9.5 miles (though 10.4 actually walked)
Explorer Map No OL31, - North Pennines (Teesdale and Weardale)
Matt Bendelow was Sub-Postmaster of Bowes for about forty years,
starting soon after the First World War. He had fought with the
6th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment (the Green Howards) in the
War, and had been badly wounded in 1916, - losing his left leg
above the knee and much of his left arm. However, he was not held
back by his injuries, and became a Postman at Bowes. As Postman,
he had a daily round of over 9 miles in which he delivered letters
to the farms in the area. He made his deliveries, 6 days a week,
walking on crutches over the entire 9 miles.
You can read more about this remarkable man in an article in the
Northern
Echo.
This walk takes in the farms visited by Matt Bendelow, with
the route outlined to Edward Nicholl by Matt Bendelow's daughter,
Mrs Clowes.
Although the walk is designed to visit the farms, the route of
the walk uses farm footpaths as well as tracks. Almost certainly,
Matt Bendelow would have used roads and tracks almost entirely
and so the walk is NOT an exact tracing of Matt Bendelow's delivery
round.
Basically the walk is straightforward to follow and there are
no difficulties.
BUT.......
Just South of East Mellwaters Farm there is a well made path leading
to "The Trough", - the steep valley in which the Sleightholme
Beck flows. DO NOT take this path. It may look tempting, but once
in "The Trough" the going becomes progressively more
dangerous until you eventually have no option but to retrace your
steps.
For a Memory Map overlay of the walk described, please select the
above link.
(Overlay made with Version 4 of Memory Map)
Some new mapping software is now availabe which you may want to try, - QUO mapping. You can download the software for free from the link below, complete with demonstration maps. Having installed QUO, you can import and export Memory Map overlays. Thus YOU DON'T NEED Memory Map to use any of the overlays provided on the Grey Panthers website, - just use QUO!!
Start from the small "lay-by" in Bowes just
in front of the old Post Office. (NY99472 13503).
Head Westwards up the main road in Bowes, and just past the Church
there is a lane.
Follow this lane fo a short distance, until you come to a wayymarked
footpath that takes you across two fields to the Greta River, and
Gilmonby Bridge.
Cross the bridge, and follow the road for a few yards. Take the waymarked
footpath on your left that takes you to Howlugill Farm. The footpath
is clearly marked up to, and through, the plantation, but from there
to the farm you need to use the map.
Take the footpath from Howlugill Farm to Plover Hall Farm (waymarked),
then the track to White Close Hill Farm.
Continue Eastwards on a track to Pry Rigg Farm. Although the owner
of Pry Rigg Farm does not like public use of this track, it IS a public
right of way.
Turn round at Pry Rigg Farm, -the furthest point East of Matt Bendelow;s
delivery round.
Turn left at the junction to take the track to West Ling Farm.
Through the farmyard, head Westwards across rough pasture (the footpath
is not marked so you need to use a compass) to the green lane.
Go through the gate at the entrance to the Green Lane, and follow
the lane, - and then road, back to Gilmonby.
In Gilmonby, take the road Westwards to West Gates Farm, West Pasture
Farm, Lady Myres Farm, West Charity Farm, and East Mellwaters Farm.
At East Mellwaters Farm, head Southwards and cross the Sleightholme
Beck by the bridge.
DO NOT be tempted by the well laid out track that follows the immediate
East bank of the beck, but take the broad farm track past the sheep
bield. This takes you to rough pastureland. Here the footpath is very
indistinct, but all you need do is head due South across this rough
pasture until you come to the farm service road.
Here turn left and follow the road for about a mile and a half until
you come to a cattle grid.
At this grid there is a waymarked footpath on your left that takes
you to the road between West Pastures Farm and Lady Myres Farm.
Turn left on theroad, until you come to the waymarked Pennine Way
footpath and the bridge over the River Greta.
Here follow the Pennine Way back to Bowes.