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Thursday 20 September 2012

Edmundbyers Lead Mine Trail Guided Walk

edmundbyers moors - college farm

A couple of days ago, I lead a nine-and-a-bit mile guided walk from Edmundbyers. And, it being a Wednesday, and a sunny one, there were forty of us, including me and the two stewards, Dave and Dave. (Due to government cuts, from now on, all guided walks stewards will be know as “Dave”. This, apparently, will save millions of pounds and Spennymoor baths won;t have to close after all – so they’ll have to build a supermarket somewhere else…)

coffee stop in a hole

Anyway, this fine turnout meant that we had to be more careful about where and how we parked – there having been representations from the Edmundbyers Watch Committee (they’re saving up for a watch for the vicar) – representations to the County Council that we didn’t park badly and block gateways and the space reserved for the hearse outside the church.

We set off in fine sunshine but with the usual Pennine nither seeping over the Atlantic from the general direction of Iceland.

making a break for freedom

Our pace was brisk. This was partly due to us trying to keep up with two punters who made a break for freedom and were way ahead. Its obvious that they were new to this guided walking lark, or they’d have been a bit more cautious about my strategy of dealing with runaways by either hiding behind trees, or in the heather, or by sudden and unplanned changes of direction.

sykehead flue

a sheltered spot for lunch

We did manage a couple of small diversions – one of which was to visit the flue. (which reminds me, I have an appointment for a preventative jab for flu next month..) But I digress – this particular flue starts at the site of a lead smelting mill and ends, a mile and a half away on the fell at a chimney. This chimney has appeared on the pieblog before and some readers will recognise it. It’s where we hid from the cold breeze for our lunch.

chimney

On the return leg, we lost two walkers due to a domestic emergency, and visited Sandyford farm where details of an ‘Orrible Murder were relayed. There was common agreement that the housekeeper’s would-be suitor did it as he’d been stalking her recently.

It was a nice day.

Its a good walk and, well, we’ve been here before dozens of times on the pieblog. Its all very gentle and you can’t get lost.

Here’s a map.

edmundbyers lm trail

 

5 comments:

Dawn said...

Some nice walking there Mike. At the current amount of numbers, it will be a coach load next??????

Hells Teeth said...

Was that a joke about Spenny baths?

Mike Knipe said...

I think it's the light that's attracting them, Dawn....
Just a joke, HT. Its not a supermarket...... (actually, it was a bit of Crook sarcasm referring to what happened to Glenholme leisure Centre. One minute it was there, and then it was gone....) But its OK, there's a pool in Consett, apparently...

chrissiedixie said...

How on earth do you to manage to keep 40 hikers together? I bet it's worse than taking a class of kids out!

Mike Knipe said...

Its not so bad, Chrissie. There's two, sometimes three stewards who count heads every now and then and there's always one at the back who can stop the group if somebody starts straggling. I try to keep an eye on what's going on behind and try to control the speed so that it doesn't get too spread out. A series of close together stiles is a bit of a nightmare, though....