THURSDAY, AUGUST 24, 2017 The Northern Echo 39 Walks what’son Walks Around Cotherstone

solitary Butter Stone. Follow this moorland path straight on across Walk information Cotherstone Moor for 700 metres (crossing three wooden footbridges Distance: 7.75 km (4.8 miles) made from old railway sleepers) to Time: 2 hours reach a ford across Crook Beck set in a small valley. Do NOT cross this Maps: OS Explorer OL 31 ‘North stream but turn right immediately Pennines’ before it along a narrow path, Parking: On-street parking and follow this straight on with throughout Cotherstone the stream on your right walking Refreshments: Pubs at along the top of a low bank. After Cotherstone; no facilities en route. about 200 metres the stream bends away to your left, where you carry How to get there: Cotherstone straight on along the narrow path lies on the B6277 between Barnard Butter Stone, which is situated along the top of the low bank for Castle and Middleton-in-Teesdale at the junction of old routes to a further 300 metres to join a wall Terrain:Old railway line (cinder Cotherstone, Barnard Castle, Bowes out onto a field. After the stile, head line). Head through the tunnel on your left. Carry straight on track-bed, woodland), field and and Baldersdale. This solitary stone left alongside the fence/old track- and walk along the track for 100 alongside this wall then, where this woodland tracks, farm lanes, has a sad tale to tell for during the bed on your left, passing the former metres to reach a T-junction with wall bends away, carry on along the country roads and a narrow path 1660s plague struck the people of Cotherstone station on your left, a metalled lane (buildings to your narrow path bearing very slightly across rough grassy moorland. Barnard Castle. To avoid spreading just beyond which follow the fence/ left), where you turn right along right across the moorland for 250 Caution: Several roads to cross. the disease to the surrounding field boundary round to the right the lane for 25 metres then, before metres to reach a wall corner on Overgrown paths and rough farms and villages, the people of down the field then, just before the the bridge across Scur Beck, turn your right. Continue straight on moorland path. This walk is not Barnard Castle would come up onto bridge over Lance Beck (stream) right along a grassy track that along the narrow path for a further recommended for dogs as there this moorland and leave money at the bottom of the field, turn left leads into woodland (signpost). 400 metres gradually dropping are cows and calves in some of the on this stone in return for dairy through a stile in the hedge. After Follow this clear track straight on down across the moorland to re- fields. produce left by local farmers, thus the stile, walk straight on across the through woodland to reach an old join the moorland road. avoiding direct contact with each field to reach the road on the edge railway tunnel after 200 metres Turn left along the unfenced Points of interest other. of Cotherstone. (bridge missing), after which 5road and follow it down for 250 The walk Turn left along the road (take continue along the track through metres then, as the walls close OTHERSTONE is a 2care) then almost immediately woodland for a further 600 metres in, take the path to the left over a lovely village in the right up some steps onto the old to reach a road. wall-stile (signpost) just after the heart of Teesdale, with From Cotherstone village green, railway track-bed (Tees Railway Cross the road (take extra care) entrance to Pinners Cottage (and old cottages, pubs and a 1follow the main road through Walk), just before a small Network 3and follow the left-hand of two just before Lance Bridge across Csmall village green. From the village towards Barnard Castle roads ahead. Follow this single- Crook Beck). Cross the wall-stile Gas building, and before the new Cotherstone, our route follows the (passing the village green on your houses. Follow the railway track- track road straight on, with the and follow the path straight on track-bed of the former Darlington left) then, where the main road bed embankment straight on valley of Scar Beck falling away through woodland, quickly over to Middleton-in-Teesdale railway. bends left at the top of the village through woodland for 500 metres to your left, for 500 metres to a stone-slab footbridge across This railway opened in 1868, green, take the turning to the to reach a grassy bridleway cutting reach Naby Farm. Walk straight Crook Beck then up over a stile, originally to connect Barnard right towards ‘Bowes’. Follow this across the track, where you carry on through the farmyard passing then continue straight on along Castle and Alston although the road up passing the Village Hall straight on along the old railway between the barns, at the end of the enclosed path (woodland on railway only reached Middleton- and then St Cuthbert’s Church, track-bed for a further 400 metres which carry straight on along your right) to reach a small gate in-Teesdale. The line closed in 1964 just beyond which you come to to reach some steps to the right that the enclosed track ahead for 125 that leads out onto a field. After and much of it now forms the Tees a small triangular village green, lead up to a gate (railway track- metres to reach a gate at the end of the gate, walk straight across the Railway Walk. As we approach where you follow the pavement on bed impassable beyond this). After the enclosed track. After the gate, middle of the field to reach a large Lartington, we pass beneath the left-hand side of this green, the gate, turn left across the field walk straight on across the field gap in the hedge, after which carry Teesdale’s other former railway, at the top of which you come to a (walking parallel with the railway (caution: cows and calves - walk straight on across the middle of the the South Durham & Lancashire lane (just before the house looking line) to quickly reach a gate in along the field perimeter and give next field to reach a wall-stile at the Union Railway (otherwise known down the small green). Turn left the corner of the field. After the them a wide berth; do not enter bottom of the field, then continue as the Stainmore Railway). This along the lane for a short distance gate, cross straight over the track this field if accompanied by a dog) straight on across the next small was built to move coal from the then, just before the entrance to and walk on across the field for along the indistinct track to reach field and up a ladder stile back onto Durham coalfields to the west coast the children’s playground, take the 25 metres up onto a grassy ramp a gate in a wall at the top of the the Tees Railway Walk. Turn right of Cumbria, and was a scenic route enclosed footpath that branches off leading from a bridge over the old field, after which follow the rough along the old railway track-bed and follow this back to join the road across the Stainmore Pass. This to the right. Follow this enclosed railway line, where you turn right indistinct track straight on across on the outskirts of Cotherstone. railway closed in 1962. and overgrown path straight on across the field, passing a 3-finger the grassy moorland for 450 metres Turn left along this road back into We then follow farm lanes and out of the village for 150 metres to signpost in the middle of the field, to reach an unfenced moorland Cotherstone. tracks to reach Cotherstone Moor. reach the old railway line (former and on to re-join the track you have road. This moorland is criss-crossed with Teesdale line). Cross straight over just crossed, which you follow on Turn right along the road for Mark Reid old tracks and bridleways. Just this old railway line over the the through a tunnel through another 4125 metres then take the path to Walking Weekends 2017 beside the road stands the historic concrete stile opposite that leads old railway line (former Stainmore the left (signpost) just before the walkingweekenders.co.uk

Birdwatch By Ian Kerr

OSEATE terns, our rarest so called because of the very 45 roosting at Budle Point 20 miles heron, a wanderer from southern What at one stage looked like breeding seabirds, are on pale rosy flush on the breasts of northwards from Coquet Island. Europe. a very poor breeding season R the move from their local breeding adults, have faded out They were probably attracted A month ago I reported how has been dramatically turned colony and have been providing at many former breeding sites there by hundreds of others terms many pairs of swallows which around by their sheer persistence. sightings this week right along leaving Coquet Island, with just which have bred on the Farne suffered disastrous losses Perhaps the resilience of swallows the coast. Adults and juveniles over 100 pairs, now accounting Islands and in the much smaller of chicks during a period of in the face of adversity is one dispersing from Coquet Island for 90% of the United Kingdom’s colonies on Beadnell Bay and at northern winds and rain at the of the reasons why they are one are being attracted to the regular population. Lindisfarne. end of June, were bouncing back of our most common and most pre-migration roosts of Arctic, They have had a very successful The possibility of finding and laying fresh clutches of eggs. welcome of our regular summer common and Sandwich terns breeding season with birds now roseate terns ensures that all the visitors. which always build up at this This week I’ve been out checking rapidly dispersing before starting regular mixed roosts are being stage of summer. the various nest sites around my to migrate southwards to their carefully scrutinised by birders village where I found broods of Small groups of roseate regular wintering areas off West keen to add this rare species to dead youngsters. I was delighted terns have occurred in these Africa. Not all have started the their annual local lists. to find that the replacement gathering at the South Gare, journey by moving southwards Saltholme seems to have had a families are now successfully Filey, Whitburn, South Shields as might be expected. But all of monopoly of the rarities which fledging. The great resilience and at several localities in our terns tend to wander widely have occurred over the past week shown by these adult swallows Northumberland. before migrating. In fact, the with an elusive American white- mean that large numbers of These most elegant of terns, biggest group this week involved rumped sandpiper and a night juveniles are now on the wing.