Dufton and High Cup Nick
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THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2015 The Northern Echo 39 Walks what’son Walks Dufton and High Cup Nick The village of Dufton lies hidden Walk information away in the lower Eden Valley, cradled beneath the soaring hills Distance: 12.8 km (8 miles) of the North Pennines. These hills Time: Allow 4 hours form a dramatic escarpment that swings round from the Stainmore Map: OS Explorer Sheet OL19 Gap northwards towards Hadrian’s ‘Howgill Fells & Upper Eden Valley’ Wall, rising to an impressive 2,930-ft - always take a map with you. on the summit of Cross Fell, the Start / Parking: Small car park at highest point along the Pennine Dufton chain. Old sandstone cottages, Refreshments: Stag Inn at Dufton. farms and village pub crowd Take provisions with you. around a large tree-shaded village green complete with a sandstone How to get there: Follow the A66 and cast-iron water pump, given to to Appleby-in-Westmorland, from the village in 1858 by the London the centre of which a minor road Lead Company who worked the heads north to reach Dufton. mines nearby. This philanthropic Terrain: Clear tracks and paths all Quaker mining company looked the way, although as you approach after their workers and provided High Cup Nick (the head of the them with good quality housing, valley) the footpath follows the education, water and sanitation. rim of crags high above High Cup Gill, which is narrow and rocky these hills were exorcised, as they the clearly marked path along the in places with sheer drops into the From Dufton, farm lanes, stony tracks and rough paths lead believed the loud roaring of the Follow this clear stony track edge of the rim with High Cup Gill ravine. High Cup Gill also acts as a steeply down to your right then, steadily up onto these Pennine hills wind to be the sound of evil spirits. 2bending to the right (signpost huge natural wind funnel. where the path divides (marker- – this is a long and unremitting This is the only named wind in ‘High Cup Nick’) gradually stone), follow the left-hand path Caution: This walk includes a 400 climb, although the paths are clear Britain. climbing up (ignore the track to climbing up across rocky terrain metres ascent to High Cup Nick and the gradients not too steep. The walk back down to Dufton is the right just after the small stone then over the stream of Hannah’s (maximum height of 600 metres), The scenery gets wilder with every superb with the dramatic ravine barn) to reach a gate / bridle-gate Well before walking across a flat with colder temperatures and step and soon the dramatic ravine falling steeply away to your left at across your path at the end of the grassy plateau as you approach the stronger winds at the top. Do not of High Cup Gill comes into view, first and then, as you re-join the enclosed track (1.2 km after Bow attempt this walk in bad weather track, the whole of the lower Eden Hall Farm). Continue straight on head of the valley – follow the clear a deep perfectly formed glaciated grassy path keeping fairly close to or high winds. Map, compass and U-shaped valley of immense Valley comes into view framed by along the clear rough track, with hill-walking gear essential. Rough/ the high fells and mountains of the a wall on your left, bending up to the rim to reach High Cup Nick at proportions hemmed in by a line of the very head of the valley (2.7 km rocky paths in places and stream crags. These crags are formed by a Lake District spread right across the right to reach another gate crossings. The path along the rim the horizon. across your path (wall on your left after the end of the track). Enjoy band of hard volcanic rock known the view. of crags above High Cup Gill is as Whin Sill. Our objective is High now ends as well) after a further narrow with sheer drops – care Cup Nick, the narrow cleft in the 400 metres. Continue straight on must be taken along this section. crags at the very head of the valley The walk along the clear track curving to the Re-trace your steps back along from where there are breath-taking left up to a gate in a stone wall just 4the rim of High Cup Gill to after which is another gate / stile re-join the track which you follow views down along the length of this From the car park in the centre at the end of the track. all the way back down to Dufton, Points of interest near-perfect symmetrical valley. 1of Dufton, turn right along the taking in the superb panorama This is a place to linger, to savour road away from the village green of valleys and hills on the long WALKED this route for the the panorama. After the gate / stile, head (towards ‘Hilton, Appleby’) and descent. Northern Echo back in June These North Pennine hills are also follow this road bending to the left 3straight on along the clear 2004, and so after an interval responsible for the ‘Helm Wind’, then round to the right through grassy path through a dry Mark Reid of 11 years I thought it was a local phenomenon caused by the village then, as you reach the limestone gully then climbing Boots & Beer Walking Weekenders. Itime to feature this classic up a steep but short bank (old The sociable way to enjoy the cold easterly air rising over Cross edge of the village, turn left along a hill-walk again! So, I have re-walked Fell then rushing down the steep lane just after Brow Farm (signpost limekiln up to your left). At the Great Outdoors the route and updated it. This is a escarpment where it meets warm ‘Pennine Way High Cup Nick’). top of this small bank continue walkingweekenders.co.uk ‘there and back’ walk, which takes air which then rises and causes Follow this road climbing steadily straight on along the clear wide path (marked by cairns) gradually Hill skills, outdoor adventures and in High Cup Nick, one of Britain’s a turbulent air stream. At times, up passing Bow Hall Farm on your team building experiences in the ‘Natural Wonders’. Choose a clear this wind literally roars across the left after 900 metres, just after climbing up across the hillside, with the scenery getting more great outdoors. day to complete this walk as the surrounding hills at speeds of up which the metalled road ends and teamwalking.co.uk views are superb. to 80mph. Indeed, centuries ago becomes an enclosed stony track. dramatic with every step. Follow Countrydiary By Phil GatesBBirdwatch y Ian Kerr ECENTLY, short spells of hot second flush of leaves SUPERB arrival of autumn Warsett Hill. Barred warblers were weather followed by heavy – known as Lammas A migrants was prompted by the good finds at Dawdon Blast Beach and R downpours have sent holidaymakers easterly winds which dominated the growth – and this Burniston. The arrival was completed with dashing for cover, but this kind of weather too is more vigorous weather earlier this week. greenish warbler at Whitburn and red- can be beneficial to some of our wildlife. when the soil has had Most were birds which were moving backed shrike at Skinningrove. Earthworms, that burrow deep into a thorough soaking. southwards from breeding grounds Black terns breed on marshland right the soil and coil themselves into a ball in And for one plant – the in Scandinavia, the Baltic and other across the continent and into Asia and dry weather, make their way back to the common teasel – a continental areas. They were pushed move to winter in Africa. They tend surface as soon as water begins to percolate good downpour brings across the North Sea by those winds which, to appear fairly regularly but in small downwards. Slugs move down into deeper an unusual bonus. allied with rain, created classic conditions numbers during late summer, particularly soil layers and when the surface soil is Pairs of teasel leaves for arrival along the east coas. when caught up in wind and rain. However, clasp the plant’s stem, parched, become active again. Snails, which During this exciting period, pied many more than usual were present, forming perfect cups seal themselves in their shells during dry flycatchers arrived right along the coast including a party of ten feeding in the that can hold up to weather, quickly emerge to feed. None to feed in their usual hyper-active fashion, Tees Estuary and 60 were seen moving off a quarter of a pint of this activity escapes the attention of darting out from cover to snatch flying Hartlepool Headland. All of the species of water. These act as lethal drowning thrushes and blackbirds, hedgehogs and insects. Among rarer species which mentioned above also occurred along pools for insects that are attracted to the badgers that feed on these soil creatures. arrived were wrynecks, icterine, barred the Northumberland coast where there Heavy rain after a period of dry weather glistening water surface. Although teasels and greenish warblers and red-backed was also an ortolan bunting on the Farne sometimes triggers a burst of growth in are not carnivorous plants in the same way shrikes. Offshore there was an impressive Islands. plants, so some early-summer bloomers, that sundew, butterwort or pitcher plants influx of black terns. Wrynecks were at The influx of these exciting small rarities like wood cranesbill, have already begun lure and capture insects, there’s now some localities including Filey, Skinningrove, tended to overshadow the continued to produce a second crop of flowers before persuasive evidence that they benefit from South Gare, Warsett Hill, Hendon and migration of waders which included a they’ve ripened their first crop of seeds.