Walks 35 what’son

Walks Calver Hill, Healaugh and the

Walk Information Fore Gill Gate. Peep over the wall and you will see the watersplash, Distance: 12 km (7.5 miles) made famous in the opening scenes Time: 4 hours from TVs All Creatures Great and further 200 metres to re-join the Maps: OS Explorer Sheet OL30. Small. A fine walk now ensues wall on your left. Carry straight on Start/Parking: green across the southern flanks of along the track for a further 500 (honesty box) Calver Hill down towards metres then, where the wall turns Refreshments: Pubs, shops and Healaugh. Healaugh first developed away again, take the footpath to cafes at Reeth. No facilities en as a Norman hunting lodge on the the right, marked by a signpost. route. edge of the forest of and Terrain: The walk from Reeth to Follow this narrow path , the preserve of Langthwaite Church in the road straight on heading down into Healaugh follows moorland paths 3heading up across the moorland lords who came to hunt wolves and distance. Healaugh, with a final steep descent and tracks across Calver Hill, with towards Calver Hill for 400 metres wild boars among the hills and into the village. Follow the lane a stretch of pathless moorland to reach the end of a tumbledown valleys. There are traces of the old Turn left along the track and straight on between the houses to walking across the top of Calver wall, where the hillside levels out hunting lodge that belonged to the 5follow this straight on (ignore join the main road (B6270) through Hill – this section is rough with on the top of the broad ridge of Gant family, who were once lords of indistinct track branching left after the village. heather, boggy ground and a Riddings Rigg, with Calver Hill up the Manor of Healaugh Park, 150 metres) then climbing up on to a number of steep inclines; it is also to your left. Turn left here and dating back to the 14th Century in shoulder of moorland (side-valley of Turn left along the road through exposed to the elements. From follow the wall heading up towards the time of John O’Gaunt, although Fore Gill falling away to your right). 7the village, then just before you Healaugh, a riverside path leads these traces are no more than Calver Hill (wall on your right) Continue along this track for 600 leave the village (immediately after back to Reeth. ditches in the ground; it is said that then, where the wall ends, head on metres to join a wall on your left, Manor House), turn right down How to get there: Reeth lies on the John O’Gaunt enjoyed hunting in for 50 metres then, as you reach with a gate just ahead that leads on along a track/path (signpost Reeth B6270 to the west of Richmond. this forest. the steep upper slopes of Calver to the moorland road at Fore Gill and Grinton by Riverside) to join a Open Access Land: The path across Hill, follow the feint grassy path Gate. As you join this wall, turn left wall on your right that funnels you Calver Hill heads across Open The walk bearing up to the right climbing back on yourself slightly (ignore down to a gate that leads to a field. Access Land. See local signs for steeply up to reach the large cairn the gate in the wall ahead), Head straight on alongside the wall information or visit From the village green in the on the summit of Calver Hill (NZ alongside the wall on your right. on your left to reach the banks of openaccess.gov.uk. 1 centre of Reeth (with your back 013 003). This wall on your right soon ends – the River Swale. Turn left along the Caution: There is a steep to the Kings Arms), turn left across carry straight on along the rough riverside path (levee) for 800 metres, ascent/descent to and from the the cobbled market place to reach a As you reach the large cairn, moorland path heading in a south- with flat fields on your left, all the summit of Calver Hill (487 metres). road junction in front of the Buck 4turn left (in a westerly easterly direction across the sloping way to reach a path junction where Rough and boggy moorland. OS Hotel. Turn left here along the direction) heading across the top moorland (wonderful views across the flat fields end (steep wooded map and compass essential. B6270 and follow this heading up (and middle) of the broad summit Swaledale to your right), fairly level riverbank ahead). At this path out of Reeth. Just after you have ridge of Calver Hill (no clear path) at first then gently dropping down junction, turn right through the Points of interest left Reeth, and 100 metres before – you soon cross an area of gently for 1km to reach a flat and grassy small gate (Swing Bridge), and the School (and just before the rising darker heather where you area, with a fence enclosure on your follow the path across the steep This walk is full of contrasts, from school warning sign), turn right pick up a narrow path. Follow this right (waymarker post – NZ 001 003). wooded riverbank, then back out to the windswept summit of Calver along a walled grassy path path straight on across the middle flat fields to reach the Swing Bridge Hill, to glorious heather moorland (signpost Skellgate Lane). Follow of the broad summit ridge (still Carry straight on bearing very across the Swale. and a delectable riverside path. The this walled path up for 400 metres heading west), now gently 6slightly right passing to the views are breathtaking throughout, to reach a farm track across the descending for 300 metres to reach right-hand side of the larger stone- Do not cross this bridge, but particularly during the long path (double red metal gates on a steep slope in front of you. Head wall enclosure ahead (with a 8carry straight on along the path descent across the southern flanks either side), where you carry down this steep slope (no clear solitary stone barn). Follow the across a couple of fields (leaving the of Calver Hill towards Healaugh. straight on up along the walled path) on to a flat shelf of path alongside the enclosure wall river behind) for 200 metres to re- path for a further 600 metres to moorland, where you carry on your left to reach a fork in the join the river on a meander, where From Reeth, we follow tracks and reach a gate at the end of the straight on across this moorland path at the end of the enclosure you cross the walk-boards over a paths up on to the summit of walled path, with moorland in front aiming just to the right of the (waymarker). Take the right-hand small side-stream, after which head Calver Hill, with a steep final “pull” of you and Calver Hill ahead. small rounded knoll just ahead, to path and follow this down to up along the enclosed path (leaving to reach the summit cairn. This reach another steep slope just quickly join a clear shooters’ track. the river behind again) to join the bulky fell dominates the middle After the gate, follow the grassy beyond this knoll (NZ 006 004). As Turn left along this track and top of a lane. Turn right along the reaches of Swaledale, rising up 2path ahead alongside the wall on you reach the top of this steep follow it across the hillside to soon lane back into Reeth. above the confluence of Swaledale your left then, where this wall slope, follow the grassy gully join another walled enclosure on Mark Reid and Arkengarthdale. The views turns away after a short distance, bearing right down across this your right. Follow this track Author of The Inn Way guidebooks from the summit are extensive, carry straight on along the path slope (take care: pick the easiest straight on alongside the enclosure innway.co.uk with a magnificent sweep of across the moorland to soon join a way down), at the bottom of which then, where this enclosure ends, Swaledale beneath your feet from track. Follow this track straight on head straight on bearing slightly carry on along the track for a the hills above Summer Lodge right to soon join a wall on your left – right across the gently sloping further 400 metres to join a clearer down towards Richmond. From the continue straight on along the moorland for 200 metres to reach a stony track (and another wall) on Hill skills and outdoor adventures summit cairn, we head westwards track with the wall on your left for grassy bridleway across your path your right. Head straight on along across the broad heather-clad 400 metres then, where the wall with Mark Reid. (boggy). Turn right along this this track for 200 metres to reach teamwalking.co.uk summit ridge down to join an old turns away, carry straight on along bridleway down to join a clear Thirns Farm on your right (track bridleway, which is then followed to the track across the hillside for a track (NZ 004 009), with becomes a road). Follow the narrow Countrydiary Birdwatch

E’RE getting to that point in the innate dormancy and in the case of beech, HERE’S a general feeling, supported waders, we still don’t know how many year when spring is edging closer, whose tender young foliage is prone to by scientific evidence, that many common birds, such as blackbirds and T chaffinches, flood into Britain from colder W but isn’t yet within touching damage from late frosts, there is no way common birds are declining. But a distance – unless you cheat. If you cut that it can be tempted into leaf in new report reveals just how abundant birds parts of Europe. some winter twigs and stand in vase in a February. remain, with a staggering 84 million British Meanwhile, a light influx of Arctic gulls warm room, you can watch buds burst and breeding pairs covering 226 species, and following northerly winds has provided new Horse chestnut buds are among the easiest that doesn’t take into account countless foliage unfold, in anticipation of to coax into leaf indoors, and by the middle sightings. Iceland gulls appeared at South what’s to come in April. But you millions of autumn migrants and winter Gare, Hetton Lyons Country Park, of February they’ve had enough winter visitors. It means, of course, that birds are do need to choose your buds chill to break their dormancy. The key to Wheldrake Ings and North Duffield. carefully. much more plentiful than humans, even in Glaucous gulls visited Whitburn and Upper success in getting them to perform in a these allegedly overcrowded islands. There are some trees, like vase is to cut stems under water, which Poppleton, in additions to those settled hawthorn, whose leaf buds will prevents air bubbles from blocking the Conservations bodies, which have compiled around Seaton Common. Caspian gulls unfold indoors from as early as conducting tubes that transport water up the report from data collected by thousands were at Saltburn and Rufforth and a winter January, although this tendency to the bud. You also need to change the of amateur birders, reveal that 20 species rarity, a great skua, flew past Burniston. to anticipate spring varies water every few days. It can take a week or have over one million breeding pairs. Waxwings have been present all winter, but between individual trees. And two for the buds to show signs of opening Leading the list are wrens with 8.6m pairs, now some small groups have merged into then there are others, like beech, and the first clue is the production of new, robins with 6.7m and chaffinches with 6.2m. bigger parties to provide 115 around the whose buds remain sticky resin on the bud scales, that Other extremely abundant species include White Swan pub, Norton, and 88 in gardens steadfastly shut becomes increasingly obvious as the bud woodpigeon (5.4m), house sparrow (5.3m) at Stonehaven Way, Darlington. even if you bring swells and the scales are forced apart. blackbird (5.1m) blue tit (3.6m) great tit (2.6m) dunnock (2.5m) and willow warbler A white gyrfalcon flying over Hutton them indoors in Then the embryonic, hairy leaves force Lowcross woods towards Sleddale last early April. their way out like small furry fists, and the (2.4m). Others in the top 20 are pheasant, meadow pipit, starling, greenfinch, skylark, weekend proved spectacular. Many are the Different species leaflets expand like delicate green fingers... prized possession of falconers so this was vary in the length of spring in a vase. jackdaw, goldfinch, blackcap, chiffchaff and song thrush. presumed to be an escapee rather than a winter chill that’s wild bird. required to break their buds’ The authors say that although we have Phil Gates excellent data on wintering wildfowl and Ian Kerr