I’ll admit it. For the last several months I’ve been obsessed with a little- known jewel in the far north of England. A little bothy so remote and unknown that it’s not even officially marked on any OS map. The Shepherd’s Hut bothy in The North Pennines. I have a chap called Duncan Baxter to blame. He is a man, who lives close to area and clearly loves this area of outstanding natural beauty as he’s made several quality videos about them and placed them on You Tube. Duncan has an excellent presentation style, which makes it seem like one of the best areas to visit in the country as it so remote and peaceful.

The Idea Is Born

One particular video of his caught my attention. It featured the bothies of this remote area. They all seemed attractive in their own ways as bothies do, but it was his last one that had me hooked. He spoke about a little- known place called The Shepherd’s Hut bothy in The North Pennines and in his own words described it as idyllic. I couldn’t stop going on about it to Louise and decided that I would definitely visit before 2021 came to an end. An overnight stay at the Shepherd’s Hut in The North Pennines seemed a great idea.

    The weekend before Christmas seemed the perfect time as work was starting to quieten down and it might get me in the festive mood. What better than an open fire, candles and whiskey on the run up to the big day! Sadly, Louise wouldn’t be able to come as she was on night shifts. I figured a weekend in Cumbria would be better than a weekend listening to my idiotic neighbours party until the early hours, so decided to go solo.

    The drive went smoothly and I particularly enjoyed the climb up Hartside Pass for the first time. Incredible views out over the Eden Valley were enjoyed and I could only imagine how wild the weather could be. Not too far away from here is England’s longest ski run at Yad Moss. Luckily for me, today was turning out to be gorgeous with hardly a breath of wind and a cloudless sky. For once the weather had got better the further I drove up the A1.

A Long Hike In and A Lift

  By 1.30pm I had parked my car high up on the mountain road to Alston, loaded my pack and had the fuel for the fire in my arms. Once walking, I was a little alarmed as the first twenty minutes or so was all downhill. The clear path snaked its way down a good 100 metres or so to the ribbon of water in the valley bottom. When I reached it, I soon noted that there was no bridge. Thankfully, it wasn’t too deep and my waterproof beach shoes came in very useful again as I made my way across. December may have arrived with frost in the shade, but the icy water on my feet was much welcomed. A new Decathlon Forclaz Trek 100 down jacket proved its worth I soon folded this away as it certainly wasn’t needed until later.

The water was colder and faster flowing than it looks in this picture.

Soon I was on my way again and enjoyed my surroundings. There was no noise at all other than the sounds of the wildlife inhabiting the moorland. Incredible views were extensive and there wasn’t a soul in site. The route to the bothy was straight forward and clear on the OS map. I had underestimated how long it would take though as the steady drags, which seemed to go on forever, sapped the strength and speed from my legs. Time was pressing on as it was now soon 3 O Clock. Thoughts of being caught out in the darkness started to cross my mind, which made me a little anxious as I didn’t know this area at all and knew it would soon be very dark. Increasing my pace seemed the best idea in a hope that I’d get there as soon as I could.

  Just then though I heard the distant sound of an engine and wondered what on Earth it could be. Moments later, a quad bike come over the hill in front and stopped just in front of me.  A friendly warden of the area called Alex introduced himself. He asked where I was heading and on telling him my plans to visit the hut, offered me a lift the rest of the way. It was so much fun hopping over the rest of the hills to the bothy. Conversation flowed, but at times I was just nodding and agreeing with what he was saying. A combination of the motor noise and his strong accent meant I struggled to understand at times.

The Shepherd’s Hut In The North Pennines Is Reached

Before I knew it, we started our decent into a steep valley and the top of the chimney came into view. Any regular bothy goer will identify how this is often the first thing you look for. It offers such a high when you first spot it and this was no different. Finally I had made and had Alex to thank. What a top chap!

What fun this was,especially trying to stay upright with a 60 litre pack on your back.

By 3.30pm Alex had headed back up the track. I was alone in a spot I’d seen so many times on You Tube and dreamed of visiting. Topping things off was Alex telling me that nobody had visited the bothy for several weeks and I was almost guaranteed to have it to myself. Result!

Initially I was concerned as I tried to enter the building. The latch on the door was very stubborn and wouldn’t budge. If I’d come all this way only to find the building locked, then I’d be well and truly gutted. Luckily, a bit of perseverance got the door open and I was soon inside admiring my new home for the night. I thought it was rather luxurious as bothies go just like Duncan had said.

   Snug is a good way of describing the inside space. Despite this, it was light with white walls helping to make the most of the sunlight entering through the relatively large single window. The vaulted ceiling was made of wood and also painted white. An open fire was a particularly pleasant sight, making a change from the wood burning stoves I’d seen so far in other bothies.

  What I was most impressed with was how well thought out and equipped this place was. It seems every little detail had been thought of from mattresses to give a comfy night’s sleep to pots, pans, washing up liquid and even a selection of mugs hanging from fixings above the window. Within a few short moments I knew that I’d have no problems sleeping in here alone, miles from the nearest house. Not a thought of even one ghost entered my mind!

Bothies don’t get more idyllic than this. What a cracking little place this is.

Before thinking about relaxing in front of the fire for the evening, I procrastinated about whether to put the tent up or not. I knew it was cold and would get even colder overnight with the clear sky and I also realized it would be much warmer and cozier inside the hut rather than under canvas.

Thoughts of others potentially arriving and the filling the hut wouldn’t leave my mind though. I decided to pitch the tent just in case it was needed. If a group of hooligans arrived or I ended up sharing with the worst snorer in the north of England, at least I had afforded myself with a place to retreat to if it was needed. I inserted the poles the wrong way and tangled some of the ropes. Thirty minutes later though and I had put the tent up and I could finally enjoy the sunset. Stunning describes it as the sky turned almost purple and the full moon could be seen faintly in the dimming sky.

Photos never do it justice. The sunset this evening was stunning, but the frost already on the ground shows how cold it already was and would continue to be all night long.

Settling In For The Evening

By 5pm it was dark and the moon that had been a faint ball in the sky was now illuminating the landscape around me. Being so remote, I should have been enveloped in darkness, but instead could clearly make out every hill now glistening white with a thick frost and the water of the river shimmering. Never do I witness scenes like this near London and because of this, it made me feel rather spiritual . Copious amounts of Irish whiskey probably helped too.  It took me back to 2006, when I enjoyed a similar moon lit night at Lake Tekapo in New Zealand’s Southern Alps. I remember then too being in awe of the night sky, unable to drag myself away from it even with the perishing cold chilling me to the bone.

  I had been worried about how I would fill a long dark evening by myself in a remote bothy. It passed easily though as I enjoyed a three- course meal. It was lovely devouring soup, curry and Christmas cake. Bothy TV ( the fireplace ) was then enjoyed along with reading the well- used bothy book. Flicking through the comments left by past users is always enjoyable and this was no different. There were tales of people being caught in snowstorms and even the river outside overflowing. Such conditions seemed hard to believe that night with it being so calm.

Most of these bits were already here when I arrived. The Christmas lights were my idea though and gave The Shepherd’s Hut bothy in The North Pennines a festive feel.

  Hopefully this shows how amazing the fire was. All I forgot were the marshmallows for toasting.

My reading for the evening. If you feature on either page then congratulations. You’re now famous!

Loneliness was a feeling I never experienced that evening. When outside though, I did think how I’d struck gold with the conditions and that Lou wasn’t here. She would have loved it, but I suppose it gives a great reason to go back with her in future. Whether I’ll ever see a sky like this again at this location though is yet to be seen.

  By 10.30pm, I had my bed set up next to the roaring fireplace and I was snuggled in my sleeping bag. I stacked three of the mattresses and it proved very comfy indeed. Drifting off wasn’t a problem as the warmth of the fire was almost heavenly. It wasn’t until 5.30am that I’d be conscious again. A very good sleep by bothy standards. When I did eventually get up at just before seven O Clock, I’m sure I saw several brass monkeys swinging from the rafters as it was freezing. The fire logs I had brought with me proved excellent once, igniting in no time and burning for ages.

Morning Chores

  Over the next couple of hours I was very busy. I enjoyed breakfast, packing the tent away and giving the hut a good clean. It is an unwritten rule that you leave no trace in bothies and if possible, provide some items for the next visitor. One of the gas canisters left by a previous resident had proved invaluable during my stay as mine had failed. Deciding to do my bit too, I left some scented gingerbread tea lights, batteries and kindling.

  Just before heading off, I decided to cross the river get a different view of the bothy. It was worth the ascent as I got to see just how isolated it was. In many ways, it reminded me of The Cambrian Mountains. The views were extensive, wild and not a soul could be seen in any direction. Sipping on my coffee as I went, wasn’t the best idea as it has a habit of making me need the toilet rather urgently. I’m glad I was alone as my run back to the hut to collect a toilet roll must have looked ridiculous. I slipped on a wet rock and just about stayed upright.

What a setting the Shepherd’s Hut bothy in The North Pennines has. The snow you can see in the background is on Cross Fell, the highest British Mountain outside of The Lake District.

Sampling the toilet facilities was an experience. A hole still had to be dug, but the well designed chair came in useful and offered a poo with a view as somebody else had said in the bothy book.

By 10.30am I took one last walk around the bothy and said my goodbyes quite literally as it almost felt like a warm friend that had taken me in for the night and looked after me. Sunshine warmed my face on the gorgeous walk back to the car and I enjoyed a brief stop at another bothy on the way back called Melmerby Machine Shop. It offered three rooms this time, it was nowhere near as comfortable or equipped as The Shepherd’s Hut. Nevertheless,it could still prove a lifeline for anybody getting caught out up on the moors.

To Conclude…

It is fair to say I loved this trip away. The Shepherd’s Hut bothy in The North Pennines was every bit as amazing as I hoped it would be and it was great to be able to enjoy its delights solo. I will be keeping the exact location of this place a secret though as many others have requested in the bothy book. It is little- known and this is part of its appeal. I shall only reveal its location to my closest friends, some of whom I hope to take to this amazing little gem in the near future.