THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2015 The Northern Echo 39 Walks what’son Walks Barmpton and Ketton Bridge

market towns of northern England. alongside the hedge on your left Walk information Salt was a valuable commodity in heading across the field then down medieval times as it was used to into a shallow valley where you Distance: 6 km / 3.75 miles preserve food; it was so valuable head through a bridlegate and over Time: 2 hours that people were once paid in a small stream set in a hedge. After salt - hence the word ‘salary’ and the gate, carry straight on rising Maps: OS Explorer Sheet 304 – the expression ‘worth your salt’. up alongside the hedge to reach a always take a map with you Between Newton Ketton and the green gate at the end of the field Parking: Limited on-street parking former Great North Road, Salters just before Little Ketton Farm. at Barmpton, as well as a couple Lane is little more than a field path of parking spaces just to the south or farm track, however, in medieval of the road bridge over the River times this would have been Head through the gate and walk Skerne just before you enter busy with trains of packhorses. 2on for a few paces towards the Barmpton; please park Remarkably, the bridge now stands farm, however, head right through considerately. Alternatively, ‘high and dry’ in a field some 50 another green gate (do not walk use public transport to get to metres from the River Skerne into the farmyard) that leads out Whinfield and then walk along which it once spanned. The river’s onto a field. After the gate (with Barmpton Lane. course has been altered in the your back to the gate) bear left diagonally across the middle of the Refreshments: None en route. intervening years to improve the flow and provide more water power field (passing the large barn just to Terrain: Clear farm tracks and for mills further downstream. Note your left) to reach another green paths all the way across fields and the cast iron sign on the east side gate in the far left corner of the along riversides. Very muddy in of the bridge “Ketton Road Ends field. Head through this gate and places. Here”, which marked the boundary turn left along the enclosed track How to get there: The village of for which responsibility for the and follow this for 250 metres to Barmpton lies just to the north maintenance of the road ended for reach another gate at the end of the east of Darlington along Barmpton the local landowner. The return leg enclosed track. Head through this Lane, near the Whinfield area of of this walk follows the riverside gate and walk straight on alongside Darlington. path downstream alongside the the hedge on your left heading Caution: Many of the paths Skerne, a delightful path. across the field then down to reach are muddy underfoot. Take care a small stone-built bridge across walking alongside the River Skerne. Newton Beck at the bottom of the The walk field. Cross the bridge and head through the gate just beyond in the fence (crash barriers!), after which Points of interest From the road bridge over the turn left and walk along the edge 1River Skerne just as you enter of the field alongside Newton beck ARMPTON is a small Barmpton, walk along the road across two fields for 400 metres to village just to the north into the village and follow the road reach a tarmac farm road beside a east of Darlington, bending sharp right at Barmpton cattle grid and bridge over Newton situated in the shallow Hall then, after a few paces just Beck. At this lane, head straight on reach a smaller wooden footbridge across the river), after which walk Bvalley of the River after the dilapidated brick-built along the track ahead, and follow across another side-stream, and straight on across the field, and Skerne. Of particular note is the barn, turn left along the bridleway this round the edge of the field to through a kissing-gate just beyond through a gate beside the river (at through a gate passing between the reach Ketton Bridge (high and dry), brick-built 18th Century Barmpton (path / river curves slightly to the foot of the low grassy bank), barn and a house to emerge in the where you follow the lane bending Hall. Our routes follows paths and the right). After the kissing-gate, with the rooftops of Barmpton farmyard of Barmpton Hall. Walk left passing Ketton Bridge to soon tracks across the undulating hills continue straight on along the clear just ahead. After this gate, walks straight on across the farmyard reach another modern bridge between several scattered farms, path (river to your right), which straight on along the clear path, passing between the barns and across the River Skerne. each named Ketton, including Little moves slightly away from the passing in front of the boundary Ketton and Ketton Hall; in medieval through a gate that leads out onto a large field. Follow the rutted farm river along the foot of the wooded of Barmpton Hall (up to your left) times, the hamlet of Newton bank on your left (Fox Hill), then through more gates to join the road Ketton was a thriving village track ahead rising gently up across Do not cross the bridge over the field (passing a large stack of 3the River Skerne but turn left curves slightly left (following the beside the bridge over the River through which passed a number of curve of the wooded bank), then Skerne in Barmpton village. important trading routes. hay-bales) - the track levels off immediately before it over a stile, and leads on to reach an obvious then follow the clear riverside path moves away from the wooded bank right bend, 800 metres after leaving straight on (river on your right) heading across the middle of the Mark Reid Just to the south of Ketton Hall is Barmpton Hall. Follow the track heading downstream for 550 metres field back to re-join the river on Winter Dales Escape Ketton Bridge, a fine example of a round the bend and continue for to reach a footbridge across the your right at the end of this field Winter Walking Weekend: narrow packhorse bridge that dates a further 200 metres then, where side-stream of Newton Beck, just (where you reach a gate in the January 15 - 17 from the late 17th Century, although the fence/hedge ends on your beside its confluence with the River far corner of this field beside the walkingweekenders.co.uk there has been a bridge on this site left (waymarker) turn left off the Skerne. Cross the footbridge, then river). Head through the gate and walk on along the short section of Unique corporate activity days, since medieval times. It formed part track along a grassy bridleway turn right and continue straight on navigation skills and team building of Salters Lane, an ancient road (this turn is 75 metres before the along the riverside path alongside enclosed grassy path, and through another gate out onto a field (sharp experiences in the great outdoors. that once connected the salt pans large isolated tree alongside the the River Skerne heading across a teamwalking.co.uk along the North East coast with the track). Follow this clear grassy path number of fields for 600 metres to meander in the river and a pipe

our kite population is failing to Wildlife Crime Report. Sadly, it a shooting licence. Perhaps that’s Birdwatch By Ian Kerr expand and continues to suffering again pinpointed North Yorkshire why Spain has some of Europe’s illegal persecution, mainly by as Britain’s worst blackspot, an healthiest raptor populations illegal poisoning in game-shooting appalling stain on that county’s while ours is amongst the poorest. NE of the region’s most There’s a chance to enjoy the areas. Kites are lightweight reputation caused by those who On the rarities front, it’s been spectacular winter wildlife spectacle on Sunday (December scavengers and no threat to game blatantly flout the law. O sights is the afternoon rather quiet. A late Balearic 6) when Friends of Red Kites birds. That hasn’t prevented gathering of red kites over their (FoRK) has organised a public Even on the odd occasion shearwater flew north at ten so far being poisoned and when someone is prosecuted, Whitburn and a few little auks regular roosting site. kite watch at Nine Arches it’s probably just the tip of the Viaduct. Telescopes will be slap-on-the-wrist penalties seem and divers continued to be on the Bird often arrival from all iceberg. set up and experts on hand to laughable. A Norfolk gamekeeper move. Last week’s Bonaparte’s points of the compass and indulge provide information. Anyone One police wildlife investigator responsible for England’s gull turned up again on the in swirling, graceful displays wanting to attend should meet tells me that for every victim worst recorded poisoning case Farne Islands and the long-billed over the Derwent Valley. When I FoRK volunteers at the car park recovered he believed six or seven which killed ten buzzards and a dowitcher was well settled at was there the other day excitable at Winlaton Mill at 2pm for the others are never found, mainly sparrowhawk walked free with a Cresswell. parties were in the air, some in 20-minute walk to the watch- because killing takes place in suspended sentence. synchronised flying displays with point. If the event has to be areas far from public gaze. In the It isn’t like that elsewhere. much whistling while other dived cancelled because of bad weather case of shooting, probably even Earlier this year in Spain a in mock attacks on local buzzards details will appear at www. fewer turn up as those responsible farmer who poisoned 14 red kites which spiralled up to join them. friendsofredkites.org.uk so it’s don’t leave bodies lying around. was jailed for 24 months and It was almost dark before they worth checking before setting out. This widespread persecution fined around £84,000. When he’s settled into the woodland roost. Up While these roost gathering are was highlighted in our news pages released he won’t be allowed to to 50 are now regularly present. wonderful, the fact remains that last Friday in the RSPB’s 2014 work as a farmer and cannot hold