Bleagate (717437). Left through gate (PW); along wall; in next field aim for Low Sillyhall. At PW fingerpost (720433) fork left through gate (&#8216;footpath to Garrigill&#8217;). Follow YAs. After 2nd stile, in 3rd field YA points right through wall (722432); don&#8217;t follow this, but keep wall on right. Follow YAs for 1\u00bc miles by Low Craig (727428) and burn crossing (737423) to road (740422). Right to Garrigill; right at village green; follow minor road out of Garrigill. In 500m, right (740418, PW); follow well-marked PW for 3\u00be miles back to Alston.<\/p>\n<p>Lunch: Picnic and flask <\/p>\n<p>Accommodation: Alston House Hotel, Townfoot, Alston CA9 3RN (01434-382200, <a href=\"http:\/\/alstonhousehotel.co.uk\">alstonhousehotel.co.uk<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>Info: Alston TIC (01434-382244)<\/p>\n<p>The January Man \u2013 A Year of Walking Britain by Christopher Somerville (Doubleday, \u00a314.99). <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/visitengland.com\">visitengland.com<\/a>; <a href=\"http:\/\/satmap.com\">satmap.com<\/a>; <a href=\"http:\/\/ramblers.org.uk\">ramblers.org.uk<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The little sloping market town of Alston lies among the North Pennine hills.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1352,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1350","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-walks","category-3-id","post-seq-1","post-parity-odd","meta-position-corners","fix"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1350","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1350"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1350\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1352"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1350"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1350"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1350"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}