Bernie - in absentia

Wolsingham Bridge – Landieu – Harehope Quarry – White Kirkley - Pikeston Fell – Elephant Trees – Towdy Potts – Ashes House – Wolsingham Bridge

Sunny at first, temperature around 12ᵒC. Cloudy early afternoon and breezy higher up. The sun came out on the last stretch.

Ron, Sandy, George, Ken.

Bernie - helping her nephew move house

Ashley - a misery in pain

Diane and Richard - on holiday

Michelle and Michael - getting the caravan ready to go on holiday

Comments

We parked at the station and walked along the side of the river. Ruby was with us. Ken was testing his knees. We passed by a single coach “bubble car” train. The route became much muddier after we left the riverside track. We had to walk through the farm from hell – piles of dead sheep, ankle deep in mud – filthy sheepdogs in chains, as well as the route being blocked by a barn gate and the place littered with rubbish, scrap metal and a rusty crane.

We saw traces of blue whinstone in an old quarry and walked through the site of a former lead mine at Harehope, with informative information boards about the water wheel, tunnel and netty. We also found extensive limekilns, which had still been working up to 1975 on the opposite bank of the Bollihope Burn.

Our lunch spot on the climb up above White Kirkley was sheltered, with good views over Weardale. We climbed up to Pikestone Fell, meeting a little girl with a pink camera and a couple with two Bedlington Terriers on the way. Ruby was excited by her first sight of a lot of black grouse, and pulled at her lead trying to get to them.

We passed a semi-circular round stone barn. We could see a brown cow peering through a small hole in the wall. Ruby broke her lead.

Wildlife/Flora/Animals:

Lots of rabbits, lambs, some pheasants, a curlew, a chaffinch and Mallard ducks. Also a horse, some geese in a field beside the sheep and a badger sett. Lots of daffodils and wild garlic.

The Badger, Ponteland. Joined by Evelyn, Ashley, Michael and Michelle. Nice meal as usual, friendly and helpful waiter.

Walk this Way

Another Gate

Which way now?

Interesting Scent

Railway Track

Bubble Car Train