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June

route

Route

 

Walk leader

Lance

Route

Coronation Wood Car Park, Harthope Valley (Cheviots). Anticlockwise via Langlee Crags, Middleton Crags, Steel Crag, Middleton Dean, South Middleton, Middleton Old Town and Happy Valley. 9.5-miles with 1400ft of ascent.

Weather

The first 7 miles and the last 0.5 mile, mild with cloud cover and sunny intervals. And 2 miles of torrential rain in between!

Walkers

Ron, Sandy, Richard, Diane, Ken, Martin, Janette, Julie and Lance

Excuses

Ashley - shooting himself in the foot (or back)

George and Evelyn - holidaying in Mull

Bernie - holidaying in Cornwall

Michelle and Michael - holidaying on the continent

Comments

 

 

Assembly at the car park had its moments: Ken arrived from a completely baffling direction - he then mentioned he had first driven down the valley before turning around. Martin dropped his spare wheel on Lance's fingers, which resulted in some interesting language! The ford across Coldgate river gave the folk driving north an interesting challenge.

A varied walk, where all the climbing was in the first 2 miles (whilst everyone was fresh). We had the entire walk to ourselves, and got fabulous views of Cheviot and Hedgehope Hills, past several impressive crags - we had lunch at Langlee Crags. Martin tried out his skills as a newly appointed holiday guide for Ramblers Holidays. Large areas of trees have been felled, and Lance recalled one area as knee-high saplings 45 years ago...

Given the rain that had fallen over several days we were surprised how dry it was underfoot - surprised, that is, until we reached Happy Valley where the ground was often submerged under inches of water!

A lot of wildlife was spotted: hares, rabbits, many curlew, lots of lapwing, loads of skylark at close quarters, meadow pipit, buzzard, oystercatcher, adder. Very young cowlets. Cotton-grass and fairy rings. Muscovy duck, mallards with 24 ducklings in a pond. Possibly a first on a Farts walk, we found a Geocache!

 

Meal

This was to have been Milan in Wooler (fully booked), and then it was to have been Tankerville Arms in Wooler (we booked, but when we arrived we were told that the chef had resigned, and therefore no food!). We then tried the Black Bull (full), and at that point we gave gave up and headed home...

Photo Gallery

 

group

Group photo

 

walking

On our way

dog

Follow the nose

higher

Higher and higher

Housey Crage

Past Housey Crag

hills

Housey Crag and Hedgehoope Hill

hills

Hedgehope, Housey and Cheviot Hill

 

crags

Langlee Crags (Richard about to see an adder)

 

cottongrass

Cotton-grass

pathway

Heading to Steel Crags

steel crag

Farts at Steel Crag

 

middleton dean

Middleton Dean

 

ducklings

Ducklings

woods

Through the woods

walking

Heading to Middleton Old Town

 

 

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