Hullo. How are you? I hope you are having a good day. I’m Mark and I’m walking from Land’s End to John O’Groats…
I started the day by returning to the long, straight, empty road I had been walking on at the end of Day 37 and headed towards Durdar.
Clouds gathered and a sudden, sharp downpour forced me to stop and don waterproofs. This would be the pattern for the rest of the day; periods of bright sunshine punctuated by sudden but fleeting storms.
At Dundar, I left the road walking behind and started off across farmland, with the path to the river Caldew apparently directed to skirt around the perimeter of Carlisle racecourse.
As I passed the enormous barns at Peastree Farm, I found myself on top of a gentle hill and faced with, for the first time on this walk, a view of Scotland in the distance.
Dropping down to the Caldew, I found most of the paths were submerged under water and those that weren’t were a boggy challenge. This didn’t last long though, since, once I crossed the footbridge to the other side of the river, there was a higher cycleway I could follow rather than the riverside footpath.
I did this for a while, but ultimately walking along tarmac is just not as much fun, so I returned to the riverside and took my chances the path would be passable. It wasn’t.
Or, at least, it wasn’t passable without wading through the overflowing river for some sections, which is what I chose to do.
Reaching the edge of the city, the paths then became an easy and well maintained walkway all the way into the ancient centre.
I emerged from the riverside footpath at Carlisle Castle, which is a large and impressive pile reminding the visitor how important this outpost has been for many centuries.
I then talked through Bitts Park, where I found Victoria standing watch over the city and followed the park paths to the bridge across the river Eden.
From the Eden, my walk was an easy wander through some fine suburbs to eventually find my hotel at the very northern edge of Carlisle and tantalisingly close to Scotland.
The Day 38 Vlog
Fundraising for MacMillan Cancer Support
As I walk from Land’s End to John O’Groats, I am hoping to raise £10,000 for MacMillan Cancer Support, who do such a wonderful job of supporting families through the most difficult times. If you are able to spare any amount and would like to donate to MacMillan, please do so through my Just Giving Page.
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