Four Walks Later - Catch-Up

There was a short hiatus or space in the blogging there. There’s no reason for this, apart from the fact that I didn’t have much of interest to say.

I did four walks since the last blogging:

A reccy of a guided walk around the Efelent Trees and Bollihope, including Cowboy Pass amounting to some 11 (some would say 12) miles without the dog due to the sheer number of suckler cattle to be encountered on the route. This was remarkable mainly for the absolutely superb Northern Haymeadows encountered on Carrs Farm. These meadows may well be just about ready to be cut and are, therefore in full flower and absolutely buzzing with life. I meantersay, they’re just wonderful and alone would justify a long trip from somewhere else to Weardale just to have a look. It’d be useful to be armed with a guide to British wild flowers.

Then there was the actual guided walk. This was attended by 13 people and stewarded by Diane and Derek and, once again, Lucky was absent – mainly due to the fact that I’m not allowed a pooch when leading a walk, but also because of the cattle. Bailey, a terrier of extremely diminutive stature, did attend, though but her size and shape was not recognised as canine by any of the cows. Either that or they weren’t interested.

It rained. The meadows were wet. We got very damp up the legs.

Its a nice route, though and there’s a map below for anybody who fancies a little trundle around Weardale.

Next up was a walk in the Cheviots – at extremely short notice – I noticed extremely shortly that it had stopped raining, Lucky was chewing the cat in boredom and so we set off, topping up supplies of pasties, bananas and dark Ghanaian chocolate at Tow Law Co-Op

We started near Barrowburn and bagged Shillhope Law (I’d been up there before) , Kyloe Shin – although I’m not convinced that this is the name of this hill – it’s more likely to be Kyloe and the shin is the slight ridge on it’s South side. Mid Hill came next, complete with nettles, thistles, deep wet grass, blackfly, horseflies and a startled fox. Then Ward Law and finishing on Shorthope Hill where the cattle failed to notice us.

Apart from the fox, the walk was remarkable for the huge explosions going on over in the Otterburn training area, the gunfire, the lovely, green hills and the tea and cake at the Barrowburn tea-room afterwards. It was 9 miles.

And finally, me and Lucky attended Wolsingham Wayfarers 9 mile walk on Wolsingham North Moor. Fourteen peeps and three dogs on a gentle ramble over the grassy and heathery bits of the North Moor. I’ve  mentioned Wolsingham Wayfarers before – but for new readers and established pieblog readers who can’t remember these things, they’re a voluntary group who help to keep rights of way around Wolsingham and Frosterley open. They also do free guided walks on the second Saturday and last Thursday of every month – AND they have guided walks leaflets AND their website which provides lots more faxaninfo than is available on this Pieblog can be found by clicking here 

And that was it, really. More walkies quite soon…..