THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2017 The Northern Echo 43 Walks what’son Walks and

metres (note the lime kiln) to reach Walk information Yockenthwaite Stone Circle beside the path just in the third field. Distance: 6.8 km (4.25 miles) After admiring this stone circle, Time: 2 hours turn around and re-trace your steps back to the track junction Maps: Ordnance Survey Explorer (3-finger signpost) just by the small OL30 – always carry an OS map barn at Yockenthwaite. As you on your walk reach this track junction again at Parking: Roadside parking Yockenthwaite, turn left (signpost alongside the on ‘Cray’) and follow the track rising the church side of the river at up to soon reach a fork in the track Hubberholme (house to your right) where you Refreshments: Pub at follow the left-hand track climbing Hubberholme. Seasonal tea rooms up the hillside, curving up to the at Scar House. right for 275 metres to reach a How to get there: Hubberholme path off to the right through a lies along a minor road just off gate (signpost ‘Hubberholme’), the B6160 near Buckden in the just as the track steepens. Turn Dales. right along this track and follow it across the wooded hillside, then Terrain:Paths and tracks along climbing up the bank to a gap in an riverside, woodland and rough pastureland. Stiles, limestone rock old wall (signpost). After this gap and rough ground in places. There in the old wall, head to the right is a long ascent and descent on this across a flat shelf of land, crossing walk. numerous old limestone walls (and three wall-gates), for 650 metres Caution: Take care walking along before rising up again slightly to the riverbank. Some of the paths chapel in this Norman hunting 1698, although extensively restored the Wharfe down to your left, reach a footbridge across Strans are slippery/muddy. Limestone is forest, and was subsequently in 1876. The present building for about 200 metres to emerge Gill. After the footbridge follow very slippery when wet. given to the monks of Coverham stands on the site of a much older out onto a field. Follow the very the footpath straight on through Abbey by William de Percy in 1241. farmhouse. In 1652 George Fox, clear riverside path straight on woodland to soon emerge out onto The church boasts a wealth of founder of the Quakers, visited heading across meadows and a field, where you carry straight on Points of interest interesting features in particular Scar House and converted the along the wooded riverbank for 350 metres to join a stony track a very rare Rood Loft which was farmer, after which the house was through a succession of stiles and just above Scar House. Follow this HE upper reaches of brought here from Coverham used as a Friends Meeting House by gates for 2 km until the houses of stony track to the right to reach are known Abbey in 1558, one of only two locals. It is now in the care of the Yockenthwaite come onto view. As Scar House. as Chase, in Yorkshire that escaped the National Trust. Yockenthwaite comes into view, derived from the Viking Reformation and possibly the head up through a wall-stile just T oldest in , as well as more before some sheep pens, then head Follow the track passing words for ‘long marshy 3between the house and barns, valley’ and also the Norman French contemporary ‘Mousey’ Thompson up to the left through a gate then The walk then continue along this track ‘chasse’ which means to hunt for oak pews. J. B. Priestley, whose straight on along the track into leading quite steeply down for 275 this was the hunting preserve ashes are buried near the church, Yockenthwaite. metres before bending sharply of the Earls of Northumberland loved this place and regularly called From the bridge over the River 1Wharfe at Hubberholme, follow and was governed by its own into the George Inn for a drink. round to the left and then levelling Follow the track straight on laws, courts and privileges; the the road round passing the entrance off – continue along this track 2across the sloping green between forest officials would have lived at to the church, immediately for a further 500 metres back to From Hubberholme, our route the houses then, as you reach a Buckden. after which turn left along a Hubberholme. follows the delightful River Wharfe farm track (signpost ‘, track (just after the last house) to the hamlet of Yockenthwaite, Yockenthwaite’). Follow this farm that leads down to the bridge, Hubberholme is a delightful whose unusual name dates back track straight on, with the church turn right along this stony track Mark Reid hamlet with a wonderful old pub to the Vikings; ‘thwaite’ means a on your left, and through a gate just then bending sharp left at the Hill Skills and Outdoor Adventures on one side of the bridge and an clearing in woodland. Just beyond to the left of the farm buildings. house to quickly reach a track teamwalking.co.uk ancient church on the other. Over Yockenthwaite is a well preserved After the gate, follow the track junction (3-finger signpost). Head 1,000 years ago a Viking chieftain Bronze Age stone circle, thought to round to the left to quickly reach left, passing to the left of the called Hubba settled here and be the kerbstones of a ring cairn. a fork (signpost), where you follow small barn (signpost ‘Dales Way, Unique corporate activity days, consequently gave his name to this the return walk climbs up across the left-hand (level) path (signpost ’) and follow the navigation skills and team building hamlet. This church, dedicated the steep valley slopes to reach ‘Dales Way, Yockenthwaite’). Follow track straight on through the gate experiences in the great outdoors. to St Michael and All Angels, was Scar House high on the hillside. the clear narrow path straight ahead. Follow this clear track teamwalking.co.uk founded in the 12th Century as a This old farmhouse dates from on across a wooded bank, with straight on across two fields for 600

Birdwatch By Ian Kerr

NCE in a while Grebes exist almost exclusively it flashed too near the grebe. observations are proof that there draw. Usually only singles occur birdwatchers make the on a diet of small fish, aquatic The incidents are reported in the are some things still to discover but this year things seem to be O most extraordinary invertebrates and insects. But latest edition of the Lek, magazine even about the behaviour of some different. Three juveniles have discoveries that prove to be new over the last two years regulars of the Durham Bird Club. I’ve of our more familiar species. been showing well at Saltholme to science. Usually it involves at Rainton Meadows have noticed spent time this week going Pectoral sandpipers breed on the mud in front of the Phil rare and little-studied species in one grebe which has developed a through all the available literature across arctic regions of North Stead hide while two others, distant places where birders are taste for the flesh of other birds, on the diet of great crested grebes, America and migrate to winter also young birds, have been few and far between. something never previously something covered at length in in South America. Every autumn showing sporadically with flocks However, the latest discovery recorded. the birders “bible,” The Birds of some, particularly inexperienced of dunlins at Druridge Pools in involves one of most graceful During bad weather, sand the Western Palearctic. Its writing juveniles attempting their first Northumberland. and familiar water-birds, the martins and swallows feed low team drew on all known data from long journey, are blown off-course great crested grebe, a species best over water, simply because Europe, western Asia and North by westerly Atlantic weather known for its striking plumage that’s where most of the insects Africa and don’t record anything systems and end up this side of and elaborate courtship rituals. are hatching out. Birders at about grebes taking other birds. the ocean, making them the most The discovery wasn’t in some Rainton were astonished to see They do record them as taking regular of the American waders little-visited spot, but in the this particular grebe lunging at dragonflies so perhaps it’s just to reach Britain. Our wetland familiar surroundings of the lake passing martins and catching and a short step for an enterprising areas attract a handful annually on the Rainton Meadow reserve in devouring them. One observer individual to target other small and because of their comparative Durham. also saw a swallow being taken as flying creatures. The Durham rarity they are always a big