The Border Ridge

Two friends from Wakefield Days, Ruth and Chris, came for coffee this morning, bringing a fiddle for MrM to repair. Good to see them again - lots to catch up on!

Glorious weather, so MrM suggested taking the afternoon off and walking up to Windy Gyle, the fourth highest of the Cheviot hills and the only one on the Border Ridge between England and Scotland. We did a circular route from Cocklawfoot, on the Scottish side. It's not a difficult path, but a long slog to the top, and I struggled in the heat despite the keen wind. Eventually made it though, and it was worth it for the 360° views from the summit, where there's a large bronze-age burial cairn that's been surmounted by a trig point (extra, with MrM). The cairn is now known as Russell's Cairn, after Lord Francis Russell who was, apparently, murdered in 1585 a short distance to the north of Windy Gyle.

We sat behind the shelter by the cairn for a picnic tea (brie and oat cakes were just right!), before walking along the Border Ridge as far as Clennell Street, an old drove road, which we followed all the way back down to Cocklawfoot and the van.

The Blip shows The Cheviot beyond one of several cairns on the Border Ridge. In the second extra, the most bizarre road sign in the middle of nowhere at the top of Clennell Street. It seems that you're not allowed to drive up at all on the English side, but there's limited access on the Scottish side of the Border...