Stroll 82 Hexham to Haydon Bridge

 

This magnificent bridge over the Tyne is Hexham was built in 1793 after three failed attempts. I headed west up the South Tyne valley for a varied walk along the river, then high up to the north before dropping down to Haydon Bridge.

Lit & Phil 2

After a while my gaze turned up to the ceiling, with these amazing skylights. It felt like a giant owl was looking down on me.

 

Lit & Phil

Friend Robert, who died last year, had told me about the Literary & Philosophical Library in Newcastle. Known as the Lit & Phil, it was founded in 1793, just down the road from the central station. Robert had said I had to go and see it. So I did, sadly without Robert, but I immediately saw why he loved it so. You can just go in, sit down amidst these amazing stacks of book, have a think, write some thoughts down etc. A secret special place.

 

Stroll 81 Newsham to Ashington

 The route took me through a real mix of post industrial landscapes. This railway bridge is now in use on the new line from Newcastle to Ashington, as well as having Drax bound bio fuel freight trains trundling over it. A rare sight in the UK, a girder viaduct.

Stroll 80 South Shields to Newsham

The Stroll route heads north out of Newcastle, aided by the newly reopened railway line to Ashington. The first leg involved crossing the Tyne on the foot ferry, and walking the coast through Whitley Bay up to Blyth. 

St Mary's Island, seen from the coast path at Seaton Sluice

Stroll 79 Ilkley to Harrogate

 This was the longest leg of the Stroll so far, walking 20 miles today. I followed the Dales Way route from Ilkley to Harrogate, a really good walk over Denton Moor, through Timble Woods, along the Haverah valley, past Harlow Carr (a RHS garden) then down through Valley Gardens to Harrogate. A great walk. Both man and dog were tired out.

The path through the heather on the moors.

Stroll 78 Chorley to Preston

 

Chorley was always just somewhere between Preston and Wigan, when I was growing up in Preston. I barely remember going there at all. It is the birthplace of John Foxx (brilliant original leader of Ultravox) who I saw five or six times in the 70s.

Today it was the start point for the Stroll that took me back to Preston. Turns out it is a lovely place, with parks and woods that created a great final leg of that part of the journey.