Journey to the centre of the UK.

Yesterday was a day for getting jobs done and then worrying about DD as she headed off to drive to her boyfriends on her own for the first time. It's the first time she's driven so far on her own, no passenger to ask for help. Even more worrying was when she seemed to stay on the motorway for much longer than her route said! After one junction missed we expected her to ring and say she was panicking. Not DD. Many junctions later, and way off the original route, she rang to ask why she seemed to be seeing signs for London when she was heading for Leicester!! It seemed that her SatNav had just sent her a slightly different way, making her journey time ever so slightly quicker, and to her credit DD had stuck to the SatNav directions and arrived safe and sound from a different route. So well done to DD for making it on her own. 

This morning, with rucksacks packed, we headed off to the Trough of Bowland to do a walk DH had found. However, we hit our first obstacle at the first gate - No Dogs - Access Land Restrictions. So we went back to the van to think of Plan B, which we didn't have. 

Eventually, after being quite downhearted at the dismal weather despite the good weather forecast, we parked up in Dunsop Bridge. So an hour later than originally planned we set off towards Brennand Fell. The first couple of miles take you along a road by the river, but then a track takes you past Brennand Farm on off up the hill towards a shooting lodge. 

Part of the track was quite steep, but we carried on and eventually arrived at the lodge ....

.........and what a view for lunch.....!

It made a nice change to have somewhere to shelter from the breeze, even if we couldn't get in! 

Just before we got to the lodge we'd seen this sign ....

Just coincidentally I'd been reading a book which mentioned that the central point of the UK is found at the Whitendale Hanging Stones. Well, it seemed almost wrong not to go there while we were so close! So off we went over the wet, peat fell. 

We reached the Brennand Hanging Stones first....

.....and then carried on to the Centre of the UK ....

....the Whitendale Hanging Stones. How cool to know we've been there! 

But then we had to find our way down. Not an easy task as there are no paths up there - only lots of peat and bog. So, with no path to guide us we opted to stay close to a fence which would take us back down to a marked path. Easier said than done. It was tough going, with me sinking in parts that were very wet, and making our way down a near vertical section, only to find no way out apart from climbing over a fence!! 

Maybe not such a good idea to go somewhere with no path. The views were fabulous though, and we were soon back on a good path and heading back. 

And then we saw this sign at the bottom of the final very steep descent ......

This sign also has a warning next to it stating that the walk involves very steep sections and to only attempt if very capable!!! It was a bit late to see the warning when we'd just done it all! And yes, it was very steep!!

The rest of the walk was fine, if fairly hard going due to the number of miles we'd walked. What started out as being probably 6 or 7 miles, ended up being 11 1/2!!!

But we did it, and survived, and we even made it back to Dunsop Bridge in time to get a well deserved ice-cream from the shop.