Monday, July 2, 2007

Bellingham to Jedburgh - 78k - Friday 29 June

As we approached the Scottish border the people came from everywhere. They had come from villages around, having heard the news that two older Australians had ridden their bikes from Paris through the worst of British weather to enter the hallowed turf of Scotland. They lined the road waving flags, amongst which we could see both the Aussie flag and the blue cross of the Scottish national flag. As we approached the sign that said 'You are entering Scotland', above the cheering crowds we could hear the sound of the bagpipes playing 'Scotland the Brave'. We fought the tears in our eyes, wondering at how such a grand spectacle as this could have been organised for these two humble Aussies on a private pilgrimage to the home of our ancestral births. As we entered Scotland, the sun shone radiantly with an extra sparkle as we crossed from England into the hallowed ground of Julie's ancestral heritage.

It was the crack of thunder that woke us from our dreamtime. It was early morning. We were still in our tent at Bellingham, and it was still pouring with rain! It would be the first day since leaving PAris that we would actually have to pack up our tent in the pouring rain. It was a very bleak outlook for the day we were due to enter Scotland. As happens in the UK, the rain stopped suddenly, the sun actually shone briefly, the tent started to dry and our hopes rose as we ate our usual breakfast of porridge with sultanas and coffee. Then when our hopes were suitably high, the heavens opened again, our tent was drenched, and we had little alternative but to eventually say 'lets roll', and get out in it to pack everything up in the falling rain. It really was no fun.

As we rolled out of the caravan park, the rain stopped and it didn't rain for the rest of the day! We decided to take in a brief visit to Bellingham, before turning back towards the caravan park, and then taking the long and lonely road to Kiedler Waters, which would then lead to the Scottish border at the top of the Northumberland National Park. It was a longer route than the alternative - the A69 to the north - but it was an outstandingly picturesque route through the National Park.

There were no strong hills to speak of, but the road rose a fair deal until we came to the Keidler Waters - a large reservoir at the base of the Cheviot Hills that run between England and Scotland. The views of the Waters were breattaking for the 20k or so that we had it in our view. We made it to the village of Keidler, at the start of the climb into the Cheviot Hills, and enjoyed lunch at the Tea Shop at Keidler Castle. BAck on the road, we had been riding for exactly 40k when Julie spotted the sign first. I insisted that she ride into Scotland first, so she led the way. Of course there was no cheer squad to greet us, apart from a paddock full of sheep! We stopped for photos at both the 'Welcome to England' and 'Welcome to Scotland' signs, and then left England for good as far as our bike journey was concerned. The landscape visibly changed within a few k, from the high managed pine forests of the Northumberland National Park, to the open and hilly sheep country of the Scottish Border country.

We followed a lovely stream for miles, which meant to road was flat to downhill, dodging sheep all over the road. It was such a lovely experience. Everywhere we culd see, the fields were dividied by stone walls, with stone sheep folds much like the ones that Jesus speaks about in the Gospels. Our stream eventually went too far south, and we had to turn north, joining the B6357 running from the Glasgow region toward Edinburgh. We turned north, and immediately started our own climb for about 6k up and over the Cheviot hills. It was a long climb, but at maybe 6-8% rather than the stiff 12-16% of Devon or Cornwall. The views were outstanding, both being walled in by hedgrows. It was a photographic paradise.

I have to say that it is recorded that Hadrian's Wall is the greatest example of Roman Engineering in all of Roman history, and they did a bit of building, but I would have to dispte this and say that what the English and Scots have achieved with the thousands upon thousands of miles of stone walls dividing their pastures and paddocks must outweigh the achievement credited to Hadrian and the Romans. As we climbed the Cheviot Hills, the spectacle of the stone fences all over the countryside, the sheep folds and the stone encirclements like small sheep forts was just stunning.

As we dropped off the other side at speeds up to 60kph, even I was feeling that by the time we get to Jedburgh, 20k short of our target town of Melrose, we would have had enough solid cycling for one day. So we set our sites on Jedburgh. The descent off the Cheviot Hills was just so stunningly picturesque. I let Julie go so I could take photos, which never show the magnificence of the original scene.

The 12% descent into the tiny village of Bonchester Bridge was matched by a similar climb out the other side, leaving about 20k to Jedburgh. We struggled on tired but happy legs for 15k, when we entered the ancient Jed Water Valley. It was a high speed cruise in all top gears down through the valley, to a truly remarkably beautiful village of Jedburgh (pronounced like edinburgh). The massive Abbey filled our whole screen as we entered the village, then we sdaw signs to the home of Mary Queen of Scots, then the fully in tact Castle on the hill - we knew we had discovered a gem of a place and were delighted to spend the night here.

We managed to find a lovely and reasonable B&B right in the village. We were warmly welcomed, and spent a very blessed night. Afetr we showered, we wondered the village, visiting Mary's beautiful and ornate castle like home right in the village (King Henry V111 wanted MAry to marry his son). We climbed to the CAstle, and then admired the Abbey which was not only huge but in reasonable condition given it has stood for more than a thousand years.

It was a memorable stay in Jedburgh. We gave thanks to God in our hearts as we made our way back to the B&B, for the way that He continues to bless us in remarkable and unique ways every single day. We went to bed knowing that tomorrow we enter the great city of Edinburgh, and two days off at the home of Norma and Dennis Innes.

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