Bowes to Middleton-in-Teasdale

Weather today: Sunny, warm out of the cool east wind

Daily Miles Covered: 12.50

Total Miles Covered: 575.50

Things of Interest: Redshank, several very large reservoirs, Hannah
Hauxwell's 'High Birk Hatt Farm, Lapwing chicklets.
Personal Comments: Now in County Durham, we left Bowes at 08.30 climbing immediately over the A66 and down into Boldersdale where the large reservoir of the same name was upon us. We continued along the never ending Pennine Way where Lapwings swooped close to us continuously to protect their young.
We also saw Redshank and Red Legged Partridges and Lapwing chicks today.
We later reached a place called 'High Birk Hatt Farm' where Hannah Hauxwell lived for nearly all her long life without electricity and gas. The BBC made a film about her called "Too long a winter" about the severe winter of 1962/63 when she had to survive with just a log fire and not much more!
This site is now called "Hannah's Meadow" and is owned by the Durham County Trust in memory of this extremely hardy lady.
The Pennine Way later brought us to yet another huge reservoir called 'Grassholme' in Lunedale - we climbed up once more from here to the high fells before seeing our first sight of Teasdale, quite stunning.
We dropped down into Middleton-in-Teasdale where tonight we are meeting Laraine and Janet (our respective partners) who are coming up till Sunday morning - that means a day off from walking tomorrow but back at it seriously on Sunday!