Day 48- Byrness to Jedburgh 21.5 Miles

Rain whipping through the Redersdale Forest

  With bad weather on its way I was up earlier than before and set off still not completely sure whether I was walking to Kirk Yetholm or leave the Pennine way for a more direct route. The other End to Enders were awake and packing up as I left. I spent a large portion of the morning waiting for them to catch me up but I never saw them again.

Looking down from Byrness Hill to the Northumberland National Park and the Catcleugh Reservoir

 The path goes straight along the River Rede before crossing into the hamlet, Byrness. A priest waved as I past. The climb up to Byrness Hill is a hard on, windy and steep. The last five meters to the top is quite a scramble, and horribly awkward with the rucksack. I also felt tired and worn out by the last few days, and even on top I seemed to struggle. What didn't help was the weather whipping at me in showery waves as the clouds were blown across my path. One minute I was shielding my face from the weather, the next I was sweating under layers of waterproofing.

Dere Street Roman Road

 When the decision on today's destination came the weather made it and I headed towards Blackhall Hill and the more direct route into Scotland and towards the West Highland Way. The hills down towards Langside Law are lovely rolling meadows, the path easy and wonderfully firm after the boggy moors. I stopped along a lane for breakfast and since I was overheating in earnest now pulled

off my rain trousers and coats. By the time I finished my sandwich it wasn't raining it was hailing painfully. I pulled back on my now damp trouser covers and hurried off. Head low under a hood I can't say I appreciated the landscape around me. I'd reached the Roman Road though and it was straight and puddle free. Along 'Dere Street' Roman Road I was chased my a herd of very excited calfs on the other side of the fence, further on there was another field with the biggest bull I'd ever seen in my life. This beast was nothing like the two year calfs I'd seen with rings in England, he towered over the others in the field, his front chest thrust out and thrown into relief by his small hind. If he was in a field I needed to cross I'd be willing to walk several miles around.
  The Roman Road carries on for the next 8 or so miles and while it is pleasant its also a little dull. Jedburgh, however, slowly came closer and I decided to make the 2km diversion towards the town and the campsite. I'd not checked online and just after I descended through Easter Ulston my heart sank to find an empty field where the campsite should have been. Wild camping no longer seemed at all desirable. I wanted a shower. In a grump I walked the last kilometers or so into town to grab some food. I felt truly drained and a little put out by my obviously outdated maps.
  Leaving my rucksack outside I bought a few overpriced items from the petrol station before wondering back out. As I donned my pack I spotted a sign across the road, the campsite!! There was one all along but the maps icon was simple one field off and to get to the entrance you needed to walk round along the roads. Even better it was a Caravan and Campsite Club which meant it would cost me no more than £6.20. An extra treat was that there was another End to End hiker there, a woman walking North to South full of interesting tips for the next stage of my journey. We talked for close to an hour before she received a phone call from her family and I wondered back to my tent for dinner.

Lane towards Jedburgh