THURSDAY, APRIL 27, 2017 The Northern Echo 35 Walks what’son Walks Shincliffe Wood

for ‘barn’ and indicates monastic the small roadside parking area) Walk information farms. The highlight of this walk branch left up through a wooden is Shincliffe Wood with its carpet gate (sign ‘Butterby’) along a clear, Distance: 5.5 km/ 3.5 miles of bluebells and wild garlic. This wide woodland track. Follow this Time: 2 hours woodland clings to the steep banks very clear track straight on along alongside the River Wear, and is a the foot of the steep wooded bank Maps: OS Explorer Sheet 308 - superb example of a semi-natural heading through Shincliffe Wood always carry a map on your walk woodland with oak, ash, lime, beech for 750 metres to eventually join the Parking: On-street parking and sycamore. This is the perfect banks of the River Wear, where the throughout Shincliffe - please park time of year to undertake this walk track narrows into a path. considerately. to admire the soft hue of lilac blue across the forest floor, one of the Refreshments: Pubs and cafe Follow the riverside path straight great pleasures of walking in this (garden centre) at Shincliffe 2on along the foot of the steep country in spring. Please do not Terrain:Woodland paths and wooded slope of The Sliddings (take damage or pick any flowers. tracks, farm lanes, grassy tracks. care – steep drops down to the river Some of the paths and tracks are in places). You soon reach a fork muddy underfoot, and there is a A sharp climb through the woods in the path where you follow the long climb up steps through the brings you out at High Butterby, path up steps to the left - the path woodland. with its flat fields - such a contrast soon levels out before dropping How to get there: Shincliffe lies from the woodland. A delightful back down to river level, where just off the A177 to the south-east of old ‘green’ lane turns off the you continue straight on through Durham City. farm lane, heading back towards woodland to reach a very small side- Shincliffe. This is Strawberry stream (small plank footbridge) and Please note: Take care walking Lane, a reminder of how ancient a fallen tree. After this side-stream along the roads and banks of the byways and tracks once were across and fallen tree, follow the path to River Wear, as there are steep drops England centuries ago. These flat the left heading away from the river down to the river. Many of the fields around Strawberry Lane were through woodland to soon reach a paths are muddy/slippery. There is slightly larger side-stream. Cross a long climb up through Shincliffe once used as Durham Racecourse from 1895 until just before the First this stream then follow the very Wood (steps), which is quite steep, clear, muddy path climbing quite as well as a muddy descent from World War. From West Grange Farm, there is a final descent back steep up steps, with the wooded West Grange. Please do not pick any side-valley falling away to your left, wild flowers. through Shincliffe Wood, with some of the finest bluebells to be seen, all the way up to emerge from the the end of the enclosed track (wide carry straight on on the right-hand before re-joining Hall Lane. A walk trees onto a farm lane beside High track narrows to a path as you side of the hedge and follow this to remember on a sunny day. Butterby Farm. approach this bridle-gate). Head hedge down across the field to Points of interest through this bridle-gate and walk reach the top of the wooded bank straight on alongside the hedge (Shincliffe Wood) where you head Turn left along the farm lane on your right heading across the to the right back into the woodland UE to injury, this walk is 3(away from the farm buildings) The walk large field for 400 metres then, (‘isolated’ stile to cross!). Follow taken from my archives. and follow this straight on for as you reach the end of the field the clear path straight on heading This walk appeared in 300 metres then follow the lane From the A177 near the Rose (field narrows) head left then right down through the woodland for this column three years bending quite sharply left then D 1Tree Inn, walk along Low Road to join a metalled lane on a sharp 125 metres then, as you reach the ago, so there may have carry straight on along the lane into the centre of Shincliffe village bend. Turn left along this lane been some changes to the route in for a further 325 metres to reach edge of the woodland (waymarker) then, where the road bends sharp the intervening years; please take a rutted grassy track coming in to reach the white-washed West bear slightly left down along the left, take the turning off this sharp an OS map with you on this walk. It from your right (with an overgrown Grange Farm. clear path along the edge of the bend to the right along Hall Lane is the perfect spring walk. pond on the track junction, and woodland (on your right) down to (signpost ‘Shincliffe Hall’). Follow South Grange Farm 250 metres re-join Hall Lane. Turn right along this lane passing the entrance to As you reach West Grange Farm, ahead), where you turn left through Hall Lane and re-trace your steps Shincliffe is a lovely village just Poplars Garden Centre where you 5walk straight on along the lane a bridle-gate hidden amongst back into Shincliffe. across the River Wear to the south continue straight on along this into the yard, passing in front of blackthorn bushes (where the east of Durham City. It developed metalled lane (leaving Shincliffe the house and then brick-built fence/hedge on your left opens out barns on your right then, as you in medieval times near the ancient village behind) for 350 metres Mark Reid and moves away from the lane). reach the large hay-barn in front bridge across the River Wear, and to reach Shincliffe Wood, where Head through this bridle-gate onto Walking Weekends 2017 of you, bear right passing between belonged to the Prior of Durham you follow the lane bending up to the delightful grassy enclosed track walkingweekenders.co.uk the hay-barn and the brick-built Cathedral, as opposed to the the left then straight on through of Strawberry Lane. Bishop; there has been a river woodland for 150 metres (ignore barn (waymarker on the hay-barn), Unique corporate activity days, crossing here since Roman times. path off up steps to the left) to reach skirting around the brick buildings navigation skills and team building Note the number of farms we pass the buildings of Shincliffe Hall at Follow this enclosed track then across the garden to reach experiences in the great outdoors. called ‘grange’, as this word is the end of the metalled lane. As you 4straight on for 650 metres to a stile tucked away in the corner teamwalking.co.uk derived from the Norman French reach Shincliffe Hall (just beyond eventually reach a bridle-gate at of the garden. Cross the stile then

Birdwatch By Ian Kerr HE chilling northerly winds milder conditions are forecast Scandinavia as our own breeding of last year proved a very good Montagu’s harriers are among of recent days bringing back from today and I’m sure they can’t population will now be well settled period for them. But they are Britain’s rarest breeding birds T a feeling of winter to the come too quickly for these aerial in. extremely rare in spring, making with only a handful of pairs region will have proved a problem feeders. Last week I mentioned spring an individual at Skinningrove annually, the most recent in the for some of our recently-arrived Despite colder conditions “overshoots,” birds which turn on Tuesday a superb find. The north nesting in the extensive migrants, particularly those migration has continued. We are up when they should be reaching other great rarity was a red- marshland alongside the Humber relying on flying insects including now getting to the stage where breeding grounds much further rumped swallow at Hunmanby at the RSPB Blacktoft Sands. swallows, pictured, house martins waders bound for breeding Gap on Monday, the first for What was almost certainly the and sand martins. south or east in Europe. There grounds in Scandinavia, Russia have been more examples this North Yorkshire since May 2015, same female was seen last Friday Flying insects vanish in such and other more northerly week including a white stork and another example of spring at Filey and Hunmanby, the first conditions just at the stage when latitudes are starting to pass passing over Houghton-le-Spring “overshoot.” records for North Yorkshire since May 2014. these migrants need to put on through. A wood sandpiper and two common cranes which weight and get into condition was at Smallways Lake and a A hoopoe was at Eggleston Moor wandered wetlands in south for the coming breeding season. curlew sandpiper at Cowpen on Tuesday, the third report for Northumberland. When insects are in short supply Marsh. Three whimbrels were at Durham this month following these birds tend to head for the Houghton Gate. Among smaller There were also a couple of sightings at Derwent Reservoir nearest ponds and lakes where species, four yellow wagtails extreme spring rarities. Red- and High Coniscliffe. It’s there is more chance of snatching appeared at Castle Lake. On the breasted flycatchers are usually impossible to tell if these involved insects as they hatch and emerge coast, more ring ouzels were on rare autumn migrants along the the same individual moving from the water. Fortunately, the move, presumably bound for coast and September and October around the county.