We’ve made it to Lanercost. Yes, we are two thirds of the way along Hadrian’s wall on our hike, from Whitley Bay on the North Sea coast at Newcastle, to Bowness-on-Solway on the Irish Sea. Lanercost is, it seems, very famous. It was, briefly, the capital of England. Yes. In 1306 to 1307, Edward 1 stayed here, during his last campaign and when he was mortally ill. For the period of his stay, it became the capital.Those days are long gone and the cattle who sit bored and watch walkers with sticks go by, have no recollection or interest in kilted Scots or their English foe. They just sit and stare and remind me of the song, “All the cattle are standing like statues. All the cattle are standing like statues. But that little brown heifer, whose name it is Daisy, thinks four legs good, two legs bad, three legs are crazy………”.  

We cross over styles.. And styles.. And styles. There are lots of styles. There are styles to enter fields. Styles to leave fields. Styles in fields …. because they had one left over. As we cross one style, there is a sign that reads, “Cows with calves be careful”, which I think is very good advice. Any little calf would find it hard to get over that style.

We’ve gotten to Lanercost. We’re making progress. We just had dinner in a Bistro that stayed open just for us and a pint in the Nags Head with Paul, who is off to Egypt tomorrow on holiday. Enjoy it Paul. I’m off to bed. We’ll walk again tomorrow.