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| Pointing the way back to Chew Green, the start of our Saturday walk |
We’d been looking forward to our first serious hike of the year and, all things considered, we weren’t disappointed. We had a delightful weekend in the Cheviots, just a short hike from the Scottish border. We stayed at the Deer Hut, way up the Coquet valley, about forty minutes’ drive beyond Rothbury.
A ten-mile circular on Saturday began in beautiful spring sunshine.
… and we enjoyed a picnic lunch at a Mountain Rescue Hut with a very odd name:
Later the clouds gathered and the temperature dropped, but we were thrilled to have a close(ish) encounter with the beautifully camouflaged Cheviot goats. It appears that these wild and woolly beasts were introduced to the area by our Neolithic ancestors some 6-7,000 years ago. Many remain feral, although several herds are managed.
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| Long-term residents, grazing |
The hut we hired had beds for six. A and I graciously let our pals take those while we tested a large tent, one big enough for people like me (stiff joints, long legs) to get in and out of without grunting, or making other goat-like noises. It was indeed commodious, although I was awoken throughout the night by the sound of rain pounding on the roof. Thankfully it let up around five, having turned to snow.
It can try a fellow’s patience to trudge across sodden, snow-covered grass, turn on the car radio and hearing the forecaster glibly announce that it’s a grand day in the north-east, with wall-to-wall sunshine. But a strong cup of coffee and a clearing sky can work wonders….
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| I think this is what that forecaster had in mind |
Sunday’s walk took us through the forest and down into a sheltered valley where we leapt across a beck, and paused for lunch.
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| The end of the hike – and there, in amongst the trees to the left, is our temporary home. |
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