About this blog

The journey from John o'Groats to Land's End took place in 14 sections, starting in 1996 (a week or so each year). The idea came to me in 1995 and I completed the British JoGLE Watershed in June 2009.

I was joined by a number of relations and friends from time to time. Most notable among my walking companions were my son Tim (7 sections) and nephews Peter and Jonny.

After walking the first section in 1996 I discovered that Dave Hewitt had already pioneered the Scottish Watershed (to Cape Wrath) in 1987, and had published his excellent account Walking the Watershed in 1994. We have been in touch since then, and he has been a great encouragement.

A simple definition of the watershed is that any rain falling to the left of the path finishes in the North Sea or English Channel, and anything to the right flows into the Atlantic Ocean, the Irish Sea or the Bristol Channel.

I believe that this was the first walk along the full length of the British JoGLE Watershed. I became aware just after I completed the journey that the late Mike Allen walked a slightly different version (from Land's End to Cape Wrath) between 1988 and 1994, so he will have covered the same ground apart from the most north-easterly 220km.

There have subsequently been several walks and publications about parts of the JoGLE watershed, including Peter Wright's 2010 Ribbon of Wildness account of his Scottish section walked in 2005, which has brought the subject of watershed walking in the UK to a wider audience.

I hope you enjoy this blog. I'm planning to publish a full account in 2013/4. A summary of the walk appeared in The Angry Corrie volume 76 in 2009.

Malcolm Wylie.

Monday 23 June 2003

Day 72 - where did the Pennines go?

This was a long day, and I was able to cover 35km because there was very little climbing involved. Once over Rye Loaf Hill (547m), I gradually dropped down to about 200m and stayed there for most of the day.

The initial walking was quite rough, but from High Langber onwards it was very easy - a combination mostly of footpaths, farm tracks and roads. I crossed the railway line and A65 near Hellifield, and reached the Leeds and Liverpool Canal (see photo) at 897493. I followed the canal along its highest section and lunched at Greenber's Lock Stop.

The Watershed follows the Pendle Way through Barnoldswick, and then heads up White Moor. I walked down into the village of Foulridge (actually not foul at all) on minor roads, and after a pub supper I camped on the football pitch (with the encouragement of the locals) at 893425.
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