Iron Age Hill fort and Old Rookland

We met Katy and Colin at Clennel for Mr C’s chosen walk. The strong wind was biting when we set off up the valley to begin the climb. It was steep but we soon reached the Iron Age hill fort (top pic on collage) where Mr C got a phone call to say tomorrow’s dental appointment was cancelled as the dentist has tested positive for Covid. The next bit of the walk got unrelentingly steep and after a while the track disappeared. (We were doing the walk in the opposite direction from previously and there are no paths from the hill fort on our OS maps). We had climbed 500 feet to the top of a hill before we saw the old track in the distance.

Colin hated the wind and was for heading back down but we decided as that route involved going through woods which might not to passable since Arwen, we should head north to Old Rookland. The wind has lessened by the time we got there and we were able to shelter behind the walls of the ruined farm to eat our sandwich. Or in Colin’s case, drink soup. (He’s Type 2 diabetic so Katy allows no carbs which is a shame as I think he might need some for the rough walking). It wasn’t far to get back very steeply down to the Allerhope Burn and the forestry road. We had to watch out for the empty lorries hurtling back up to the forest at Kidlandlee. The walk was only 5.25 miles but felt more with the steep climbs on no path. I had intended taking Gill that route on Friday but I found the pull up a slog so might find a less strenuous route!

Forecast is rain tomorrow so it’ll be a day inside perhaps, reading my book for a change. Colin says I should persist with watching The Tourist - I gave up halfway through Episode 2 and Mr C didn’t watch after the first. My excuse is I’m not sleeping well with the bad shoulder and I’m scared I dream about the man who is buried alive.

Yesterday’s new Covid figures were over 200,000 and the hospitals are struggling. I see we have 1/3 of the hospital beds Poland has and less than Turkey.




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