Lordenshaw Car Park - Garleigh Moor Round - very long 7 miles.

Weather

Phillipa - Mike couldn't remember her excuse

Julie - in Holland

Mud, mud, glorious mud. "Dead good" walk - dead sheep, fish, mouse, rabbit, crow, and seagull. "An uncharacteristic Michelle walk" (Lance); "Challenging in places" (Michelle).

We deviated from the route to visit some cup and ring marks. Buried cairns, and ramparts. Passed Sharp's Tower - the oldest folly in the county. We avoided several river crossings, by following a difficult path alongside the burn. A climb up a very muddy field - which was a bypass to avoid an even muddier field! Lance complained of the cow pee, and Alex nearly lost a welly again. Beth's pink wellies were no longer pink. Michelle, Beth and Bernie all ended up in the mire. The map was covered in mud. We washed the mud off our boots in a ford.

The smelliest walk for a long time, with the biggest pile of cow poo - certainly the longest pong. Saw a friendly farmer on a tractor. Another friendly farmer confused us about our route. We passed a half-million-pound unfinished house with a muddy driveway. There were lots of booms and bangs. At lunchtime we saw a space capsule and a bull knee-deep in mud. There was a lack of wildlife at lunch.

Wildlife: 2 herons, coal tit, blue tit, wrens, robin, 2 horses, gossander ducks, and a dipper. There was a plastic bag that looked like a heron. Glimpse of a fox. A nice duck pond - mallards, and a white one. Geese nearby. GG and Carol saw an otter. There was a lady with a dog, and a collie dog in the farm. A shaggy pony. Beth saw a frog. A stoat, and belligerent-looking sheep. Bernie saw a squirrel en-route.

Carol and GG did the shortened version - Carol had a sleep while waiting for us. GG rescued the stragglers.

Lion and Lamb at Horsley. (Nobody threw up - yet!) An enjoyable meal - huge starters. Improving situation - good puds.