UK 2023

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In the Footsteps of Border Raiders, a Saint, and Vera

Sep 11, 2023
In the Footsteps of Border Raiders, a Saint, and Vera
Next week, my partner, two friends, and I will be hiking a section of the Reivers Way in Northumberland, England, from inn to inn over five days. The Border Reivers were notorious for terrorizing communities in the area around the border between Scotland and England from the 13th to the 17th centuries. Some of them… Continue reading In the Footsteps of Border Raiders, a Saint, and Vera
In the Footsteps of Scottish Border Raiders
In the Footsteps of Scottish Border Raiders

Booked hotels for a 5-day hike with friends next September. We’ll walk part of The Reivers Way in Northumberland, England, in the footsteps of Border Reivers who terrorized communities from the 13th to the 17th century. We trust the sight of four old geezers won’t terrorize today’s populace.

Apportioning Expenses of a 5-Day Hike
Apportioning Expenses of a 5-Day Hike

Worked on a spreadsheet to apportion hotel and rail expenses for a five-day hike we’ll do with two friends in the North East of England in September. If we take turns paying for hotels, everything almost balances. I don’t entirely trust my numbers, so I’ll return to this another day.

Trip to Patagonia
Trip to Patagonia

Our hiking jackets were getting a bit ratty, so we decided to head over to Patagonia in St. Paul. Naturally, we both ended up choosing the same style. We’ll be modeling the jackets in a couple weeks when we go hiking through England’s border (with Scotland) country.

Changing of the Guard
Changing of the Guard

Cycled to REI Co-op to pick up ponchos that also cover our backpacks. The coating on our old ones was disintegrating, and I couldn’t find a good way to remove the old coating then apply a new coating. I thanked the ponchos for their long service then launched them down the chute.

In the Footsteps of Border Raiders, a Saint, and Vera
In the Footsteps of Border Raiders, a Saint, and Vera

Next week, my partner, two friends, and I will be walking a section of the Reivers Way in Northumberland, England, from inn to inn over five days. Click through for some background to the trail, including Vera (a popular UK television series) locations along the beautiful and rugged coastline.

Talking about Hiking
Talking about Hiking

Reading materials were spread out at Rouge Urban Salon where Emily cut our hair today. But we didn’t talk about hair fashion; instead we talked about travel and hiking. Emily will soon be walking part of the Camino de Santiago starting in Lyon, France, and we’re about to hit the trails in England.

MSP-LHR
MSP-LHR

Bulkhead seats, 2-across, in steerage. Life’s good. MSP–LHR (London).

Plenty Good Enough
Plenty Good Enough

After the flight, then a long walk along the Thames, checked into Goodenough (postgraduate) College, Bloomsbury, London. Our surprisingly spacious en suite couples room has a sitting area and a view of the quadrangle. Windows open, no traffic noise, just the happy sounds of a croquet game.

Lunch
Lunch

Lightly sea-salted crisps for Dwight, sweet chili and red pepper crisps for me, washed down with 20-fluid-ounce beers. Earlier we had full English breakfasts. The rose is real.

The Reckoning
The Reckoning

Back in the 1950s, the store on the right sold knitting supplies, and the owners lived upstairs. When I was in grade school, the little girl who lived there invited me to her birthday party. At the party she selected who would be invited the following year. I didn’t make the list and was OK with that.

No Leaks Here
No Leaks Here

Walked under the River Tyne where pedestrians and cyclists get separate tunnels. As a kid in the 1950’s, this was exciting especially after a friend of my dad’s told me they’d found a leek in the tunnel. Back then, shipyards lined the Tyne, and 20,000 people a day crossed here.

Start of an Inn-to-Inn Hike
Start of an Inn-to-Inn Hike

Two friends have joined us for a multi-day Inn-to-Inn hike in Northumberland, England. Tomorrow we’ll start out from the Black Bull Inn, Wooler, where we have rooms for the night.

Towards the North Sea
Towards the North Sea

Much of our route today followed St. Cuthbert’s Way, a trail named after the 7th-century monk, bishop, and hermit who is revered as the patron saint of Northumberland. We’re standing in front of a cave where legend says his coffin was temporarily hidden from Danish raiders in the 9th century.

South to Seahouses
South to Seahouses

Continued walking towards the North Sea, catching glimpses of Lindisfarne (Holy Island) in the distance. We’re now heading south on the Northumberland Coast Path for four days. Here, we chose to walk the beach for the last mile to Seahouses, where we’re spending tonight.

Hiking to the Capital of Kippers
Hiking to the Capital of Kippers

Our trail included more beautiful beaches, a pub lunch, and dramatic views of Dunstanburgh Castle, on our way to the fishing village of Craster. Local curing sheds and smokehouses transform North Sea herring into kippers, my choice for breakfast tomorrow.

Cobblestones on the Sea
Cobblestones on the Sea

On our way to Alnmouth for the night, we reached Marden Rocks where we walked on an unusual limestone formation. From a distance, vertical fractures create the illusion of cobblestones.

The End of the Trail
The End of the Trail

At Warkworth, we reached the end of our five-day trail, which had passed all too quickly. We waved off our Guildford friend at Newcastle Central and headed to our Newcastle friends’ home for the night. There, Dwight made sure the soles of our hiking boots will pass muster with Customs at MSP.

Homeward Bound
Homeward Bound

There was a 100% chance of rain as we waited for the train to a Newcastle Airport hotel for the night. Tomorrow morning we fly home, NCL–AMS–MSP.