Читать книгу Great Mountain Days in the Pennines. 50 classic hillwalking routes онлайн

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However, since walking the watershed is on many stretches neither enthralling nor inspirational, some sections of the watershed were shunned in favour of other defining criteria, namely the Pennine Way, the Pennine Bridleway and (of equal if not more importance at times) ‘clear characteristics of a Pennine landscape’. The Pennine Way is well known and runs from Edale in Derbyshire to Kirk Yetholm just across the Scottish border, following a route that was teased from the landscape under the guidance of Tom Stephenson. The Pennine Bridleway is a relatively new creation, a 320km (200 mile) adventure for walkers, horse riders and mountain bikers, following old packhorse routes, drovers’ roads and newly created bridleways.

Ravenstonedale pastures (Walk 12)

Looking down on Dove Stone Reservoir (Walk 45)

What makes this approach rather tenuous is the very nature and characteristics of ‘Pennine’ landscape and ‘Pennine’ qualities. The gritstone that predominates in the Peak is scarcely evident in the limestone Yorkshire Dales, although it is there. Likewise, the peat bogs and groughs that are hallmarks of the South Pennines are almost nowhere to be found in the Howgills and the Dales. So, it becomes all the more evident that what must, geographically, define the Pennine landscape is whatever happens to flank the Pennine watershed. (It’s an argument that would never withstand close scrutiny, but in the context of a book about Pennine walks, it’s as useful as anything else.)