12 The Northern Echo Thursday, December 24, 2009 7DAYS northernecho.co.uk COUNTRY DIARY WALKS OVEthem or hate them, there’s no doubt that Brussels sprouts Egglestone L have become a familiar feature in the traditional British Christmas dinner. How did this unlikely vegetable – which By in botanical terms is a giant bud – originate? Mark Reid To see the ancestor of the Brussels Abbey & Whorlton Bridge sprout you need travel no further than POINTS OF INTEREST the village of Staithes in North HE ruins of Egglestone Yorkshire, where wild cabbages grow Abbey stand proudly above all over the steep cliffs. Wild cabbage the wooded banks of the isn’t a very common plant in Britain, scattered around various coastal River Tees. This abbey was Tfounded in the 1190s by locations, and Staithes holds one of the finest populations of a plant that has Premonstratensian monks, who given rise to a whole family of familiar were similar to the Cistercian vegetables. Descendants of the wild Order in that they followed a strict cabbage include – in addition to the rule of austerity, which meant that various forms of cultivated cabbage – it never became a wealthy or kale, cauliflower, broccoli and Brussels powerful abbey. Following Henry sprouts. Each of these is a mutant form VIII’s Dissolution of the of cabbage, selected for extreme Monasteries in the 16th Century, characteristics. Cauliflowers are mutant some of the redundant buildings cabbage flower heads, with dense were rebuilt as an Elizabethan clusters of tiny flower buds that are too Hall, however, these are now also closely packed together to develop fully ruins. Close by is the spectacular and flower. Brussels sprouts, originally 18th Century Abbey Bridge that bred in Belgium, are rows of outsized spans the powerful waters of the buds that develop between the plant’s Tees in a single graceful arch rising leaf bases and stem. In modern forms from the limestone ledges deep of Brussels sprout selective plant within a narrow wooded gorge. Our Based on Ordnance Survey mapping © breeding has been taken to an extreme walk follows this river gorge all the Crown copyright:AM26/09 level, generating hybrid varieties that way to Whorlton Bridge, passing produce a high yield of hard, even- Rokeby Park along the way. The WALKFACTS sized sprouts that can be harvested once thriving village of Rokeby and frozen easily using modern was all but cleared away in the Distance: 10.5 km (6.5 miles) mechanised food production 1730s when Rokeby Park was built Time: Allow 3 hours techniques. and the surrounding parkland laid Wild cabbage is a handsome plant out by Sir Thomas Robinson. Sir Map: OS Explorer OL31 and with large undulating leaves that are Walter Scott was a frequent visitor Explorer 304 often tinged purple, and in summer it to the hall and composed his poem Start/Parking: Small car park at pass over to the left-hand side of Tees) to reach a small gate in the field produces a fine display of yellow Rokeby in the grounds. This is Egglestone Abbey the wall and continue straight on corner to the left of a field gate. After where the rivers Greta and Tees flowers. It’s a plant that’s adapted to life Refreshments: Bridge Inn at across the next field (wall now on the small gate, walk straight on across meet, known as the Meeting of the on cliffs where it’s often drenched in Whorlton. your right) to reach a metal gate in the field keeping close to the wall on salty sea spray and its salt tolerance is Waters, a beautiful spot where the a wall across your path (house just your right to reach a small gate in the sometimes revealed when tidal surges peaty waters of the two rivers have Terrain: Riverside, woodland across to your right). After the top corner of the field, after which flood coastal gardens. The salty water carved deep channels into the and field paths almost all the gate, head diagonally to the left head straight on across the next field kills most garden plants, but cabbages underlying limestone. The erosive way, with some quiet lanes and a down across the field (passing to to reach a large solitary tree in the and their family of cultivated relatives power of the River Greta is seen to short stretch of road walking. the left of the telegraph pole in the middle of the field (beside a spring), always survive the salty flood. best effect from Dairy Bridge which There are numerous stiles as middle of the field) heading where you bear left across the field to Phil Gates spans a deep limestone ravine; this well as muddy sections. towards Whorlton Bridge (with its reach a wall stile (two-thirds of the bridge is said to be haunted. How to get there: From the A66 speed signs) down to reach a stile way down the field). Cross the wall- Nearby is the fortified house of at Greta Bridge, follow the minor in the far bottom corner of the field stile then bear left across the field to Mortham Tower, a 14th Century that leads onto the road beside reach a stile in the bottom corner of BIRDWATCH pele tower that was built to provide road towards Barnard Castle to reach Abbey Bridge across the Whorlton Bridge. Turn left along the field. Cross the stile then walk Tbeing Christmas, I had planned to protection against Scottish raiders. River Tees, where you take the the road over Whorlton Bridge, straight on across fields and over write about a bird near the public’s The magnificent Whorlton Bridge stiles (my tape recorder did not record turning just before the bridge to immediately after which (just after Iheart at this time of year, namely the is one of the oldest suspension this bit of the walk, so I am unsure reach Egglestone Abbey the old toll cottage) head left up the Robin, Britain’s national bird and as bridges in the country, still steps (signpost) that lead quite how many fields you cross before you much a part of the festive season as supported by its original chains. It Caution: There are some steep steeply up across the wooded head down to the left!) alongside the angels, cribs and carols. was completed in 1831 and was drops to the side of the path in hillside to re-join the road on the field boundary on your left then, at a That idea vanished when Christmas originally a toll bridge; the little places, as well as stepping stones edge of Whorlton. waymarker, bear slightly left down came six days early for a few very toll house still stands on the north across a side-stream, which may through a gate that leads into lucky birders with two sightings of a bank, complete with a list of tolls be difficult after heavy rain. Walk along the road for a few woodland. white Gyrfalcon. As it is difficult to displayed on the wall. Merry 4paces then take the path that believe that two could occur on the Christmas. branches offto the left (signpost After the gate, follow the path same day, what was presumable the Teesdale Way) heading along the 6straight on through the woods same bird passed over on Saturday at THE WA LK top of the wooded riverbank above (with the fence and edge of the fields Newbiggin, Northumberland, and at From the car park at Egglestone the Tees. Follow this path straight just to your right) all the way to reach 1Abbey, turn left along the lane Crook where it disappeared towards Tees and Greta (Meeting of the on to reach a small gate at the end a gate that leads back out onto the the town’s golf course. (passing the abbey ruins on your Waters) in front of you where you of the last house/garden on your field. After the gate, carry straight on The Crook sighting comes after a left) and follow this down to reach follow the lane bending right to right. After the gate, head straight alongside the field boundary on your similar white individual was seen near a road junction beside some soon reach the stone-built Dairy on along the edge of the field, with left to reach a gate in the bottom the A167 Darlington-Croft road in houses. Turn right along the road corner, after which bear right across Bridge across the River Greta. the wooded banks of the Tees to January 2006. Another Durham record and follow this to reach another the field to reach a small gate in the Cross the bridge and cattle grid your left, across three fields (and since then involved a bird with road junction beside Abbey Bridge top far corner of the field just beyond just beyond then follow the track through gates) to reach a small falconers jesses so was clearly an across the River Tees (traffic (to the left) of Mains House Farm that bearing to the right gently rising gate beside a coniferous plantation. escape. lights). As you reach this road leads down onto the road. Turn left up across the field towards the After the gate, follow path straight If descriptions of the bird from junction, cross over the road and down along the road to reach Abbey fortified house of Mortham Tower. on down through the woods to soon Newbiggin stand up to scrutiny, it will take the footpath opposite Bridge across the River Tees, after About 50 metres before you reach reach a large metal gate at the end only the second record for immediately to the right of Abbey which turn right along the road then the entrance gates to Mortham of the narrow belt of woodland Northumberland after a very long wait. Bridge (signpost). Follow the path bear left at the junction back up to (ignore path to the right). After the The first was in January 1845 when an straight on across the steep wooded Tower (beside a telegraph pole on Egglestone Abbey. gate, head straight on along the top immature male, now in the Hancock riverbank, zig-zagging down after a your right and a small stand of of the wooded bank (do not walk Museum collection in Newcastle, was short distance towards river level trees surrounded by a fence on Mark Reid alongside the hedge) and follow shot at Bellingham. then straight on across the wooded your left) head left offthe track Author of The Inn Way and Walking this straight on then gradually The two sightings will no doubt be riverbank (keep to the clear, wide across the field (immediately Weekends series curving down to the left to reach a on the minds of birders over the path), with the Tees just down to before the enclosed stand of trees) innway. co.uk holiday as there must be at least a your left, for 1 km to reach three to reach a gate in a section of wall gate in the bottom corner of the chance that it is still somewhere in the stepping-stones across Manyfold (waymarker). Head through the field. After the gate, carry straight WHAT’S YOUR NEW YEAR’S region. Beck (side-stream). After the gate then walk straight on on across fields alongside the field RESOLUTION? The change in the weather with stream, follow the steps up out onto alongside the fence/hedge on your boundary on your left (and wooded Head to the ‘Green Gym’ this New freezing winds and snow prompted a field where you continue straight right heading across the top of two banks of the Tees) through a Year and explore further with a cold weather coastal movements of on along the edge of the field on fields to reach a stile beside a gate further two gates and on to reach a navigation skills course (National Skylarks and Meadow Pipits and your left (wooded banks of the Tees beside woodland on your left and a stile beside a third gate that juts Navigation Award Scheme). Weekend wintering Black Redstarts were found to your left) to reach a stile in the small stream just beyond (metal out slightly into the field courses in the Yorkshire Dales at the South Gare and South Shields. field corner. After the stile, follow signs Rokeby and Wycliffe). (waymarker). After the stile, carry throughout 2010. teamwalking.co.uk Glaucous Gulls, perhaps drifted in by the path to the right through straight on along the enclosed path the northerly winds, appeared at woodland to quickly reach a small After the stile and small stream along the top of the wooded Cowpen Bewley tip and at Whitburn. A side-stream, after which follow the 3you join a track, which you riverbank (ignore path down to the White Stork at Chester-le-Street may path bearing round to the left then follow to the left along the field- left into the woods) and follow this have been the recent Tyne Valley straight on through the woods to edge skirting around the woodland path round to the right to reach a reach a side-road beside its to soon reach the end of a stone footbridge across a side-stream. ■ While every effort is made to ensure individual while a Red Kite was a good that walks are accessible and are junction with the main road (on a wall on your right. Turn right find at the Long Drag. rights of way, The Northern Echo immediately before this wall and After the footbridge, head up Whatever the weather, can I take this sharp bend). cannot guarantee that fields, paths or opportunity of wishing everyone the follow the track straight on across 5the steps to reach a wall stile pubs will be open. If you are walking in compliments of the season and, Turn left along the side-road the large field alongside the wall on that leads back out onto fields. the countryside, please remember the hopefully, good birding. 2(Private Road) and follow this your left to reach the ruined farm Head straight on across three fields Country Code. Ian Kerr alongside the Tees for 600 metres to of West Thorpe just to your left at alongside the field boundary on wwwnorthernecho.co.uk/leisure/walks reach the confluence of the rivers the end of this field, where you your left (and wooded banks of the