Today's walk started at St Boswell's Golf Club and continued along the River Tweed through meadows and riverbanks.
The Crystal Well was a little surprise along the way. It was a pretty little thing with an informative plaque next to it.
The Mertoun Bridge which dates from 1841 was much more interesting in person than the guidebook suggested. The river was moving along at quite the clip which made me wonder how a sandstone construction could possibly last this long - but cars were still crossing it so someone has to have decided it's safe.
The path continued along a similar pattern as the end of Yesterday's walk. Lots of bridges and stairs to help along the way. The flowers are in bloom and the bees are very busy - the whole place smells so green.
St Cuthbert's church in Maxton was a pretty place to stop. I'm particularly impressed with their description of their organ: 'a kist of whistles'! And I wonder if the Precentor was ever located...
The path continued along the roadway for a little while until it joined up with Dere Street - a 2,000 year old Roman Road. It's definitely straight but not particularly road-like anymore. I think I could probably forgive it for losing some of its robustness.
(Those are the Eildon Hills in the distance, which I climbed over yesterday!)
Dere Street went on for about 5 kms. The highlight of the road was Lady Lilliard's Stone. She was a local woman who supposedly fought in the Battle of Ancrum Moor in 1545. The story seems to come from a local vicar in 1743, Father Milne (!!), who told the story of her heroics to his congregation. Sir Walter Scott added to her tale and now she's a proper local hero.
The best bit about all this is her little poem, inscribed on the stone:
Fair Maiden Lilliard lies under this stane
Little was her stature, but muckle was her fame.
Upon the English loons she laid many thumps,
And when her legs were cuttit off, she fought upon her stumps.
Whether she existed or not, she has a great poem.
The trail continued straight on to Divet Ha' Wood (which reminded me a lot of the Sugar Bush back home - it even smelled the same!) and round the corner to Harestanes Visitor Centre where I picked up my first Completion Stamp of my journey. Then, the bus back to St Boswell's for another night before returning tomorrow and picking up where I left off today! Just 8.3 miles done today - tomorrow will be a bit more at 10.6. The weather has been brilliant and the people have been lovely. Things pick up quite a bit from there and so I'll need to fortify myself tonight for the rest of the journey!
Cheers!
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