Day 8

Here was the first major change in our route plan. Initially, we planned to have a rest day in Slaidburn on day 8, so we were ready for another long day. However, we realised if we just stopped, we might get out of the routine, and our muscles might become very tight and sore. Also, Slaidburn was a village with nothing of any interest, apart from a small pub (that gave us a delicious breakfast).

So, instead we booked into a B&B in Sedburgh, about halfway between Slaidburn and Carlisle. This cut down our day significantly, and was definitely the right decision. The navigation was nice and simple, but there was an enourmous climb up to about 400m, which was the highest point of the whole trip. Strangely, because we were so relaxed and knew we had all the time in the world, we really enjoyed it. The top offered us some great views, and obviously the downhill was brilliant. Sheep on the road did however slow us down on a few occassions.

From LEJOG Day 8

The rest of the day was good, with generally nice weather and a straightforward route. We stopped by a bridge and ate our first and only 99 with flake of the journey. Sedburgh was a fair sized town, and the hotel was one of the nicest we stayed at. We are eternally grateful to Sean (I think) who washed and dried some of our clothes for us. The resteraunt down the road was doing a Thai evening so we all enjoyed curry / noodles, and Mock the Week made us happy before we went to sleep.

The distance was a very reasonable 32.9 miles. The route we followed will be combined with Day 9, so check above for it.