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Wednesday 8 August 2012

Massive Group of Hikers Seen on Bolts Law

bruno on bolt's law summit

Another of the Durham County Council walks wot I’ve lead was today – a walk entitled “Hunwick Hobble” a ten mile long and hard (their definition, not mine) walk from Baybridge to Bolt’s Law. I did the reccy for this a few days ago along with Bruno who knew the way and was legal since all of the walk is on public rights of way or roads.

The actual walk happened today (I mentioned this above by the way) and counting everybody including me and three stewards – Dave, Neville and Sheila – there were forty six of us.  Forty seven souls if you count the small dog that came too.

bruno enjoys hay stubble

There are no photographs of the guided walk group due to the fact that I forgot to put the memory card in the camera and the USB port on it is broken , so there’s no way of getting any of the three pictures of the long snake of walkers that followed me around the North Durham moors. I’ve deleted the pics now in a moment of petulance and low blood sugar, so they’re gone.

It was a good walk, though, on a beautiful summer day with huge views from the Cheviot to the North Yorks Moors.

turning hay near townfield

It was hot, too, when me and superdawg did the reccy. The keepers were out and busy again, preparing for August 13th (12th is a Sunday, so there’ll be no shooting on that day) and haymakers were turning hay in the meadows, so there was the sweet perfume of Sweet Vernal Grass.

bolts law from derwent mine

The route wanders up boggily through Deborah Wood and through the pastures to Townfield – all part of my adopt-a-path route – but then it goes through the Derwent Mine and over rough moor to Packletts Gate and, after a bit of a road walk, by the bridleway to Bolts Law. It was here that today’s party lunched and here, on the reccy, that me and Bruno snoozed for ninety minutes in the warm breeze.

lead flue chimney

Then, by devious paths to the smelting flue chimney and over the moor on tracks and bridleways to Blanchland Bridge and back to the start through the woods.

I think most people enjoyed the walk in the specially-arranged warm sunshine although the odd steep climb and the rough moor was a bit of a challenge for some of the walkers, but with 46 people, there’s inevitably going to be a range in people’s form and fitness. We’ll see what the feedback says.

Here’s a map. It’s a good walk. Do it!

hunstanworth hobble

3 comments:

AlanR said...

I left out the memory card on one day whilst in New Zealand. There was a little blue dot on the bottom icon line in the viewfinder, but as i hadn't seen it before i ignored it. Once we got back i checked the instruction book to find out what it was. I lost about 50 images of a great walking day. Gutted i was.

Nice to have some fine weather Mike.

Paul Crozier said...

Ah Land of my fathers. I love the upper Derwent valley. 47 walkers tho - i would have run a mile... Bus trip! :)

Dawn said...

Good to see some fine weather Mike. 47 folk, utterly amazing.