Back in the saddle................November 22nd
  The local TV station has promised fine weather for today, Friday 22nd November so we have opted for a day across in the Lakes. There are five gadgies making up today's team: Dave, Brian, Harry, John and me and we have decided to have a short walk up Blencathra;
Blencathra is also called Saddleback because from the east it looks vaguely like a saddle. I prefer Blencathra, much more interesting and ancient name. There seems to be some dispute over its name, one source says it comes from blain meaning top or points and an element unknown meaning Arthur, hence Arthur's points. Another source  says blaen is Old Celtic for a bare hilltop and cathra means chair (as in cathedral) so it is a bare hilltop looking like a chair. This gets my vote. Regardless it is a high bump for England at 2847 feet or 868m for Europeans. Its geology is similar to its neighbour Skiddaw, quite different from the mountains on the south side of the A66. There are the remains of lead and zinc mines, waiting to be reopened when the price is right. It also boasts a rather frightening arête, Sharp Edge, once called Razor Edge but conditions and age have persuaded us to miss this one out.  It is one of the most northern mountains in the Lake District and the directions from Newcastle are : A69, M6 south, A66 at Penrith and pull off at the side of the road at Scales Farm. The whole of the route is covered on OLO 5, English Lakes North Eastern Area and the lay by on the A66 is at GR NY 339267.

                                          Yes it's a car park again, now to be expected.
We walked back east for about 100 yards past Scales Farm where we chatted to a lady who was walking her dog. She said the weather for the last few days had been cold and bright, just as it was today and most unlike the heavy rain that the north east had suffered.
A finger post pointed us in the direction of the footpath we were to take. Initially the path, which is so well trodden that it is almost a ditch in places, contours in a north easterly direction before turning north west and climbing steeply. At 1 mile in contours again, almost, and climbs gently on the south west side of the Blackhazel Beck (which becomes the River Glenderamackin). Still an easy path, but quite muddy today because of recent rain.

                                               Looking North East on the way up.
When the path reaches Mungrisdale Common there is a cross roads. The route that we took to the summit turns almost back on itself and heads south west up a steep slope. Not only was it steep but it was covered with a thin veneer of frozen snow making it slippy in places. We met a young man making his way down, he had had the sense to bring crampons. He told us he had come up via Sharp Edge and that it was quite tricky, possibly dangerous without his pointy feet. A good reason for our choice  of path! (Plus the fact we want to continue drawing our pensions).

                                             First glimpse of Blencathra top from the route
                                                      up the valley.
Climbing on past Foule Crag, the Blue Screes and Atkinson Pike we soon reached the summit of Blencathra. It had taken just under two hours, a distance of 3 miles. We declared a Herbie Spot. After weeks of denying fatty foods Dave had weakened and brought some pork pies! Went down well with the sandwiches and chocolate.

                                            Snow on the summit, but not beyond

                                                 Skiddaw from Blencathra

                                            Knowe Crag

                                                   Dave and John enjoy sunshine and sandwiches.
The views from our lunch spot made the climb all the more worthwhile. To the north we could see over the Solway Firth to the hills of Galloway, north west to Skiddaw and west to the Coldale round.
The rest of the Lake District spread out to the south, Ullswater and Derwentwater glittering in the sunshine, best views for weeks!
There were several other people out enjoying this brilliant November day. A young lady walking alone from the Blencathra study centre, knowing some geology, a couple of young women who were fell runners. Really depressing people these; you struggle up the mountain only to be overtaken by a lycra clad runner out for a bit of exercise.
Lunch over we headed down, by way of Scales Fell. Like the ascent the path down was slippy in places where the frozen snow remained but the path is a well constructed one, designed to drain and provide an easy downhill zig zag.  Looking down we could see Scales Tarn which was still and reflected Sharp Edge clearly.

                                                   Sharp Edge

                                                  Sharp Edge in the mist.

                                 Last look at Blencathra

                                               Hedge laying at Scales Farm
                                                                                                                                                            Below the snow line (4m) we continued until we re-joined our original upward path and walked back to the parked car at Scales Farm (5m).
At just over 5 miles this was a relatively short walk for gadgies but it had been a good one.
This mountain has been an inspiration to poest as well as gadgies;
                                  
                                                   On stern Blencarthas (sic) perilous height

                                                            The winds are tyrannous and strong

                                                         Two lines from a poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

                                                      The boy must part from Mosedale's groves
                                                          And leave Blencathra's rugged coves
                                                                  

                                                            And two from William Wordsworth
It was early in the afternoon and still sunny, although a mere 6 degrees C so we decided to visit the Horse and Farrier in Threlkeld and have some ale in the beer garden. Sadly the garden was closed but the pub was open. After a pint we agreed to have another, in the famous BoatHouse in Wylam near Newcastle so off we went. The Boathouse had its usual selection of fourteen beers making choice difficult. Thankfully I was driving ha ha. Discussion over a pint or two ranged over the usual topics, including satire today which was eventually defined as "pricking the pompous". Brian asked how we would define a pricker of pompous Scots. Saltirists I replied.  A good day out all round. And a bit of culture thrown in too.
On the way home the usual bets were made on the queue at Gorman's fish and chip shop n ear Cowgate. Gorman's supposedly serves the best fish and chips in the city. Anyway Harry won the "Gorman's Gourd " award with a guess of 18 customers. Congratulations

The Matrix  MMCCVI   (A bad day)

                                                                            steps                 miles

LIDL3D                                                             17731                 8.0
ASDAPED                                                           3025                 1.42   (junked)
Daves LIDL3D                                                  16579                  7.62
LIDLUSB                                                          15486                  6.84
OUTDOOR GPS                                                                           72,5  (No idea, but on plotting 5.3m
Brians GPS                                                                                    5..2
Measured by Dave                                                                         5.3
Measured by me                                                                             5.1

( I was watching Granada TV's equivalent of Look North, baby sitting my little sister. Can't remember the announcer's surname but he was Mike........)

 Some extra photographs of the walk by kind permission of Harry Nagel, routemeister and excellent photographer.

 

                                                           

                                                  Looking west from the summit

                                              Lunchtime on Blencathra

                                                     Brian descending Scales!

Last view of Blencathra

 

 

PS. Did you notice that we went without a bacon sandwich and that there is no bird  or beast of the blog. All quiet on the wildlife front, except for a pair of ravens and they have already appeared.

 

The pies are back!

PPS I have totted up the mileage for my gadgie walks this year and it comes to 432.2 miles with 44 walks, an average of 9.8. Something else to be added in future.



Blowing in the Windy Gyle ........ November 15th



How many times have we walked this walk?
How many times will we walk it again?

Windy Gyle is a popular winter walk because it is not too far away and, more important, it's a good walk in the Cheviots. 

The walk starts at Barrowburn high in the Coquet Valley and it contains a short stretch on the border with Scotland. To get to the start take the A1 north, turn onto the A697 at Morpeth, watch out for diversion signs to Rothbury as the damaged road still has not been repaired, go through the town and continue through Thropton. Turn right for Harbottle and Alwinton, driving through them both and watching out for a herd of alpacas and find the car park at Barrowburn on the left. It has tables for picnics or sitting at as you put your boots on.
A map is advisable, OS OL 16, The Cheviot Hills, and the car park is at NT866103.
Naturally we stopped in Rothbury at Tomlinson's Café and Bunkhouse, enjoying a bacon butty or toasted teacake, washed down with the contents of a ginormous teapot. Five flitches again. (www.tomlinsonsrothbury.co.uk).

The walk:
As we put our gear on we disturbed a lone roe deer which bounced up the hill.
 We left the car park and turned left, walking up the road past the track leading to Barrowburn Farm where there is an excellent tea shop, and continued  for a while before turning very sharp right at a gate and soon afterwards, at the sign post, turning left to head for the hills.

                                            You expect a car park now, here it is.
This path climbs quite steeply  with Barrow Law on the left. (1mile) It continues over open moorland before reaching a plantation at Murder Cleugh (2m) A stone records that Robert Lumsden killed Isabella Sudden here in 1610!



                                                 Poor Isabella, murdered in tough times on
                                                the border, even with JamesI and VI on the thrones.
Leaving the plantation we turned right on the farm road for a short distance before turning left on the path leading to Little Ward Law (3m) dipping down to the muddy Scotchman's Ford and then following the path to the border fence. We went through the gate and settled down in the large cairn by the trig point (and Russell's Cairn) for a Herbie Spot. (4m) Dave had brought an item which I think he called Yorkshire Cake, which was sweet and sticky, and we had Ben's ginger biscuits and some chocolate from Tescos. No wonder some of us put weight on.
It was too misty to enjoy thye views, either south to England and north to Scotland but Brian ,punmeister, did remind us of the old days when the border reivers fought and pillaged in the area. The travelling Scots built small piles of stones on which to prepare their meals. What were they called A Dinner Cairn!. (think about it.)

                                                   Russell's Cairn in the mist.
 Lunch over we headed north east along the border fence to the point where there is a sign post pointing towards Cocklaw Foot in Scotland and Alwinton in England. (5m)

                                              Cross the border in stile

                                                         Carrefour or croisee  des chemins!
At this point we headed southeast in a generally downhill direction, Hazely Law (6m) on the left until we reached the track that goes to Uswayford. But we kept heading south across the moors above Usway Burn (7m) until we came to a plantation. Following the track through the wood we came to Fairhaugh, an isolated farmhouse that is a holiday let. We have never seen it occupied, the windows are always shuttered, maybe we always come at the wrong time.

                                                       Fairhaugh farmstead.
We took the track  on the west side of the burn(8m) across more open moorland  and past the bunkhouse at the old school below lounges Knowe.

                                                 The old school house, rented out!
Not far from the school house we turned right across  a field to Wedderleap, site of a tragedy when a sheep rustler, trying to evade capture attempted to leap the stream but was weighed down by his haul and drowned. In the field on the right were some orange sheep. It is done to make them highly visible in the snow. Presumably the non orange ones all get lost.

                                                       Too much time under the sun lamp.
 And then we were back at the car park.(9m)

Changed we headed home, calling as usual for a warm welcome and liquid refreshment at the Anglers Arms, Weldon Bridge. Timothy Taylor's Landlord, Speckled Hen and Directors.

The Matrix MMCMV
                                                         steps                          miles
LIDL3D                                         21359                         9.61
ASDAPED                                     12167                         5.71  ridiculous
Dave's LIDL3D                              20585                         9.46
LIDL3D                                          20381                         9.00
OUTDOORS GPS                                                             9.24
Ben's bragometer                                                               9.4
Brian;s GPS ran out of battery.

Ripley's Believe it or not.
Driving back on the road from Barrowburn Dave observed that it was a long time since we had seen a stoat. Five minutes later one ran across the road.  So this little creature gets  Beast of the Blog. How did we know it was a stoat. It's because a weasel is easily recognised but a stoat is totally different.

                                                 Stoat. It turns white in winter and becomes an ermine.

One over the eight      November 7th.

  The jolly jock who shares the local weather forecast on the BBC with Hannah B assured us that any rain in the north east would fall late in the afternoon so we headed off to do a walk from Barrowburn in the Coquet Valley to Windy Gyle on the border with Scotland.

On the way we stopped at Tomlinsons Café and Bunkhouse in Rothbury for breakfast. An excellent eating place, bacon served in a brown bap with a small side salad and a generous pot of tea. As you enter Rothbury turn left off the main street down to the bridge and there is the café.

www.thomsonsrothbury.co.uk.

 We finished and headed for Barrowburn but by the time we got to Thropton it was raining, heavily. After a brief discussion b etween the occupants of the two cars, difficult in the rain, we decided to abandon the walk in the hills and head for the coast, namely Howick a few miles south of Craster.

This is a slight variation on previous walks in the area and it is a relatively gentle stroll partly along the coast and partly through fields.  There are six gadgies out today, Ben, Brian, John, Harry, Dave and me.

The walk is covered on OSExplorer 332 Alnwick and Amble although you could follow the route without the help of the Ordnance Survey. However the start is at NU258173 on a bit of car parking near the farm marked Seahouses on the map.

                                                          Ready to go from the car park.

                                                         Long shadows already, possibly

                                                         the latest start to a walk at noon!

  Close to the parking area a footpath runs down to the cliff top track that leads north to Craster. There is an attractive house overlooking the North Sea that I think is a holiday let perhaps it started life as a coastguard's cottage, must try to find out.

                                                   Ideal place for writing that novel!

This part of the walk is along the Northumberland Coastal Path and is easy to follow. Mile number 1 is midway between the cottage and  Cullernose Point where there is a small bay with the intriguing name of Swine Den. If you have the map look at the other names given to points on the coast between Cullernose and Craster; Black Hole, Hole o' the Dike, God knows what Americans will think of us.

                                                  Swine Den, the cliffs are home to

                                                     Kittiwakes in summer.

And on to Craster (2m)  The name of this tiny fishing village comes from crowe ceastre, the old fort where the crows live. To my surprise, Dave did not know this. Craster is famous for smoking kippers and being the starting point for the short walk north to Dunstanburgh Castle.(3m)

                                              Craster harbour. The rectangular arch was built
                                            to help in the loading of stone from local quarries.

                                                      Fishing boats of Old Craster.

 It isn't so long since we walked past the ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle, started by Thomas Earl of Lancaster in 1314 on a site used in iron age  and  Romano- British times as a fort. It has been a spectacular ruin for centuries.

                                                 Dunstanburgh gatehouse

                                                                Lilburn Tower.

  Just north of the castle we settled down on the rocky beach for a Herbie Spot. Today's treats included bakewell tart, ginger biscuits and chocolate. No wonder it is getting increasingly difficult to squeeze through some of the many "kissing gates" on this walk.

Close by there is a fine example of an anticline,frequently visited by Geography students with clipboards.

                                                 Rocks bent by heat and pressure to form an anticline.

Not far from the Herbie Spot there is a footpath on the left (it would have to be really) that took us along side the golf course (4m) with its flying balls to Dunstan Steads, a collection of smart looking stone built cottages and houses. (5m) Here the path turns south east along a straight concrete roadway. It has been suggested that the road was built for the movement of tanks in WWII, something else to investigate one day. At one point there are two pillboxes of unusual construction. They are built from what appear to be concrete sandbags!

 There is also a fine example of a Lime Kiln to admire, just one of many in the county.

                                                                 Lime Kiln near Dunstan Steads.

                                         This pill box is defending the sea.

 At the end of the concrete road, at Dunstan Square, we turned left across the fields towards the Heughs.(6m) These are part of the great Whin Sill which stretches across much of the north of England. It is an igneous rock intrusion in the limestone and has proved extremely useful as a foundation for castles and Roman walls.

The footpath beneath the Heughs leads back to Craster and emerges on the road by the information centre.  Behind the centre a footpath leads to the nature reserve (7m) and across fields to Craster South Farm.

                                                 Information board at the Craster Centre.

                                          The footpath to the nature reserve is just to the left of it.

 Turning south across more fields, some of us made the very steep ascent of Hip Heugh (8m) to admire the Trig point on its summit before heading down again and across a footpath that bisects a field which is often muddy but not today, and emerges at the Howick Hall car park.

                                                  Trig point on Hip Heugh

Howick Hall is famous for its gardens and for being the home of Earl Grey, the man who was Prime Minister  from 1830 to 1834 and whose government was responsible for the Great Reform Bill of 1832, an act that led Britain on the road to a form of democracy. He was also responsible for adding bergamot to his tea to cover the lime taste of the local water and thus introducing Earl Grey tea to the world. I can live without it.

 

                                                             The monument to Earl Grey in

                                                                     Newcastle. Sometimes you can

                                                             go to the top

At Howick the road leads east back to the car park (9m)

 

After the walk we headed back to Alnwick and across the moors to The Anglers Arms, a favourite watering hole, which had Timothy Taylor's Landlord, Black Sheep and Hobgoblin on offer. The AGM, held in this hostelry was discussed  but no decision made.

 

The two pedometers I was wearing behaved very badly, one claiming a distance of 0.06 km for the day and the other 3.7 miles. However, according to Dave:

 

                                                   steps              miles

LIDL3D                                     18925              8.74

LIDL USB                                  19874             8.29

which is pretty good.

OUTDOORS GPS claimed 9 miles and Brian's GPS gave the walk as 8.9 miles.

Although we were on the coast we did not see many birds but the bird of the blog goes to:

 

                                                Oyster Catchers

 

 

 

Follow the yellow round signs.....November 1st

Emmett's first law of washing up liquid states that if you buy a new bottle
your existing one will last for at least a week.
Emmett's second law of washing up liquid states that if you have actually run out the first law is relegated to a hypothesis.
This has nothing to do with gadgie walks but it is true and can be proved, empirically.

After a couple of weeks off because of the poor weather four gadgies, Dave, Brian, John and I, have decided to have a walk in upper Weardale, an area we rarely visit but one with its own beauty.
Weardale is a wide valley with many streams, called Sykes, Cleughs or Burns joining the main waterway as it wanders through County Durham to its mouth at Sunderland.

Upper Weardale has a scattering of small farms, many of the farmhouses are now derelict. I suspect, but do not know, that the small farms have been abandoned as uneconomical and have been amalgamated into larger units. Weardale was also a mining valley for centuries and there is much evidence of that activity left. Have a look at the map; Shafts, (dis), Level (dis) Mine (disused) appear all over.
The walk starts at a hamlet called Daddry Shield, shield meaning hut or shelter.  To get there look up Wolsingham and Stanhope on the map and continue west through Eastgate and Westgate before arriving at Daddry Shield. At the west end of the main street there is parking space for three cars.

Naturally we stopped on the way for breakfast at No 10, a coffee shop in Wolsingham which serves a quality bacon sandwich and a generous pot of tea. Brian and I only awarded four flitches as the bacon came in brown bread although we did admit we had not asked for buns.


The Walk.
A map is advisable for this walk and the complete circular route is covered by OS OL31 North Pennines and the parking space is at NY894379.

                           No walk is complete without a car park. Brian prepares for the day.
It was a sunny day, not a cloud was in the sky as the weatherman had promised, as we started.
Next to the car park a sign say Pinderhouse Farm, we followed the rough farm track uphill for about three quarters of a mile before finding the yellow marker on a stile on the right hand side of the road. The path crossed several fields, (1 mile) close to the walls, and was quite boggy, giving a lie to the claim that it would be a dry walk. It crossed the Harthope Burn before reaching the road that leads to St. John's Chapel.
However we crossed straight over this minor road and followed another in a north westerly direction. John quite rightly pointed out that although walking on roads, something we gadgies do not like, there is very little traffic on these above the valley. (2m) Just then a car appeared. Friendly diver, gave us a wave.
At one point the road turned right through 90 degrees and headed downhill for Ireshopeburn but we turned left and followed a rough track for a short distance before spotting the yellow marker on the right hand side of the road that led down to a footbridge on the Ireshope Burn and on to an isolated cottage called The Hole.

Ireshope Burn, possibly.

The owners of this cottage have put neat little signs directing walkers round their home rather than through it. And why not, who wants a trail of grumpy old men tramping through their back garden?

 Following the footpath across another stream we soon came to the Causeway Road at  Ling Riggs and turned left. (3m)

Having walked along Causeway Road for about  three quarters of a mile we spotted on the right hand side, the yellow marker that indicated the track down to Burnhope Reservoir. We declared a Herbie Spot on the south side of the dam. Dave had brought Thorntons Caramel shortbread and I had brought peanut butter fudge from www.cakepoppins.com which was greatly appreciated. A sugar burst is good for a gadgie.

                                         This dilapidated lime kiln is by the path leading to

                                          Burnhope Reservoir.

                                 One of the old farmhouses. Could be renovated for a
                                               country home.

                                                      Burnhope Reservoir

                                               A view from a dam. Spot the Lancaster.

At the north end of the dam is a large house called Burnhope Lodge. It looks very new but was deserted. The cottage by the gate had a "Wesleyan Chapel" plaque on it and we thought maybe the lodge was a Methodist retreat. When I got home  I Googled it and it turns out to be an upmarket           "shooting" lodge available for parties up to 18 in number for a weeks outdoor activities, and much more expensive than a Youth Hostel.

                                              Burnhope Lodge. All mod cons.

Leaving the lodge we took the road north east that heads down the valley to Cowsgreen a village on the Wear where we joined The Weardale Way a longish distance walk that does exactly what it says alongside the river.

                                                         Cowsgreen bridge over the Wear

                                                       And a waterfall.

 The way back to Daggery Shield is easy to follow as it is well marked with little yellow discs. The route crosses and recrosses the Wear and passes through some interesting villages. Not long after leaving Cowsgreen we observed a murmuration of fieldfares, thrush sized birds that winter in Britain. We also spotted a heron, making it a proper gadgie walk and watched three Roe Deer grazing in a field.

At Ireshopeburn there is a museum and old chapel. Sadly both had closed for winter on October 31st!

Nearby a marker explained that John Wesley had preached several times on this spot as he went on his travels inspiring Methodism trades unions and the Labour Party! At an Outdoor Education Centre a group of children were being taught archery,

On the hillside above the village is a fine looking building, New House, built in 1700 as the headquarters of a mining company and a place where the miners could buy candles to help them see underground!

Along the Weardale Way

                                                            New House

                                                         Further along the Wear

                                                   And more decaying farmhouses.

Back at Daddry Shields we debooted and headed for The Punch Bowl at Edmondbyers which had three ales on: Uncle Fester, American Cocker and Nellies Dimples. Nellies Dimples was a fine pint.

Unfortunately I have managed to lose all the Matrix data from my mobile phone but Outdoor GPS has the walk at 9.35 miles, Brian's pedometer which I was roadtesting said 9.04 and Dave has measured the walk at 8.8 miles ,as have I.

More important is that it was a different walk from our usual expeditions with a variety of terrain and things of interest, like "Shake Holes" which abound and have nothing to do with mining but are formed in boulder clay over limestone when water causes the clay to sink. Geology, history, it's all in Weardale. Great walk, recommended.

Late update from Dave

LIDL 3D                                     19864 steps                                   9.45 miles

LIDLUSB                                   20144                                            8.9

Bird of the blog:

                                                              Fieldfare, a winter visitor.

 Contains OS data Copyright. Crown Copyright and database right 2013