Aycliffe Fell Walking Club went to the Northern Pennines area between Bowes and Middleton-in-Teesdale for their November outing. Whilst the more intrepid members did a long walk from Bowes, many went for a gentler option from Lartington and circular walks from Middleton itself. Our group combined two Middleton Circulars by heading south-west on the Pennine Way towards Harter Fell with a steady climb up to some glorious views across Crossthwaite Common and Lune Moor. We encountered several river crossings with make-shift bridges that largely served their purpose as long as the hand wire was near head height. One was at waist height and for the less agile (myself) this proved very scary! We all got across safely without falling in and stopped for lunch near Holwick Scars. Suitably refreshed, we dropped down for a full view of the extensive scars and crossed the River Tees by Low Force via the Wynch Bridge. We arrived at Bowlees to find about twenty of our club walkers sitting down enjoying teas, coffees and cakes – we didn’t join them as we still had plenty of walking to be done. We decided to miss a trip to Gibson’s Cave, for fear of the light fading, and headed instead for the long climb up to Hardberry Hill before heading down toward Hudeshope Beck and our arrival back at Middleton. It was a really happy day. The weather was glorious for the time of year and everybody had enjoyed their days. We all got back down before dark and the local Fish & Chip shop did very well from us as did The Forresters Hotel and Teesdale Hotel. The next walk is from Chop Gate to Helmsley on 10th December.
It should be noted that AFWC outings involve enough choice so that, if you are new to walking, you can choose a shorter walk whilst braver and more experienced walkers may choose the longer and more demanding routes. There are walks for everyone’s needs at a cost of only £10 per person per outing, currently!
If you are interested in getting out on one of our walks, visit our website www.aycliffefellwalkingclub.com and book a seat on the coach for our next trip. The coach picks up walkers in Darlington, Aycliffe Village, Newton Aycliffe, Middridge, Shildon, South Church and Bishop Auckland and frequently Barnard Castle, if on route.