August 19, 2015: St Boswells to Harestanes
The Mertoun Bridge spans the Tweed.
It was obvious that we would have better weather for the second day of our walk and so, at 8:00, our usual breakfast hour, we took our places downstairs and indulged in our usual early morning repast. We revisited the Co-op and at 9:30 or so a chap arrived for our bags – Celtic Trails having hooked up with a company that specializes in the movement of luggage along several nearby walking routes. He was soon followed by a lady driver from Neil’s Taxis and she took us back to St Boswells, dropping us off at the same corner in this village from which we had emerged after our riverside walk on the day before.
Gavan disappeared into a shop, looking for some postcards, and I strolled down the pavements past the church – looking for our first turnoff. The sun had yet to emerge but it was dry enough this morning as we headed up Braeheads Road in search of the local golf course – where we turned right along its margins, often walking along a raised bank. Soon we had the company of sunshine and the magnificent Tweed as well. The river, on our left, was quite wide here and there was always something interesting to see – birdlife, ducks, the occasional angler. Paths were good and level as well and we were making good progress.
Sandstone cliffs dominated the opposite bank as we followed a bend in the river in order to reach the Mertoun Bridge – built with this same red sandstone in 1841. A line of tall poplar trees now accompanied our progress on the other side. Our route brought us into a number of patches of woodland, where footing was a bit on the muddy side and once again there was a good deal of up and down along the cliff faces. On one of these climbs we reached the old Benrig Cemetery and a few minutes later a second climb brought us away from the river for the last time as we now approached the Maxton Church – dedicated to St. Cuthbert.
I was trying to get a good shot of this building – not easy given its walls – but after we had passed around to the other side views were much improved. Seated on a bench were several members of a group of five senior walkers – whom we were now to encounter on a number of occasions on this trip – three brothers with two wives, Mike, Eric, Ivan, Viola and Karen Broussine. Brother Ivan was given the task of leading the party away from this spot – his first such assignment and one that ended in disappointment as the party headed left when we were supposed to follow a road to the right – and into the village of Maxton itself.
Our backs turned to the river at last and we turned right on the village high street, then left in order to begin a transitional gap along tarmac for half an hour or so. There wasn’t a great deal of traffic but the flat straw-colored fields provided little of visual interest. Just before we reached the A68 we were directed to a parallel route that we were now to follow for many a mile in a southeasterly direction, one that clung to the line of an ancient Roman road, Dere Street. Roman helmets now decorated the waymarks.
Looking back at the Eildons from Dere Street.
I had been looking forward to some useful progress offered by such a route but I was soon to be disappointed. The path, if that is what you can call it, was often rocky, often muddy, often overgrown – and I was soon stumbling along, aided by my ever useful stick. Adding to my difficulties were two additional problems. I had removed the suspenders from my walking trousers (after these braces kept snapping yesterday) but the belt I wore was not tight enough to keep my trousers in place and I was forever tugging them up. And I was getting dehydrated. I encouraged Gavan to look for a spot where we might sit down but there was nothing on offer until we encountered a stile – which provided a perch at last. Here was ate our Co-op sandwiches and took on some liquid.
Views improved as we made our way over a series of gentle hills – including a tall Waterloo monument on our left. Gavan scampered off the route to visit a small monument called Lady Lilliard’s Stone – while I rested on its abutment. Then we continued on, reaching at last a large area of woodland on the Monteviot Estate. Here footing was much improved, though there were often muddy patches. I was more weary on this day than I had been on day one – in spite of having had no major ascents to deal with – and so, as I staggered ever onward, I was glad that we seemed to be nearing outposts of civilization, first the Woodside Garden Centre and then the environs of the Harestanes Countryside Visitor Centre.
Jedburgh Abbey in the late afternoon.
Gavan asked two chaps how best to reach the headquarters of this outdoor site – for here we were to rendezvous with our landlord for the night. After ten minutes or so we reached the Harestanes parking lot and Gavan found an entrance into its café – where, at 4:20 – we concluded the day’s march after completing another eight miles. I slumped into my chair at a little table and drank an apple juice and Gavan phoned our b&b proprietor, Chris, who was soon on his way to pick us up himself. (The Broussines, who were also his guests on this evening, had walked as far as the Jedfoot Bridge but they needed to summon a large taxi to make the journey into Jedburgh, where we would all spend the night.)
The ride into town did not take too long and we were soon made comfortable in a very lovely house perched on a hillside about the town. We got cleaned up and Chris invited us to help ourselves to a dram of whisky – there was sherry for the ladies in his lounge as well. Then we made our way steeply downhill, taking some time to circle the dramatic ruins of Jedburgh Abbey, before checking out the restaurant scene. A few drops fell. Our first choice was full up and we considered our options while visiting another local Co-op. Then we returned to take up a table at the Clock Tower Bistro.
In all, it was a very pleasant meal, with beer to wash it all down, and we made a leisurely time of it. I must say I was glad I had brought my stick with me – as there was that steep hill to climb at the end – and we now retired to our b&b. Gavan watched a little telly, I did a little work on my puzzles and it was soon lights out.
To continue with the next stage of our walk you need: