Pennine Way Day 19 Byrness - Windy Gyle 26/05/2025

 Excellent stay at the Foresters Inn at Byrness. Good food and good company. Eveyone staying is on the Pennine Way.

After a couple of hunderd yards on the main road the path leaves the village and climbs (fairly steeply) through the woods and then out onto the open moorside, After a short scramble I was on the summit of Byrness Hill looking over the vast expanse of the Cheviots.

The advantage of staying here for two nights is that I could leave some of my stuff behind for this first section.

Looking to the west from the top of Byrness Hill

First proper view of the Cheviots from the top of Byrness Hill

In general the path and signage were pretty good today. I lost the track briefly coming of Byrness Hill, and later on just after I had cought up with Ian I mistakenly decided a storage unit on the crest of a hill must be the forst refuge hut, I didn't look at the map and was soon well off the PW. Fortunately I could see Ian again a few hundred yards away and after a tricky crossing of some very hummocky grass I was back on the trail. Muppet of the day award to me !!

I took the slightly longer option here on the original PW route

Yearning Saddle refuge hut. Ian kindly making me a cup of tea

Lamb Hill from the hut

Owen and Tom who I had met the night before

Leaving the hut and headed up Lamb Hill

It was a real privilege to come across this group of wild goats just before the wind tunnel approach to Wind Gyle

Windy Gyle

Windy Gyle

Heading down the valley to the pickup point

Border fence. I was on the english side most of the day.

Route from the ridge to the pickup point

Day 19 Clips

Nice 2.5 mile walk down into the Coquet valley to get picked up near Rowhope farm

Distance -  16.5 miles

Ascent - 5300 Feet

Descent 5300 Feet (probably a bit inaccurate as I forgot to stop my watch duing the lift back to Byrness)

A fine penultimate day on the PW.