Virtual Spine Day 29

Virtual Spine Day 29

Distance Covered Today – 11.27 miles

Total Distance covered – 288.50 miles

Virtual

A drier and milder day today

Today I start by running through woodland and a good track along the Cheviot foothills, heading for Yeavering Bell (361m), Northumberland’s largest Iron Age fort.  A lovely path then leads through the heather over Gains Law down to the small market town of Wooler. From Wooler, St Cuthbert’s Way takes me over Weetwood Moor and past some prehistoric rock carvings. Dropping back down to cross the River Till via the 16^th Century Weetwood Bridge, quiet lanes lead to Horton, and onto another section of typically dead-straight Roman road: the Devil’s Causeway, which once linked Corbridge and Tweedmouth.  Farmland and woodland tracks lead me up to St. Cuthbert’s Cave, where monks took St. Cuthbert’s body in 875AD as they fled from Viking raids on Lindisfarne. Above the cave on the rocky ridge of the Kyloe Hills, the first tantalising views of my final destination come into sight with Holy Island clearly visible above the glittering sands, and Bamburgh Castle just to the south.  It’s clear to see why this part of the Northumberland coast has been designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.  St. Cuthbert’s Way joins here with St. Oswald’s Way, another long-distance route, following an enjoyable track through Shiellow Wood towards the village of Fenwick.

Reality

A drier and milder day today

Walk 6.58 miles – Felt like a change today and took advantage of a later start, so in daylight, and walked up through Marsden Park and carried on up the hill to the Shooters Pub. Then it was over the tops through Catlow Bottoms, Briercliffe and dropping back down Harle Syke to my office. A tough start with some steep uphills but better than the mundane traffic walk I usually do.

Walk 4.69 miles – Back to a bit more boring route tonight as I head up and over Reedley Hallows before dropping down Chapel House Road and up Larch St, along Glenfield Road and home. That will be my last walk to and from work as part of this challenge. I think I may do this a bit more often in the future though, just not every day 🙂

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE consider sponsoring me for this mammoth challenge, it’s for an incredible cause and inspired by an incredible person in Laura Nuttall 🙂

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/gd20in20

My motivation for this has come from a very special person called Laura Nuttall who in late 2018, was diagnosed with terminal multiple brain tumours at the young age of 18. Her determination and positive attitude to not only live her life to the full but also to help others as an ambassador for the charity is just incredible and I’m proud to join the fight in whatever way I can. You can read Laura’s story at the following link. Please be generous and help this great charity to raise much-needed funds for researching a cure.

https://www.facebook.com/DoingItForLaura/

The Brain Tumour Charity is the world’s leading brain tumour charity and the largest dedicated funder of research into brain tumours globally. Committed to saving and improving lives, we’re moving further, faster to help every single person affected by a brain tumour. We’re set on finding new treatments, offering the highest level of support and driving urgent change. And were doing it right now. Because we understand that when you, or someone you love, is diagnosed with a brain tumour a cure really can’t wait.