THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015 The Northern Echo 39 Walks what’son Walks Coverdale & St Simon’s Chapel where you bear slightly right across the field and over a stile stone cottages clustered around across a fence that leads onto the Walk information a tiny village green and often dry road near Lane House. Distance: 5.5 km (3.4 miles) stream. The monks of Jervaulx Time: Allow 2 hours Abbey established a small colliery on the moors above the village, Turn left along the road for Map: OS Explorer Sheet OL30 however, the coal was very poor 3550 metres then take the path ‘Yorkshire Dales Northern & quality and it closed many years to the left over a stile beside a Central’ ago. Overlooking its small green gate (signpost St Simon’s Bridge, Start / Parking: Carlton in is Chantry House, once a grange Melmerby) opposite the road- Coverdale. Parking available at (monastic farm) of Jervaulx Abbey, turning to the right up towards East Scrafton. After the gate then Carlton village hall (honesty box). which still boasts a medieval tracery window. walk straight down across the field Refreshments: Foresters Arms at alongside the wall on your right Carlton. and through a bridlegate in the Terrain: Field, woodland and From West Scrafton our route bottom corner, after which follow the path steeply down a flight of riverside paths, as well as farm follows the old track of Low Lane stone steps (alongside the fence) tracks and country lanes. Some of to reach East Scrafton where a path drops steeply down to join to reach the ruins of St Simon’s the paths are muddy underfoot, and the wooded banks of the River Chapel along the banks of the there are several stiles to cross. Cover where you will find the a gate to your right at the end of As you emerge into the village, River Cover. Follow the riverside The paths down to and up from the remains of a former chapel-of-ease the walled path (signpost). Head 2turn left along the road (signpost path straight on passing the River Cover are quite steep. dedicated to St Simon and St Jude. through the gate and walk across Lane House) and then, after 25 chapel ruins and St Simon’s Well metres, bear off the lane to the How to get there: From the A6108 This was first mentioned in 1328 the field (keeping close to the for 100 metres to reach the large and was maintained by the monks wall/fence on your right) to join right down along a path that runs footbridge (St Simon’s Bridge) at Middleham, follow the minor a corner of a wall protruding out just above the rocky riverbed, road up through the village then of Coverham Abbey a couple of across the River Cover. miles down the valley. Such chapels into the field (signpost), then carry through a wall-gate then on to across the gallops heading up reach a bridge across the dry were built in remote locations to straight on alongside the wall on through Coverdale to reach Carlton. stream to your right. Cross the Cross the bridge and follow provide a place of worship for local your right to reach a bridle-gate bridge then head straight on across 4 the path to the right for a short Caution: This walk includes a people who could not make the long in a fence just above the wooded ravine of Goodman’s Gill. After the field and through a small distance then slanting to the left up couple of quite steep inclines and journey to the nearest parish or the gate, turn left and follow the gate, after which head to the right some steps across the steep wooded lots of stiles. Take care walking monastic church. By the late 16th path down, with the fence on your for a couple of paces to join the hillside to reach a stile at the top along the road – make yourself Century it was a ruin, although left and ravine down to your right clear enclosed track of Low Lane of the bank. Cross the stile then visible to traffic and walk in single the building was later used as an (Great Roova Crags ahead across (signpost Lane House). Follow turn immediately left alongside file. alehouse, all of which suggests that the valley), through another bridle- this clear enclosed track to the left the fence/top of the wooded bank this rather quiet footpath was once gate then follow the path winding heading up for 400 metres to reach on your left and follow this as the quite a busy route through the dale. steeply down to reach a footbridge two bridlegates in quick succession field narrows to reach a stile beside Points of interest Close by is St Simon’s Well, with across Goodman’s Gill then a larger across the track beside a black a gate across your path at the end its strong flow of water that only footbridge across the River Cover. corrugated barn (enclosed track of this field. Cross the stile, and OVERDALE is a beautiful has a short life before disappearing yet unfrequented valley After the footbridges, head straight ends after second bridlegate). After walk straight on across the next into the River Cover. This is a lovely up the hillside alongside the fence/ the bridlegate, carry straight on field and over another stile beside that feeds into the spot for a rest, and also to reflect on Cbroad pastures of lower wall on your left and through a alongside the fence on your right a locked gate, after which head life and the passage of time. Happy small gate in a fence (wooded ravine and through a gate at the end of diagonally to the right up across Wensleydale at Cover Bridge, New Year! near Middleham. Only a narrow of Caygill on your left), after which the field, after which head straight the middle of the field to the far minor roads threads its way up follow the path steeply up to the across the next field through top left corner of the field where through this valley, which is why right across medieval ploughing another gate in a fence (signpost) you join an enclosed grassy track. it is so quiet, and the head of the The walk terraces to reach a signpost at the then bear to the right across the Follow this grassy track up to join valley is hemmed in by high fells From Carlton village hall car brow of the steep bank where you large field to reach a metal gate in a a road. Turn left along the road with the massive bulks of Little 1park (with your back to the car follow the path straight up the section of wall in a fence that leads (take care – walk in single file and Whernside and Great Whernside park), turn right down along the hillside/field and through a kissing down over a small wooded stream make yourself visible to traffic) dominating. The scattering of small road through the village for 100 gate at the top of the field on the (150 metres to the left of the large and follow it for just over 1km back right-hand side of a small section barns). After the wall-gate, head into Carlton. villages that lie along its length metres then, where the houses end Mark Reid were originally settled by Viking on your left towards the bottom of of stone wall. Head through the left (three-finger signpost ‘Lane kissing-gate and walk up alongside House’) across the small stream Walking Weekends 2014 farmers in small clearings in a the village, take the track to the Peak District, Yorkshire Dales, vast forest that once covered the right (signpost Quaker Lane, River the fence/hedge on your right to then walk straight on alongside join an enclosed track in the top the stream on your left then, where Lake District & Snowdonia entire dale. This forest was later Cover, West Scrafton). Follow this walkingweekenders.co.uk used by the Normans as a hunting walled track down to soon reach right corner which you follow into this stream bends away after 30 metres, carry straight on across the forest and Carlton developed as Quaker’s Garth (house) where you West Scrafton, to emerge onto a Unique corporate activity days, field to reach a signpost where you its headquarters where Courts of follow the enclosed grassy path lane in the centre of West Scrafton navigation skills and team building the Forest were held. Just across passing just to the right of the (bench and dry stream of Caygill in drop down over a footbridge over Thorow Gill. After the footbridge, experiences in the great outdoors. the valley is the small hamlet of house - follow this enclosed path front of you). head up over the stile onto a field, teamwalking.co.uk West Scrafton, a cluster of old for 200 metres all the way to reach

Countrydiary By Phil GatesBBirdwatch y Ian Kerr

HERE is no month of the year when gelatinous lobes of the EW Year is a time for looking Durham coast. A black-winged pratincole you won’t find gorse flowering strange yellow brain forward in anticipation of good visited Saltholme and Hurworth Burn and T somewhere, often producing its N fungus. At first glance things to come. If 2015 proves to be a little bittern was at Gosforth Park. cheerful blooms when there’s snow on the it seems as though it anything like as good as last year I’m sure Autumn didn’t disappoint either. ground. “When gorse is out of flower, ” runs has killed the gorse but most local birders will be more than happy. Rarities included a white-winged black the old saying, “kissing is out of season”. it’s really a parasite on Many will remember how 2014 got off tern on Teesside, the region’s second stilt Gorse flowers produce one of the most another fungus, called to a tremendous start in January when sandpiper, many long-tailed and pomarine Peranospera, that has stunning of all summer floral displays a yellow-rumped warbler, the first for skuas and a faithful adult Bonaparte’s gull already killed it. and it flowers pretty well in winter too, northern England, was found at High again returned to Whitburn. A Fea’s petrel, but just why it should continue to bloom Gorse has invasive Shincliffe by a family taking part in the probably from the Cape Verde Islands, through the bleakest months of the year is a tendencies in upland RSPB’s annual Big Garden Birdwatch. was, thanks to swift mobile phone calls, mystery. Gorse flowers need bee pollinators habitats and once With careful management, 1,500 people saw seen by many as it moved northwards past and few, if any, winter flowers are likely to established its sharp this extremely rare American visitor and Cowbar, Seaham, Whitburn and seven set seeds so they are a waste of the plant’s prickles deter grazing contributed more than £1,000 to local good Northumberland localities. energy reserves. They certainly brighten up animals. It can be a causes. For many it was to prove the bird Late autumn produced another great a dull day and are there, ready and waiting nuisance for hill farmers but it’s a minor of the year. run of Siberian gems, yellow-browed one compared with the problems that it to provide pollen and nectar for the first A warm settled spring helped our warblers, and good showings of red- bees that emerge from winter hibernation. poses for farmers in New Zealand. Like breeding species and some, particularly breasted flycatchers and barred warblers. Gorse plants are excellent habitat for many British native plants, gorse was taken barn owls, red kites, ospreys, little terns A Pallas’ warbler was at Whitburn and an nesting birds and at this time of year overseas by expatriates, as a reminder of and swallows, had their best season for olive-backed pipit at Sunderland. Finally, you can often find old nests of linnets home, and it has become firmly established many years. Mid-summer is not usually Britain’s third eastern crowned warbler surrounded by the shrub’s prickly in New Zealand, where it’s ability to rapidly noted for rarities but a bridled tern turned up at Brotton three years after the branches. During the winter dead stems colonise sheep pasture has turned it into a appeared for a second year at the Farne first at South Shields. 2015 will have to be of gorse also often carry lurid yellow serious pest. Islands and later, meandered down the something special to beat all that.