THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015 The Northern Echo 39 Walks what’son & Cover Banks Walk information Walks Distance: 4.5 km / 2.75 miles Time: Allow 1 - 2 hours Map: OS Sheets OL30 Points of interest in Scotland and Ireland, but less so Parking: On-street parking in the North of . There is throughout Middleham a bust of the Kelpie’s head at the Refreshments: Choice at HIS is a lovely short nearby Cover Bridge Inn. Middleham walk, full of interest and ideal for families, Terrain: Field and riverside paths with and legends as well as farm tracks, with some T stretches through woodland along along the way. The walk starts from Middleham where, The walk the banks of the River Cover – the hidden behind the elegant Georgian riverside paths are undulating and stone-built houses, stands the From the Market Cross in the muddy underfoot. The path that ruins of Middleham . This 1centre of Middleham, head up leads down and up Cover Banks is castle dates back to 1190 and has along the road that leaves quite steep. played an important role in the the top of the Market Place passing How to get there: Middleham is history of England as this was once the Black Swan on your left (signed situated along the A6108 to the south the stronghold of the powerful ‘Middleham Castle’) and follow this of Leyburn Neville family, Earls of Warwick, road up to quickly reach the Swine Caution: The path along Cover for over 200 years from where they Cross (weathered stone animal) and Banks is undulating and rough ruled their vast Northern estates Water Fountain in the small market underfoot, with some short, but virtually as a separate kingdom. place known as the Swine Market. steep sections and some steep drops The heyday of the castle was during Turn left along the lane to quickly to the side of the path in places. the 15th Century especially during reach the entrance to Middleham Take care along the riverside paths, the War of the Roses. Richard Castle, just after which turn right particularly after heavy rain. Plantaganet, later the Duke of along the track and follow this Gloucester then Richard III, grew up (with the Castle on your right) up at the castle where he later met then, just before the gate at the top his wife Lady , the of the walled track (just beyond a daughter of the Earl of Warwick. bungalow on your left), turn left Their son Edward, Prince of Wales through a wooden gate along an was born at the castle. Richard enclosed grassy path. Follow this became king in 1483 but was killed path straight on to reach a kissing- at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. gate that leads out onto a field. The castle soon fell into disrepair Walk straight on, keeping close and remained Crown property to the field boundary on your left until 1625 when passed into private (passing the sports field on your ownership. Much of the stonework left) to reach a squeeze-stile in the field. After the gate, walk straight stile over a wall at the end of the land. Head through the gate and was plundered in the 17th Century, bottom left corner of the field. After on across the field alongside the woods, after which carry straight continue straight on, with the wall thanks to Cromwell’s destructive the squeeze-stile, walk on across the wall on your right to reach the brow on across the open wooded pastures now on your left, heading down tendencies, and went to build local large undulating field, bearing left of the steep bank above the River (with the river to your left) to soon towards Middleham Castle. The houses. to join the field boundary on your Cover. Drop down the bank to reach cross an old tumbledown wall then path becomes a track and leads left, which you follow down to reach the riverside, where you turn right continue on along the riverside down through a gate in the bottom a stile in the bottom left corner of Our route heads past the castle, over a stile to reach some stepping path for a further 175 metres to corner of the field, after which the field that leads onto an enclosed then across fields and along tracks stones across the river just beyond. reach another old wall across your re-trace your steps back along the track (Straight Lane). track passing the Castle and into to reach the steep wooded banks path, with the river immediately Middleham. of the River Cover. This stretch of Do not cross these stepping on your left. Turn immediately the river is really beautiful, with Turn right along the track and 3stones, but continue straight on right after this old wall and climb wooded slopes and rushing water 2follow it passing Chapelfields along the riverside path through up to the top of the fairly steep - it is known as Cover Banks. It is house on your left then continue woodland. The path soon opens bank then, at the ‘crossroads’ of Mark Reid also the haunt of the legendary along the track for a further 500 out into a field – head straight on paths at the top of the steep bank, Walking Weekends 2014 Kelpie. The Kelpie is a supernatural metres (passing a couple more keeping close to the river to reach continue straight on through some Peak District, Dales, water horse that dates back to houses/buildings) then, where a small gate in the far right corner undergrowth/trees and out onto Lake District & Snowdonia Celtic folklore thousands of years the clear track bends sharp right of the field beside a large bend in a large field. Walk straight on, walkingweekenders.co.uk ago. This horse-like creature is said around an open-sided barn up the river, from where steps lead keeping close to the fence/wall on Unique corporate activity days, to lure the unwary traveller into the towards South Lodge, head straight back up into the woodland. A clear your right, up across the large field navigation skills and team building turbulent waters and then drown on along the enclosed rough track undulating path now threads its for 450 metres to reach a gate in experiences in the great outdoors. them. Such legends of mythical ahead (off this sharp bend) to soon way across the wooded slopes of the top right-hand corner of this teamwalking.co.uk river creatures are quite common reach a gate that leads out onto a Cover Banks (take care) to reach a field at the top of the wide ridge of

Countrydiary By Phil GatesBBirdwatch y Ian Kerr

HERE are many old country sayings the seeds to fall out. INTER storms usually produce life in rough seas. I know we shouldn’t that claim to predict our weather Mechanisms like some good seabird movements attribute human sentiments to birds, but W and last weekend’s two days of T from natural phenomena. Some, like this, where moisture whenever I see them like that I cannot help ‘red sky at night, shepherds’ delight’ have strong northerly winds and rough seas but feel that they really enjoy the elements. changes produce some factual basis, because a red glow at were no exception. Large numbers of little movements in parts Ring ouzels are always one of our sunset on the western horizon often brings auks were swept from the Atlantic into of plants long after earliest spring migrants but occasional fine weather on the following day. Others, the North Sea. As they battled to return individuals, particularly males, can like the belief that a heavy berry crop in they are dead are northwards, they provided some excellent quite common. remain in winter. That probably explains autumn forewarns of a hard winter are sea-watching for those determined enough the discovery this week of one feeding fanciful, because the size of the berry One of the most to brave the elements. around a beet pile at Roxby, North crop depends on flower pollination back beautiful examples More than 300 passed Whitburn with Yorkshire. I recall once finding a superb in spring, not future winter weather. But can be found in the smaller numbers logged right along the male on New Year’s Day during a winter some things in nature – notably pine cones tiny rings of teeth coast from locations including Burniston, when several others remained in the – respond within minutes to changes in the that surround the Saltburn and several headlands in region. The pick of the rarities this week weather. open ends of moss spore capsules. These Northumberland. A few pomarine skuas, was also in , a drake The only living parts of a ripe pine cone dead structures respond almost instantly velvet scoters and Iceland gulls also American wigeon in a gathering of 400 are the seeds. The woody bracts that they sit to the slightest change in atmospheric featured. Among common species, the common wigeon at Nosterfield. moisture. on are dead but respond quickly to changes season’s first returning gannets and good The recent RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch in moisture, so in damp, humid weather the The most remarkable example of this numbers of fulmars also appeared. I could break records. 115,000 people woody fibres within them take up moisture ‘life after death’ behaviour can be found in enjoyed watching some of these gannets submitted sightings of four million birds and expand, closing the cone. wild oat seeds, which have a whiskery ‘tail’ and fulmars planing into the teeth of the within a couple of days, the biggest and In dry, sunny weather they quickly lose which straightens when wet but curls and gale, skimming through the deep troughs fastest response recorded. Organisers are moisture and contract, creating internal rotates as it dries, literally drilling the seed and riding the up-draughts from wavetops. now appealing for everyone else to submit tensions that twist the bract back and allow into the ground. Both species are superbly designed for their counts by February 16.