THURSDAY, JUNE 8, 2017 The Northern Echo 33 Walks what’son Walks Egglescliffe and Aislaby

to reach the war memorial at the walk straight on along the track for Walk information end of the churchyard, at a path 50 metres then, where this track junction. Carry straight on (left- bends sharp right, carry straight Distance: 5.5 km / 3.4 miles hand path) along the clear tarmac on along the broad grassy path for Time: 2 hours path, heading downhill to emerge a very short distance then head from the trees to reach the main diagonally left along the narrow Maps: OS Explorer Sheet 304 road (A67), with Yarm Bridge just path across the middle of the crop ‘Darlington & Richmond’ across to your left. Turn left along field (this was overgrown at the Parking: Limited on-street parking the road for a short distance then, time of writing, but was easier to throughout Egglescliffe - please just before Yarm Bridge, turn walk along than it looked!). Follow park considerately. right across the road (take care) this narrow path straight on for 250 Refreshments: Pubs at Egglescliffe and take the track through a gate metres to reach a large gap in the into woodland (signpost ‘A islaby’). hedgerow on the other side. Terrain:Field and riverside paths, Follow this clear track heading some road walking around Aislaby down through woodland to soon and a busy road to cross. The paths pass beneath Yarm Viaduct. After Do NOT head through this large are overgrown in places. the viaduct, continue straight on 4gap in the hedge, but turn right How to get there: Egglescliffe along the clear track for 175 metres along the edge of the field (hedge village lies just to the north of the to reach a path junction, just before on your left) down to reach the River Tees and Yarm off the A67. a brick building. Take the path to corner of the field, where you the left (signpost ‘Teesdale Way’). head left through the field corner Caution: Take care crossing the over a footbridge across a small main road at the start and end stream, after which carry straight of this walk. Take care walking Follow this clear wooded on along the edge of the next field along the riverside path, especially 2riverside path straight on alongside the hedge and stream after heavy rain; keep away from (following the broad sweep of the on your right. At the end of this the riverbank. Some of the paths of this Norman church as much travel from both cities, thus making River Tees) for 250 metres to reach field, head right over a footbridge are overgrown. There are giant of the building was rebuilt in this an important stopping point for a footbridge across a side-stream, then left to emerge out onto playing hogweed plants along the riverbank the late medieval period. Some travellers and stagecoaches. Given after which continue along the fields. Walk straight on along the – do not touch these plants as ancient stonework remains in the its riverside location, Yarm also very clear wooded riverside path edge of the playing fields to join they are toxic and cause severe nave and south doorway, including developed as a small port. heading upstream for 1 km, with an enclosed path at the far end, blistering. medieval effigies of knights and the houses of Yarm across to your which you follow to the right to Our route leads out of Egglescliffe left at first then following the broad carved stones, some of which may along the riverside path all the way emerge onto a road. Turn right be pre-Conquest; the oval shape sweep of the river round to the along the road (pavement on left- to reach Aislaby. We pass beneath right (crops fields on your right), Points of interest of the churchyard indicates a pre- hand side) for 175 metres then, the impressive railway viaduct. to reach a fence on your right at Conquest religious site, possibly just before the road bends left, Built in the 1840s, it has forty-three the end of the crop fields (Holme Celtic, which gives credence to the take the track to the right through GGLESCLIFFE is a arches and used 7.5 million bricks House up to your right). Carry delightful village of theory that there was a religious in its construction, an amazing feat a double wooden gate (signpost straight on for 100 metres to reach ‘Teesdale Way’), which you follow mostly Georgian brick- site here before the present Norman of Victorian engineering. The River a junction of paths at the end of down then curving left back to built cottages set around church was built. The site certainly Tees sweeps round in huge loops, a the fence on your right, with a lane E has a strategic position above a join the riverside path again. a sloping village green, mighty flow of water. Its name may to your right. Carry straight on Follow this straight on, passing complete with the remains of an steep slope overlooking a huge originate from the Celtic word for (signpost ‘Teesdale Way’) along the beneath Yarm Viaduct and back to ancient village cross. If you have loop in the River Tees, which has ‘surging water’, a reference to the wooded riverbank for 250 metres join the A67 beside Yarm Bridge. never been here before, then it is been an important crossing point many waterfalls to be found along to reach a small field, at the end Cross over the road and take the quite a surprise to find such an of the river for hundreds, if not its upper reaches. of which you reach another path idyllic rural village hidden away thousands, of years. path opposite to the left of the junction (lots of man-hole covers), large grey block of flats (signpost from the hustle and bustle of the where you turn right (signpost Over the centuries Egglescliffe ‘Egglescliffe Parish Church’) and A67 to the north of Yarm. The ‘A islaby’) and follow the broad declined in importance as Yarm then re-trace your steps rising up village green is reminiscent of The walk track rising up through woodland grew as a trading centre beside this through trees to reach the fork in other Yorkshire rural villages, and to emerge on the village green in important river crossing, where it the path just before the Church has a timeless feel. the centre of Aislaby, beside the was shallow enough to be forded From the old village cross at the (by the War Memorial). Follow the entrance to Aislaby Manor. This is an ancient place, for its at low tide for this loop in the river 1top of Egglescliffe village green right-hand path skirting round to name is possibly derived from marked the upper reaches of the (facing down the green), head to Turn right along the road out of the left around to churchyard to the ancient British word ‘eccles’, tidal Tees. The beautiful stone-built the right along the lane out of the 3the village (take care - walk in join Church Road beside the Pot & which signified a religious site, Yarm Bridge was first built by the corner of the village green, passing single file on verge facing traffic) Glass pub. Follow this road straight so can be translated as ‘church Bishops of Durham in around 1400 the red ‘phone box on your left for 350 metres then turn right on back to emerge back out onto on the cliff’, thus making this a and was, for many centuries, the then follow this lane on to reach St along a track, marked by two large Egglescliffe village green. site of settlement and religion for first crossing point of the Tees John’s Church on your right and boulders and a ‘private road’ sign at least 1,000 years. The present upstream from the North Sea. This the Pot & Glass pub on your left. (this is a public footpath). Follow church, dedicated to St John river crossing formed part of the Carry straight on along the broad this track down for 100 metres Mark Reid the Baptist, dates from the 11th historic route between York and path, curving round to the right then, at the pond on your right, Walking Weekends 2017 Century, although little remains Durham, and Yarm was a day’s skirting around the churchyard turn left over a stile. After the stile, walkingweekenders.co.uk

Birdwatch By Ian Kerr

ED-BACKED shrikes, This year has been very poor on as rare breeders in southern in the area. At the same time warblers breed widely across pictured, are one of the for shrikes with just a single England before eventually fading north of the Tyne, a pair was Europe but are extremely rare as R most attractive of our late bird involved, a female found at out as regular nesters during the present at Backworth but again a nesting species in Britain. But spring visitors. The fact that Marsden Quarry at the weekend. 1980s. They gained the nickname there was no conclusive evidence the presence of singing males only a handful ever appear along Unfortunately, it quickly moved “butcher birds” because of their of breeding. is always exciting and there is habit of hanging and stockpiling always the chance of attracting a the coast, normally in late May on, presumably towards northern Today we can only hope to be small prey, usually mice, small mate and nesting. or early June, makes them an breeding grounds in southern lucky and find the occasional even greater attraction for local Scandinavia or perhaps east of birds and large insects, on thorns With spring migration now in near their nest sites. spring or autumn passage birds as birders. the Baltic. they move through the region. virtually over, a black guillemot Locally during 1977 the presence When they do occur they can The species may have bred passing off Whitburn on Tuesday of pairs at two localities did raise Another rare species, marsh was an unusual late spring find. be sometimes be showy, perching sparsely in the region back in the warblers, have been found around 19th century. There are accounts hopes of breeding. A male sang high on coastal bushes and and accompanied by a female the North Tees wetland areas of a nest in Teesdale around 1880 making fast forays out to snatch was later watched apparently in the past week. A male was where, as usually happened with insects from the ground. Males prospecting for nesting sites singing in waterside cover at are absolutely superb with pale rare species during that era, around Shibdon Pond at Blaydon. Bowesfield Marsh and another, grey heads, black eye masks and the six eggs were taken by avid The birds then disappeared also in song, at Haverton Hill may russet backs. Females are a much Victorian collectors. although there were unconfirmed have been the individual heard duller version. Shrikes did manage to hang claims that they nested elsewhere at Saltholme on Tuesday. Marsh