Walks 35 what’son

Walks Roundhill Reservoir, Arnagill Moor and Pott Beck on from monastic times, when this immediately after which the lane Walk information area was owned by the monks of ends with a choice of gates in front Fountains Abbey who may have of you. Distance: 11.2 km/7 miles used it as a deer park. Today, this area is still managed for game with Head through the left-hand gate Time: 3 hours grouse shooting on the moors. 2(signpost), immediately after Map: OS Explorer Sheet 298 which head up to the right across Parking: Roadside parking beside From Roundhill Reservoir, a the grassy field to join a wall on Leighton Reservoir (near the moorland track slants up across your right which you follow up to bridge across the Grimes Gill spur) the flanks of Shortlick Hill with reach a gate in the top corner of massive gritstone tors littering the Refreshments: None en route – the field (where a fence meets the landscape, lines of crags tracing take provisions with you. wall). Head through the gate then the rim of the valley and the follow the rough grassy track up to Terrain: Quiet country lanes, waters of Roundhill Reservoir far the left to reach a stile over the gate rough moorland tracks, paths below. The deep wooded cleft of in a wall at the top of the field (foot across open heather moorland and Arnagill is of particular interest of the moorland), after which bear a couple of fields. Wet and boggy with its tumbling waterfalls, crags to the right for a few paces to join a underfoot. Arnagill Moor is and woodland. Near the head of clear moorland track. Follow this exposed to the elements. Arnagill, the moorland track joins track to the right slanting up How to get there: Leighton a much clearer stony track. This is across the flanks of Shortlick Hill Reservoir lies on a minor moorland an old County Road (technically a (rough moorland), with Roundhill road between and public highway), one of many that Reservoir down to your right. After Lofthouse (Upper ). criss-cross this expansive a while, the track levels out and Caution: This walk heads across moorland above Nidderdale. All passes some gritstone outcrops open moorland climbing to a height around is a sea of undulating before gently rising up again, of 380 metres, with little shelter heather moorland that stretches as crossing the small stream of Birky from the elements. Navigation may far as the eye can sees; this is Sike (stone-slab footbridge) up onto be difficult in poor weather – remote, stark yet beautiful the flat expansive moorland of bank (derelict farmhouse of Low gate in the top right corner of the map and compass essential. You landscape. A track leads from this Arnagill Moor. Carry straight on Ash Head in the valley bottom just field (Summer Side Farm ahead). may encounter cows and calves on old County Road to reach the along the rough track, with the up from the head of Roundhill Head through this gate and walk this walk – always give them a wide hidden Shooting House beneath the outcrops of White Lodge Crags just Reservoir – we’re heading towards up across the narrow field towards berth, especially if accompanied large outcrops of Combs Crags, across to your right above the this derelict farm). Drop down West Summer Side Farm. As you by a dog. If possible, walk in an from there are wonderful views wooded ravine of Arnagill, all the across the bank to eventually reach approach the farm, head through adjacent field or alongside the across the moors and valleys. From way to reach the old County Road a gate in the bottom right corner of the gate to the left of the here, a footpath leads across open boundary in case you need to leave (stony track) across your path just a wall enclosure. Turn right farmhouse and buildings (do NOT heather moorland down to reach the enclosure. If you feel after a vehicle barrier, marked by a through the gate then almost enter the farmyard) then walk up the derelict Low Ash Head Farm in threatened, let your dog go as the signpost (2 km since leaving the immediately left down through across the next field, keeping close cows are interested in your dog, the wooded valley of Agill Beck dam wall). to the wall on your left, to reach a just above the upper reaches of another gate after which head to not you. the left to reach the derelict Low squeeze-stile in the top corner of Roundhill Reservoir, a delightful Turn right along this track Ash Head Farm (maze of broken the field that leads onto the spot to rest and soak up the down over a bridge across the 3 walls and crumbling buildings – moorland road of Pott Moor High wonderful scenery. headwaters of Arnagill then carry take care). Pass to the left side of Road. Turn right along this Points of interest on along the track as it gently rises the old farmhouse then head down moorland road to reach a cattle HE Upper Pott Beck Valley up then, where it levels out after grid after 1.4 km, after which carry is a remote valley hidden in The walk 900 metres take the track to the across the middle of the field behind the farmhouse to reach a on along this quiet road dropping a fold of the hills, amongst a From the roadside parking area right (vehicle barrier), marked by a down Pott Bank back to reach the wall stile at the bottom of the field. vast swathe of heather 1 beside Leighton Reservoir, walk signpost. Follow this track straight four-arch bridge across Grimes Gill T moorland between the along the road and follow it on then curving round to the right After the stile, bear to the right and the parking area beside passing a wall corner then down to Upper Nidderdale and lower bending sharp left across the four- to reach the stone-built Shooting Leighton Reservoir just beyond. Wensleydale. In the early years of arch bridge above the reservoir House hidden beneath the join a rough track which you follow the 20th Century two large spur of Grimes Gill, after which gritstone outcrops of Combs Crags. to the left down to reach a bridge Mark Reid reservoirs were built to supply follow the road bending round to across a stream and a gate just Walking Weekenders 2014 with drinking water, the left then straight on before As you reach this Shooting beyond (set in woodland at the Peak District, Yorkshire Dales, which meant that much of this bending to the right (Leighton 4House (with the building and head of the reservoir). Lake District & Snowdonia valley was submerged beneath Reservoir in front of you). Follow barn on your right) bear off to the walkingweekenders.co.uk peaty waters. You can see what this this road up then, as it curves up to left along a narrow path that leads Head through the gate then turn valley originally looked like as the right, take the turning to the down across the heather moorland 5immediately right over another there are pockets of ancient left over a cattle grid (Dead End (heading in a northerly direction). bridge across Agill Beck, after Unique corporate activity days, woodland below the dam wall of and sign). Follow Follow this path straight on which follow the rough track up navigation skills and team building Roundhill Reservoir, around Agill this lane straight on to reach the (recently mowed heather) heading out of the woodland then up across experiences in the great outdoors. Beck and Arnagill. These pockets dam wall of Roundhill Reservoir. down for 400 metres (waymarker) a field (keep close to the wall on teamwalking.co.uk of semi-natural woodland may date Follow the lane across the dam, to reach the top of a fairly steep your right) to reach a green metal Countrydiary Birdwatch ENTION of spring wild flowers in saxifrage grows. In this HE arrival of spring migrants has Further north, many thousands of puffins woodlands conjures up images of species each flower stalk continued over the past week, typically were back at the Farne Islands, a fortnight M drifts of wood anemones, bears five small green T at this stage in a trickle rather than a earlier than usual, when the National celandines, primroses and bluebells, but flowers, four of which flood. Wheatears, always so strikingly smart Trust’s wardens arrived to begin work this there’s a whole supporting cast of less face outwards like the in breeding plumage, appeared in more week. Also waiting to welcome them was a familiar species that contribute to the faces of a town hall clock upland areas including Weardale with Sandwich tern, first of many hundreds annual spectacle. (giving the plant its others, bound for more northern areas, which should be appearing very soon. moving along the coast. The first ring ouzels Wood sorrel, which is common in our alternative common The RSPB has announced the results of this name) and one which were found in prime moorland breeding year’s Big Garden Birdwatch which involved region, is a delicate woodland wild flower localities at Bollihope and Edmundbyers. that has attractive flowers and unusual points upwards. half a million people. Locally, of course, it foliage. It’s nodding flowers range in Goldilocks buttercup is Sightings of sand martins gradually will be remembered for the discovery of that colour from pure white to pale purple and one of the most unusual increased over the week, the first common American yellow-rumped warbler at High in many the petals are attractively woodland wild flowers. Most buttercups sandpiper visited Castle Lake and white Shincliffe, which attracted hundreds of decorated with lilac veins. Its leaves, that tend to be associated with open meadows, wagtails, smart grey and white continental birders and raised over £1,000 for good resemble shamrock, change position but this one prefers shady places, cousins of our familiar pied wagtails, turned causes. during the course of the day, spreading out blooming well before any of the other up at a couple of coastal ponds. Little ringed Generally, numbers in gardens were well flat in daylight but folding like a tent buttercup species. Its peculiarity is that it plovers, a species at the extreme northern down because of the mild winter. Among the around the leaf stalk at night. It often rarely produces a perfect, five-petalled end of its breeding range, arrived at top ten, blue tits jumped to second place. grows on rotting tree stumps, where its bloom. Instead each of the flowers on the Saltholme. Blackbirds, previously second, dropped to horizontal stems creep under the covering plant tends to be slightly different, some The departure northwards of winter visitors fourth, probably because they continued to of mosses. Wood sorrel shares its with no petals at all and others with any produced a flock of 37 whooper swans at find natural food in the countryside. woodland habitat with golden saxifrage, number ranging from one to five. It looks Seaham and a rough-legged buzzard was Goldfinches rose to seventh spot but robins which forms dense mats in wet soils and as though the flowers have been damaged between Bollihope and Eggleston. A much dropped from seventh to tenth position. For produces numerous small yellowish green in some way, but this highly variable floral bigger raptor, an adult white-tailed eagle, the first time, great spotted woodpeckers, flowers. You might also find the form is normal behaviour for this species. was present for a couple of days at Wykeham sneaked into the top 20 species. diminutive moschatel wherever golden Phil Gates Forest, . Ian Kerr