Walking in Cloud

[shewhomust]

Today's was a walk of two halves. We headed for the hills, for the first time this year, and although the weather was mistier than we had anticipated, persevered with a favourite winter walk: park near the chimneys (a relic of lead mining days), walk along above the valley to Edmundbyers, lunch at the Punchbowl and walk back on a parallel but lower route. It had been cold enough to freeze the ground, which made walking easier, but was no longer cold enough to be uncomfortable, the mist threatened to clot into rain but never quite did, a watery sun tried to shine and we congratulated ourselves on having made the right decision.

Until we reached Edmundbyers to discover that the Punchbowl was closed - closed as in vacant, which is a great pity. It was not just a convenient place to lunch on a winter walk, but a good pub in its own right: friendly, with good beer (sometimes local brews), good food and a real fire. Adding insult to injury, the public conveniences behind the pub were also closed (and being either demolished or rebuilt, by the look of it).

We were rescued from this disaster by the generosity of a pair of fellow ramblers, who found us standing by their car discussing what to do next, and offered us a lift to somewhere nearby. So we were able to relocate to Blanchland, to lunch in the White Monk Tea Rooms (formerly the village school) and then walk in fleeting sunshine along the river to Bay Bridge and up throught the woods, the descending mist and the remains of the lead mining industry, back to the car.