THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2016 The Northern Echo 39 Walks what’son Walks Reeth, Grinton & Harkerside Distance: 7.25 km (4.5 miles) ‘Grinton’) just before you enter Turn left along the road and Time: 2–3 hours Fremington. Follow this clear path 4follow it for 600 metres then Map: OS Explorer OL30 - always alongside Arkle Beck passing turn right along the farm track carry a map with you farm buildings and the remains that leads down to Harkerside of Fremington Mill on your left Place Farm (signpost ‘Reeth Start/Parking: On-street parking then follow the clear enclosed via Swing Bridge’). Follow this throughout Reeth path straight on across fields all track down over a cattle grid Refreshments: Pubs at Reeth and the way to reach some steps that into the farmyard – as you enter Grinton lead up onto Grinton Bridge the farmyard take the first Terrain: Field and riverside paths, across the River Swale. turning to the right along a country roads, moorland tracks. clear farm track (signpost). Harkerside Moor is exposed to the Follow this track on then, where At the road (on Grinton Bridge) elements, with a stream crossing the track forks after 150 metres 2turn right over Grinton Bridge and wet ground in places. (just before the next farmhouse), then, where the main road bends head to the left along the track How to get there: From Richmond, sharp left (Bridge Inn on the through a gate in the wall follow the A6108 towards Leyburn corner), carry straight on along (signpost ‘Grinton Swing Bridge’). then turn right along the B6270 to the road ahead towards ‘Leyburn’ After the gate, bear to the right Reeth. and follow this road climbing quite down across the field (do not Caution: Part of this walk heads steeply up through Grinton for head down along the track) across moorland, with a small ford 550 metres to reach a cattle grid through a small wall-gate, after to cross, which may be difficult at the top of the village. Cross the which head diagonally down after heavy rain. Many of the paths cattle grid and carry on up along across the field through another are muddy/rough underfoot. The the road for 125 metres to reach a wall-gate. After this wall-gate, climb up onto Harkerside Moor road turning to your right towards head down the grassy bank, over from Grinton is quite steep. Take ‘Redmire’. Turn right along this a track and then a wooden plank care walking along the roads. road towards ‘Redmire’ and follow footbridge over a drainage ditch, this unfenced moorland road then on across the flat field to Points of interest climbing quite steeply up for 0.5 reach the Swing Bridge across km then, where the road bends the River Swale. Reeth is one of the best places distinctly up to the left, turn right to go walking, because of the along a clear, stony track (signpost variety of paths and the beauty ‘Bridleway – no vehicles). Follow Cross the Swing Bridge then of the landscape. This is a walk this stony track straight on across 5turn immediately right along of contrasts, from the riverside the heather moorland for 600 the clear path across the flat pastures of the Swale and Arkle metres then drop down slightly, riverside pastures for 250 metres Beck, to the moorland heights of through a gate in a fence to reach to reach a plank footbridge across Harkerside. a ford across Grovebeck Gill just marshy ground, beside a meander beyond. in the River Swale on your right. From Reeth, our route heads baskets for the 12 mile journey from crosses the Swale over the Swing Cross the plank footbridge and down to the ancient settlement of the dale head to the church along Bridge. The river in this section follow the path curving left Grinton, where you will find the the ‘Corpse Way’; thankfully a of its course has cut through some Cross the ford and continue (passing a barn) up through a magnificent St Andrews Church, church was built in Muker at 1580. large meanders to create a very 3straight on along the track gate that leads onto an enclosed known as the ‘Cathedral of the It is worth exploring the church as wide riverbed and many braided rising gently up across Harkerside path, which you follow rising Dales’. This site has been a place of it boasts many interesting features, channels. Each winter, the riverbed Moor for 600 metres to reach a up for 100 metres to join a lane worship since pre-Conquest days; such as the ‘Lepers Squint’, ancient shifts slightly as the river takes a crossroads of clear tracks just as across your path. Turn right however, the first church was built stained glass and grooves in the slightly different course. This is, the track begins to climb up the along the lane and follow it back during Norman times. Fragments stonework by the porch where after all, England’s fastest flowing steeper slopes of High Harker into Reeth. of the Norman church survive in arrows were sharpened by men river, and one that rises and falls Hill in front of you. Turn right the chancel arch, a small window waiting for their lords who were incredibly quickly after periods of along the track and follow this and the bowl of the font. The attending a pre-hunt service. heavy rain. skirting along the foot of the present church dates largely from Our route climbs up out of Grinton, steeper slope on your left (High the 14th to 16th Centuries and was following the famous ‘Cote de The walk Harker Hill) before gently Mark Reid built by the monks of Bridlington Grinton Moor’ of Tour de France dropping down (superb views Hill Skills & Outdoor Adventures Priory. Up until Tudor times fame, before turning off along Leave Reeth along the across Swaledale) to join a wall/ Yorkshire Dales, St Andrew’s Church served the the Redmire Road then along a 1‘Richmond’ road and follow this enclosure on your right which Lake District & beyond whole of Swaledale stretching up moorland track towards Harkerside down out of the bottom corner you follow down to soon reach teamwalking.co.uk to the old Westmorland border, Moor. This moorland is littered of the large green, then round to a gate in a fence across the which made it one of the largest with prehistoric remains, including reach Reeth Bridge across Arkle track. Head through the gate Unique corporate activity days, parishes in the country. This was extensive defensive earthworks Beck. Cross the bridge and follow and walk down along the track navigation skills and team building the only consecrated ground in built by the Brigantes tribes during the road round to the right (with (wall on your right) curving experiences in the great outdoors. Swaledale which meant that the the late Iron Age. Our route then Arkle Beck on your right) then take round and through another teamwalking.co.uk dead had to be carried in wicker heads down to river level, where it the footpath to the right (signpost gate to join a road. Birdwatch Ian Kerr here’s a saying in bird- two species can make these rare The spotted sandpiper was the (pictured) continued to frequent an indication of the continued watching that if a good bird visitors difficult to identify if pick of the migrant waders this Derwent Reservoir and one visited intense pressure facing estates. T turns up in August it’s likely Campaigners are to brief MPs some other more subtle plumage week. Curlew sandpipers are Nosterfield. to be a wader. So it’s proved with differences cannot be seen. regular visitors at this time of There was a new development and are calling on those who the discovery of a superb spotted But there was no mistaking this year. Sometimes large numbers this week in the bitter row between have signed to lobby their local sandpiper. This species which latest visitor, a full adult with full of peach-tinged juveniles appear birders and shooting estates over members before the debate. breeds in North America is a fairly spotting which stood out like the but this isn’t one of those years illegal persecution of raptors. A regular vagrant to Europe, usually proverbial sore thumb among so one at Whitburn Steel was parliamentary petition promoted in late summer and autumn. other small waders at Hauxley a good find. A wood sandpiper by conservationist Mark Avery Most which have occurred reserve on the Northumberland was at Smallways Lake in north and broadcaster Chris Packham have been young birds without coast. Fortunately, many birders Yorkshire. Green sandpipers were calling for a ban on driven grouse the diagnostic spotting on their managed to catch up with it last more prominent with, for example, shooting achieved its target of breast and bellies. This makes weekend when the reserve was five reported at Chartersheugh attracting 100,000 signatures just them very similar to our own open. Since then it’s been closed and four at Rainton. A small influx a couple of days after the start of familiar common sandpipers, because of work on a new visitor of spotted redshanks was evident the shooting season. This means summer visitors which breed centre, to replace one burned down with one or two at Saltholme, that a House of Commons debate mainly on banks and gravel beds by vandals. Sadly, such attacks Hartlepool Headland and Filey must take place where ministers of our upland rivers and streams. seem all too familiar at our local and at localities along the will be forced to respond.