Wey Aye Bonnie Lads

​Awoke early and looked at the rain forecast that said we’d get very wet if we left at 9 but only moderately wet if we delayed till 10. The drawback with the latter option being that the sun goes down just after 7pm and it would only take one significant mechanical issue to end in darkness without lights. We decided to risk it. However, in spite of the radar saying it was raining over breakfast, our view out the window said not. 

Very fine Craster kippers for breakfast. A welcome change from the daily fry-up.

Covered in wet weather kit, we set out just before 10. Short diversion from the planned route to avoid a section of unpaved coastal path (after yesterday’s experience). Two hours later we’re still bone dry and getting a bit warm. Stopped in Morpeth to buy a picnic and Pete amused some ladies on a bench when he began to undress. To be fair they were quite old ladies with obviously lower expectations than some.

After Morpeth we headed inland to avoid Newcastle. But we did spend quite some time in the suburban village sprawl. Although the roads were generally good quality, the scenery was pretty naff and the traffic was a lot busier than we’d experienced to date. Only when we got quite a way past Geordie Central did it become a bit more pleasant. 

Geographically, the rivers round here tend to run west to east. We were travelling south. So we had to cross the Tyne, the Derwent and the Team. Problem is that they are all deep valleys so we had some rather steep climbs to get past them. If a hill round here is called something Bank then it means it’s going to hurt. They’re all called something Bank!! Only the Tees to go tomorrow. Hoping that meanders through a wide open plain, but I doubt it!

Made it to our thankfully rather decent but expensive hotel with time to spare. Steve said it was the worst day so far due to scenery and traffic. Pete, on the other hand, said it was great thanks to a decent nights sleep and a lot more energy than the day before. Maybe the kipper helped too.

£6.50 for keg Black Sheep in the hotel. It’s Sedgefield, not Smithfield ffs!

Huge burgers for dinner though.

Hotel wifi is rubbish and mobile isn’t any better so this will be published late. Not that it matters as it was actually a boringly uneventful day, unlike we’d imagined it would be. 

Last day tomorrow. Headwinds but not many hills.

69 miles

4584 feet