THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2016 The Northern Echo 39 Walks what’son Walks Around Keld and

flowers. Interestingly, the word your right and through a gate in Walk information ‘muker’ means ‘meadows’ in Old the corner. Norse. Distance: 9.3 km (5.8 miles) Head through the gate and Time: 2 - 3 hours This is one of the finest walks in 5 follow the enclosed path Maps: OS Explorer OL30 - always the Dales, a heady mix of straight on through woodland for carry a map beautiful views, waterfalls, ancient 475 metres before dropping down to Parking: Car Park at Park Lodge woodland, picturesque villages reach a path junction just beyond just off the small ‘square’ in the and haymeadows. The first part of a barn, with the river just across centre of Keld. this walk follows paths and tracks to your right (small signpost). through the deep U-shaped valley After the barn, follow the flat, clear Refreshments: Pubs and cafes at of into a narrow wooded path straight on along the top of Keld and Muker gorge near Keld with numerous a small bank heading up through Terrain:Clear paths and tracks all waterfalls all around, in particular Swaledale. After 700 metres the the way, with riverside, meadows, Catrake Force, Force and path drops down slightly through valleys and woodland. Some of the East Stonesdale Force; ‘keld’ means the edge of some woodland to join paths are quite steep and rough/ ‘springs’ in Old Norse. The views the river again – head straight rocky underfoot. from below Crackpot Hall are the on along the broad, flat grassy How to get there: From finest I have seen. riverside path (woodland across Richmond, follow the A6108 to your left). As you approach the towards Leyburn then branch stone wall across your path, bear off along B6270 towards – The walk very slightly left away from the continue along this road up through river and through a wall-gap then Swaledale to eventually reach Keld follow the clear path ahead across From the small dead-end ‘square’ at the head of the valley. pastures (wall-stiles) across the 1in the centre of Keld (facing flat valley floor, passing between Caution: Please walk in single file up the road) take the track to the stone barns and on to reach the end across the haymeadows around left (signpost ‘Coast to Coast’), of an old walled path, with an old Muker, and do not pick any wild and follow this clear track/path ruinous farmhouse across to your flowers. There are steep drops to straight on out of the village for 250 right. the side of the path in places. Take metres to reach a fork in the path. care along the riverside paths after Follow the left-hand path (signpost heavy rain. ‘’) down to reach a Follow the path straight on footbridge across the . 6 rising up, with the wall on your Cross the footbridge then follow the right, rising up a bank and over (left-hand track leads up to the several fields (haymeadows – walk clear path to the left then up to the a tumbledown wall then straight Points of interest ruins of Crackpot Hall) heading in single file) all the way to Muker. right (passing a waterfall across to on across the hillside, passing a gently downhill for 500 metres (wall As you enter Muker, head straight your right along the side-stream roofless barn and a small barn, on your right) before zig-zagging on along the lane between the T is a joy to be out walking of East Gill) to reach a T-junction after which continue along the path steeply down to reach a footbridge houses then drop down to reach in the on with a track just above the waterfall rising up (Swaledale falling away to across the side-stream of Swinner the main road where you turn a sunny day in late spring, (3-finger signpost and benches). your right) to join a walled footpath and there is nowhere better Gill beside the crumbling remains right to reach the cafe and pub. that passes below a dilapidated Ito walk than through the of old lead mines. From the cafe / pub at Muker (with farmhouse, on to reach a bridle- hay-meadows of Upper Swaledale. At this T-junction turn right your back to the cafe/pub) turn gate that leads into woodland. The finest hay-meadows in the left along the road and then re- Follow the undulating clear 2 along the track, over a bridge Cross the footbridge then Dales, arguably in , can be trace your steps back up along the footpath straight on through the across East Gill (above waterfall) 3 continue along the very clear found around the lovely village of lane into the heart of the village woodland for 500 metres to join the and through a gate. After the gate, track heading down through Muker. Here, the small fields along (passing the Literary Institute on route of the Pennine Way (3-finger follow the clear stony track to the Swaledale, dropping down almost to the flat valley floor are a mass of your right) into the small ‘square’ signpost) – follow this clear path right then curving round to the left river level (river on your right) for bright yellow, blue, red and white – continue along this track rising where the lane levels out – bear left straight on back into Keld. 2 km until the tracks begins to rise along the lane between the houses flowers. A paved footpath leads up with Swaledale falling away to up again into woodland, where you through narrow squeeze-stiles your right. After 175 metres the to pass to the left side of Stoneleigh branch off to the right along a clear B&B along a track that leads out of across fields with an abundance track levels off – continue straight path that soon leads to Rampsholme of buttercup, forget-me-not, cow on along this track (steep drops the village (signpost ‘Keld’). Follow Mark Reid Bridge (footbridge) across the River the track passing the Old Vicarage Boots and Beer Walking Weekends parsley, clover, common bird’s-foot to your right) for a further 500 Swale. trefoil, meadow cranesbill, meadow metres before bending left then and on to reach a gate across the Peak District, Yorkshire Dales, rattle to name just a handful. Cut right around a barn (old lead mine track after the last of the houses. Lake District & Aysgarth Falls later than normal to allow the workings up to your left). After the Cross the footbridge then follow After the gate, walk straight on walkingweekenders.co.uk wild flowers and grasses time to bends and barn, continue along 4 the path to the right (with the along the track rising up (wall on your right) for 100 metres then, Unique corporate activity days, seed, these meadows are at their the track for 150 metres to reach Swale just on your right) for a short navigation skills and team building best in mid to late June. Please a fork in the track, just after the distance then turn left through a where the track swings sharply up to the left after 100 metres, head experiences in the great outdoors. keep to the footpath and under no remains of a rusty tractor. Follow wall gate (signpost ‘Muker’) and teamwalking.co.uk circumstances pick any of the wild the right-hand track straight on follow the clear flagged path across straight on alongside the wall on

Birdwatch By Ian Kerr comments about the North had been suspended and as a result and a first-summer Boneparte’s Yorkshire force that some were of the caution could no longer gull was a big attraction in the HE illegal persecution of lingering death. censored for reasons of libel possess a gun. But its statement Wansbeck estuary. A great white birds of prey is once again In 1904 parliament considered by the leading website, Raptor has been greeted with derision. egret toured various pools around T the leading topic for birders It seems that estates have once them so barbarically cruel that Persecution UK. More reasoned Druridge Bay. again handed useful propaganda to both in the region and nationally. they were banned. Yet here we are protests have been made to the It follows the discovery of three campaigers against game shooting. over a century later with them force, one of whose senior officers pole-traps, outlawed in Britain still being used on a shooting has, ironically, just been given the The incident has also given since 1904, on a grouse moor in national wildlife crime brief by estate. The pole-traps were spotted further impetus to calls for where a rare hen the Association of Chief Police by a walker who alerted the RSPB. England to follow Scotland’s harrier was seen hunting. Officers. The local police and crime Investigators visited the moor, example and make landowners commissioner has said that she Raptors hunting open country made the traps harmless and set legally responsible for the actions cannot intervene. seek out high perches which give up hidden cameras. of employees. There are also them an all-round view. Victorian The Moorland Association, demands for estates to be licensed Next day they filmed a man gamekeepers exploited this by which represents landowners, said and shooting banned if illegal placing metal spring-loaded traps resetting the traps. Police moved the incident involved a “junior incidents are proved. in and tracked down the culprit. chained to the top of poles out on employee” on the Mossdale Late spring migration is their moors. Any bird landing on Instead of being charging, senior Estate. It expressed disgust about now virtually over although a the pole would trigger the trap officers decided on a caution, the traps, but said he had acted northward-bound male red-backed breaking its legs and leaving it to causing an outcry across social without the knowledge of the shrike lingered at the South Gare. dangle and suffer an agonisingly media. So outspoken were landowner or head gamekeeper. He A rosefinch sang at Whitburn