Yet Another Teesdale Trundle

This is the penultimate reccy for the summertime Durham County Council walks programme. This one is just a bit of simple fellwalking. I also wanted to have a look at a bit of path that me and Louise missed a few weeks back when it went dark.

And so, bright and early this morning, with Superdawg all revved up and me full of porridge, we hurtled off to Middleton in Teesdale, abandoned the knipemobile in the working mens club car park and took to the high road that goes to Newbiggin. This is a cracking easy bit of walking with a fine view of Teesdale and a small betusked pig, who either wanted our company, it being a bit lonely up there, or, more likely a tasty snack. Bruno barked at him. He didn’t seem too bothered. We pressed on.

We did the bit of missed path – just as well we didn’t try this in the dark, as it happens, followed by pleasant riverbanks to a footbridge and a path through sheep pastures to the outer suburbs of Holwick.

A bit later and we were enjoying the brief drama of Holwick scar and then the wide-open spaces of Crosthwaite Common. Agoraphobics would not enjoy Crosthwaite Common. I couldn’t help noticing that today there were curlew, snipe and golden plover calling. Spring must be just turning the corner at the end of our road. We need to put the kettle on for when it gets home. Get the biscuit tin out and turn up the gas fire…  And the other noticeable bird, jinking around making squeaky toy noises were the lapwings. This is lapwing central. I determined to use the “movie” function on the digital camera to capture their antics. I got the camera out, selected “movie” – and they’d all gone. I put the camera away and they all came back. camera out – no lapwings. Camera in – lapwings. Eventually I got a poor and windy shot of two red grouse escaping and a panoramic shot of the fellside which was noticeably absent of small brown dogs. Bruno had gone hunting.

After a short period  that sinking feeling, he returned, apparently without having killed anything, despite the apparent access to large supplies of wabbits.  He always returns. He has a phobia about being left behind. We continued. 

At lunchtime, we enjoyed the plush comfort if a luncheon hut. (see pic)  This bijoux palace provides excellent shelter from the nithering wind which appears to have forgotten that it was supposed to be a nice, early spring day. The sunshine of the early morning had been replaced by a grey glaur; the hillfog creeping down the hillsides and there was drizzle on the wind. brrrrrrrr….

Later, we joined the Pennine Way back past Kirkcarrion to Middleton. I had another go at creeping up on some lapwings with my camera on “movie”. They buggerred off again. I ate an orange. Bruno snoozed briefly.

More later, I rediscovered Dawn’s chocolaty care package in the glovebox and whilst Bruno enjoyed a rodeo chew, I grazed on orange and pink chocolate drops on the drive home. Pink? What’s she trying to say? Eh?

The walk was ten and a half miles. Its quite a nice walk, really. I must try a different strategy for the lapwings. I’m determined to have a video of them.