Boxing Day
Mr Sprout
Joint winner of Photo of the Year
Walk leader | Michelle |
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Route | Ovington – Bearl Farm – Northacomb Farm – Pepy Farm – Sod Hall – Bywell – Ovington |
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Weather | Fine and dry. Warm for the time of year, although there was a chill wind at lunch. |
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Walkers | Michelle, Ron, Sandy, George. |
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Comments |
The walk was a bit noisy in places due to the proximity of the A69. We passed the gritting depot and the flooded quarry at Bearl. We walked through Northacomb Farm, which has the best pork pie shop in the north. We stopped for lunch under the trees where there was a nice view, and the smell of marijuana emanating from the adjacent dry-stone wall (at least, according to Ron and Sandy). We saw a badger sett and badger prints under a hedge. A descent past Sod Hall took us to the historic village of Bywell. At one time the capital of Northumbria, it has the remains of an unfinished medieval castle, and also a market cross and two old churches. We lost Ron temporarily when he decided to have a seat outside St Andrew’s Church. The other church is no longer used for services. Near the top of its tower, several Roman stone toilet seats have been incorporated. As we left the village we saw a white horse which we mistakenly thought was trying to walk into a house. There were lots of people and dogs around. Ruby was very well-behaved. We saw several horses, and the usual selection of cows and sheep, including a blackface. Also two deer, mallards, heron, three cormorants and some long-tailed tits. There were still some sloes on the bushes, and an unusual fungus on a tree bark. After a steep climb back into Ovington, we went back to Michael and Michelle’s house where Michael had coffee, mince pies and Christmas cake waiting for us. |
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Meal | ||||
George and Evelyn went for a Chinese at The New Rendezvous (no-one else was able to join them). Excellent as usual.
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Photo Gallery |
Boxing Day walkers
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Friendly horse |
Two horses |
Baleful Hay Bale
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Past the Farm
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Woodpile
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Castle
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Bywell Hall
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Approaching the church
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St Andrew's, Bywell
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River
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