Month: October 2016
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Arthur's Pike
Above Whinny Crag, above the elbow in Ulf’s lake where the whole of its nine mile length can be seen. In the ’60s Ullswater almost became a reservoir, following in the fate of Thirlemere and Haweswater but a passionate speech by Lord Birket, persuaded the House of Lords to defeat the proposal.
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Mostly Herdwicks
Sandwick: sorting the sheep probably for tupping. Mostly Herdwicks with their unique genome that no other bred has. The red smit mark along with the ear clipping identifies the flock, passed down the generations from shepherd to shepherd.
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Martindale Red deer
Too tired to move but alert and watching us closely. Up all night and day rutting and keeping rivals at bay. Bellows echoing around the fells.
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Pooley Bridge
In the Lakes for a few days. Last of the afternoon sun. Looking down Elder Beck towards Ullswater and Pooley Bridge. The wooded hill in Dunmallard with its ancient settlement.
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Skelton Park Pit
Very little remains of Cleveland ironstone mines. It was second only to coal as the UK’s biggest extractive industry. Ironstone had been mined in the Cleveland Hills since the 12th Century when primitive furnaces called bloomeries were used to melt the iron out of stone gained from rock outcrops along the dale sides. But it…
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The best thing about Pteridium aquilinum …
… is when it’s dying off. Bracken, carcinogenic, toxic to livestock, invasive and dominating, smothering the growth of other plants. At the height of the summer it forms an impenetrable undergrowth. Yet the autumn bracken changes to rich yellow hues. Super even on a drizzly morning.
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Red Admiral
I have’t noticed many butterflies this year. Has there been a shortage? This Red Admiral was fluttering about the ivy flowers on a hedge on Dykes Lane at Gribdale. It’s one of the last butterflies to be seen before winter sets in. Arriving in the spring from the continent nettles are a major food source for its caterpillars.…
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Saltburn Pier
“Forth, Tyne, Dogger: East 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 in Forth and Dogger, veering southeast 4 or 5 later. Rough, occasionally very rough later in Forth and Dogger. Occasional rain. Moderate or good”. A late afternoon walk on the beach at Saltburn with the tide on the turn. Breezy and big seas.
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Newton Woods
A day spent working with the National Trust to carry out repairs to the steps on the main tourist route up Roseberry through Newton Woods. Two tonnes of hardcore hand carried up in buckets to make good the treads which had sunk due to compaction. 28 done, only 170 to go.
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The Cheshire Stone
Another wet morning left me dithering to go out but by lunch time the sun was breaking through. Even on the Cleveland Hills I am always amazed to discover new places and vistas. I was browsing the 1853 Ordnance Survey 6″ map when I spotted the name Cheshire Stone on the edge of Urra Moor overlooking Bilsdale. To…