St. Cuthbert's Way: The Official Guide - Softcover

Ron Shaw; Roger Smith

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12 ratings by Goodreads

9781780272573: St. Cuthbert's Way: The Official Guide

Softcover

ISBN 10: 178027257X ISBN 13: 9781780272573

Publisher: Birlinn Ltd, 2014

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This 100k (60 mile) walk was opened in 1996 and has rapidly increased in popularity. Visiting a number of places closely associated with St Cuthbert's life, the journey is full of historical interest and natural beauty. It can be tackled in its entirety, or sections can be walked separately, making an ideal day or weekend outing. Today's pilgrims link Melrose in the Scottish Borders with the Holy Island causeway at Beal. In the right conditions, the path across the sand here makes a superb finale to the walk. This completely revised edition of the Official Guide adds a new link to Berwick-upon-Tweed as an option at the end of the route. It is illustrated in full colour with photographs throughout and OS strip maps at the opening of each section. Full of information about the historical and natural features of the route, the guide also covers appropriate equipment for walkers, way-marking, car parking, accommodation and the Country Code.

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Review:

'...it's comprehensive chapters make it as enjoyable as an after-walk read as it is useful as a simple guide' --Border Life Magazine

From the Publisher:

A WALK THROUGH HISTORY FROM MELROSE TO LINDISFARNE
DESCRIPTION:

St Cuthbert’s Way has recently been developed as a walking route in the Scottish Borders. It links Melrose with the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, and along the way visits a number of places closely associated with St Cuthbert’s life. It is a journey full of historical interest and natural beauty, and today’s pilgrims will see majestic ruins and magnificent views.

From its start at the gates of Melrose Abbey, the walk winds its way over the Eildon Hills, passing by the rivers Teviot and Tweed before climbing over the rolling Cheviots to cross the Scottish/English border into Northumberland. Part of the route links the Southern Upland Way to the Pennine Way. Among other attractions to be seen are Dere Street Roman Road, St Cuthbert’s Cave in the Kyloe Hills and the Lindisfarne National Nature Reserve. The standards of accommodation and hospitality on this trek are excellent as the walkers pass through lovely unspoilt areas of country. The route culminates in the Holy Island causeway at Beal. In the right tidal conditions, the true pilgrims’ path across the sands here makes a superb finale to a 100 km (60 mile) walk.

Since its development by the Scottish Border Walks Project and Till Valley Tourism Initiative, St Cuthbert’s Way has become increasingly popular with walkers from both Scotland and England and further afield. With its detailed map of the route, especially commissioned for this edition, and the accompanying full-colour book packed with essential information, the Official Trail Guide is the one indispensible companion for the walker or visitor to the area.

EXCERPT:

From the Introduction, The Making of the Way

The concept of creating a cross-border walking route linking places associated with the life of St Cuthbert and thus celebrating in a novel and very interesting manner the life of the 7th Century saint came from Ron Shaw, at the time Project Officer with the Till Valley Tourism Initiative, based in Wooler.

In January 1995 Ron contacted Roger Smith, who had been appointed as Walking Development Officer for the Scottish Borders the previous year, and outlined his idea. Roger was immediately enthusiastic. Both men felt that the route would have great appeal to a wide range of walkers.

The next task was to persuade the agencies funding both Roger’s and Ron’s posts that the idea was worth pursuing. There were eight public agencies involved, and it is to their credit that they were all supportive from the outset. Funds were made available, and a target date of summer 1996 for the opening of the route was set.

This date was extremely ambitious, bearing in mind that most long distance trails in the UK have taken at least five years to set up. However, the proposed route used existing access for much of its length, and it was felt that given the goodwill that the project quickly generated, the target was worth pursuing. Having something to aim for also helps to concentrate the minds of those working on any project!

Over the period of spring and summer 1995, fortunately assisted by generally excellent weather conditions, the route was carefully investigated. It says much for the soundness of the original idea that only short sections were altered from the line drawn on maps early in the year. Once the line to be taken had been agreed, detailed surveying was carried out to establish exactly how much work was needed on the ground, both in terms of infrastructure such as stiles and gates, and also where waymarking would be needed to keep walkers heading the right way. Countryside ranger services on both sides of the Border were involved in this work and offered invaluable advice. The symbol of St Cuthbert’s Cross was agreed as the waymark for the route, and from the outset it was accepted that the route would be fully waymarked in both directions.

In terms of access, agreements had to be negotiated with land owners and managers for several sections on the Scottish side where public paths had not previously existed. These included principally the section from Crailinghall to Cessford and the section from the Kale Water to Crookedshaws, between Morebattle and Yetholm. In addition, short sections of permissive path were agreed on the English side. All known land owners, managers and farmers were contacted and provided with details of the route across their land, and exact locations for waymark posts, stiles and other structures on the ground. In all over 40 landowners and farmers were involved, and the task of getting the agreements finalised went on through the winter of 1995-96 and into the spring of 1996.

The only major piece of work needed was a new footbridge over the Kale Water east of Morebattle, replacing an old bridge which was unsafe. The splendid new bridge spans the water in a single stride of 14 metres (46 feet) and was constructed by Cohn Robertson of Charlesfield in July 1996, just in time for the opening of the route. There was a great deal of other work to be done in terms of new stiles, gates and waymark posts. On the Scottish side the majority of this work was carried out by one of Scottish Borders Enterprise’s Environment Action teams. These teams are basically long-term unemployed people with a professional supervisor. They did a great job and came to regard the walk as ‘their’ route.

The Kale Water to Crookedshaws section was probably the most difficult, with material having to be carried up the hill each day before work could start. The ranger services on both sides of the Border also carried out considerable amounts of work, as did volunteer groups in Northumberland. One of these was a group of students from the Countryside Skills Course at Kirkley Hall College, who undertook path clearance, bridge and stile building which gave them valuable practical experience in the field.

At times it seemed that the work would never be completed for the opening date, but herculean efforts over the closing weeks got everything ready, and the Way was inaugurated at two equally pleasant but distinctively different ceremonies in late July 1996. At the magnificent ruin of Melrose Abbey, St Cuthbert himself made a reappearance after 1300 years to give the new walk his blessing, hoping that it would become a modern pilgrimage in his memory. Three days later in Wooler, a large group of people walked part of the route to ‘first foot’ it in splendid style.

The creation of St Cuthbert’s Way is a happy story and a splendid example of co-operation across a Border which in the past saw more than its fair share of strife. Great credit attaches to everyone involved, and particular thanks are due to all those over whose land the route passes. It is up to all of us walking the route to ensure that it becomes an accepted part of life, complementing the agricultural and forestry operations which take place all year round and not disrupting them.

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