Coast to Coast: Orton to Keld. April 2023

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Myself and Brendan recently completed the Coast to Coast walk which we started last year. Our walk officially began after a visit to Kennedy's Chocolate shop in Orton. We passed the George Hotel where we finished the first few stages from St Bee's exactly one year ago.

The first day was planned as an easy introduction to break ourselves in. We carried day packs for the walk to Kirkby Stephen where our tents were already set up at the campsite.

our route meandered through well maintained agricultural land. A maze of drystone walls separated the green pastures. Dozens of beautifully built stone barns were dotted across the landscape, generations of animal husbandry.

The sun shone, but a chill east wind sapped heat from any exposed skin. We only made one navigation error.it cost us two miles extra walking. The guidebook said to cross through a wall after going under the electricity pylons. It didn't say that you should be walking right alongside the wall. We were walking only a few metres out into the field. The pylons diverted the other way, away from us and we never noticed as we were chatting. Wisely we retraced our steps rather than trying to invent our own shortcut and soon arrived at the derelict railway cottage by the disused railway.

The rest of the way was straightforward and we got back in plenty of time for a couple of pints in the Taggy Man.

There was a hectic dawn chorus around the campsite as I stirred up my porridge. Great to so many greenfinches around. Are they making a comeback? I saw five song thrushes feeding on the grass too, I've never seen so many at one time before.

We set off into the strong east wind with hats and gloves on despite the sun. In the woodland alongside the River Eden Brendan spotted a red squirrel scampering up a conifer. It stopped to look at us looking at it so we both got good views of it.

The track faded away and we were walking on moorland. The views all around were spectacular. It didn't seem long until we arrived in Keld and found the Keld Green Cafe. This was unexpected as we weren't expecting anything in Keld at all.

It was a lovely little tearoom and the owners were very friendly and helpful. get a snack we took their advice and went to the campsite down the hill by the River Swake.

After the tents were set up on a grassy patch of flood plain as two dippers zoomed up and down the river we went for a short wander to check out the start of tomorrow's walk and get warmed up a little before enjoying a quiet beer on the river bank

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