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| Walking with St Cuthbert in the land of two-tier tapwater | Walking with St Cuthbert in the land of two-tier tapwater |
| (7 months later) | |
| St Cuthbert's Way winds its meandering path or 100 kilometers from Melrose Abbey in the Scottish Borders to Lindisfarne on the Northumberland coast. Both places are closely associated with Cuthbert's life. Nobody knows for certain whether he was born in what is now England or Scotland. What is fairly certain is that as a teenager he became a monk at Old Melrose, a couple of miles east of the present Abbey ruins. Later on he became abbot of Melrose before moving to Lindisfarne to become prior and eventually bishop. | St Cuthbert's Way winds its meandering path or 100 kilometers from Melrose Abbey in the Scottish Borders to Lindisfarne on the Northumberland coast. Both places are closely associated with Cuthbert's life. Nobody knows for certain whether he was born in what is now England or Scotland. What is fairly certain is that as a teenager he became a monk at Old Melrose, a couple of miles east of the present Abbey ruins. Later on he became abbot of Melrose before moving to Lindisfarne to become prior and eventually bishop. |
| The long distance trail between Melrose and Lindisfarne takes in some glorious countryside on both sides of the border, and past some fascinating places at start and finish and at many places in between. | The long distance trail between Melrose and Lindisfarne takes in some glorious countryside on both sides of the border, and past some fascinating places at start and finish and at many places in between. |
| Arriving by two buses from Carlisle, the first conclusion was how right I'd be to delay my journey's start from the bank holiday because of the atrocious weather. Even on Tuesday morning there were still signs of landslides and fallen trees from the previous day. The buses seem overwhelmingly used by older people – it's pretty rare that, at 51, I'm the youngest person in any group, but that was often the case. | Arriving by two buses from Carlisle, the first conclusion was how right I'd be to delay my journey's start from the bank holiday because of the atrocious weather. Even on Tuesday morning there were still signs of landslides and fallen trees from the previous day. The buses seem overwhelmingly used by older people – it's pretty rare that, at 51, I'm the youngest person in any group, but that was often the case. |
| Once en route from Melrose, the path rises steeply up the Eildon Hills, whose heather-covered sides give fantastic views northwards towards the Lammermuirs, and southwards towards England. The path carries on through beautiful varied woodland. At Newtown St Boswell you join the Tweed, fast flowing from recent rain, and there were several herons with their slow-motion lazy flight. A slight detour from the path brings you to Dryburgh Abbey. Set in beautiful parkland on a bend in the Tweed, the north transept of the abbey boasts the graves of two famous Scottish borderers. First is Sir Walter Scott, whose house at Abbotsford is nearby. More recent is that of Lord Haig, the commander in chief of the army during World War 1. A plaque explains that his gravestone | Once en route from Melrose, the path rises steeply up the Eildon Hills, whose heather-covered sides give fantastic views northwards towards the Lammermuirs, and southwards towards England. The path carries on through beautiful varied woodland. At Newtown St Boswell you join the Tweed, fast flowing from recent rain, and there were several herons with their slow-motion lazy flight. A slight detour from the path brings you to Dryburgh Abbey. Set in beautiful parkland on a bend in the Tweed, the north transept of the abbey boasts the graves of two famous Scottish borderers. First is Sir Walter Scott, whose house at Abbotsford is nearby. More recent is that of Lord Haig, the commander in chief of the army during World War 1. A plaque explains that his gravestone |
| is the same as those placed in many lands over his comrades who fell in the Great War | is the same as those placed in many lands over his comrades who fell in the Great War |
| It doesn't go on to add that the "comrades" he sent to their deaths were mostly in their teens and 20s, while he died peacefully aged 87. Interestingly, Historic Scotland, in the "highlights" section of its information panel "Welcome to Dryburgh Abbey", mentions Scott's grave but not Haig's – they can't be ashamed of him, surely? | It doesn't go on to add that the "comrades" he sent to their deaths were mostly in their teens and 20s, while he died peacefully aged 87. Interestingly, Historic Scotland, in the "highlights" section of its information panel "Welcome to Dryburgh Abbey", mentions Scott's grave but not Haig's – they can't be ashamed of him, surely? |
| After a pleasant mile or so following the Tweed, the path joins the Dere Street, a Roman Road which ran north from Hadrian's Wall and which would almost certainly have been travelled on by Cuthbert. Parts of it run between an avenue of ancient oaks interspersed with ash and maple. Up to the east is the Waterloo Monument column, while to the west of the road is the site of the Battle of Ancrum Moor, where the Scots, including Wicked WatScott of Buccleuch thumped an English raiding party in 1545, killing 800 men and capturing another 1000. Sadly the beauty of the Roman Road is not enhanced by the noise from the busy parallel A68 main road. Michael Ancram, a once prominent tory shadow cabinet member who seems to have disappeared from view since the coalition government came to power, was Earl of Ancram (an alternative spelling of the village), and his family, the Kerrs, still own large estates in the area. | After a pleasant mile or so following the Tweed, the path joins the Dere Street, a Roman Road which ran north from Hadrian's Wall and which would almost certainly have been travelled on by Cuthbert. Parts of it run between an avenue of ancient oaks interspersed with ash and maple. Up to the east is the Waterloo Monument column, while to the west of the road is the site of the Battle of Ancrum Moor, where the Scots, including Wicked WatScott of Buccleuch thumped an English raiding party in 1545, killing 800 men and capturing another 1000. Sadly the beauty of the Roman Road is not enhanced by the noise from the busy parallel A68 main road. Michael Ancram, a once prominent tory shadow cabinet member who seems to have disappeared from view since the coalition government came to power, was Earl of Ancram (an alternative spelling of the village), and his family, the Kerrs, still own large estates in the area. |
| Jedburgh, a mile or so south of the path, has a few hotels and B&Bs which makes it a convenient place to stop for the first night, and has the day's third abbey. The town appears to go to bed at about 9pm, has a cafe whose menu advertises "tap water, small 75p/large 99p", something I've never seen before anywhere. | Jedburgh, a mile or so south of the path, has a few hotels and B&Bs which makes it a convenient place to stop for the first night, and has the day's third abbey. The town appears to go to bed at about 9pm, has a cafe whose menu advertises "tap water, small 75p/large 99p", something I've never seen before anywhere. |
| More from Alan tomorrow - as the Heavens threaten rain. | More from Alan tomorrow - as the Heavens threaten rain. |
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