THURSDAY, MAY 19, 2016 The Northern Echo 39 Walks what’son Walks Around Jervaulx Abbey

Walk information

Distance: 4 km (2.5 miles) Time: 1 hour (excluding time visiting the abbey) Maps: OS Explorer Sheet 302 ‘Northallerton & Thirsk’ - always carry a map Parking: Car park at Jervaulx Abbey (honesty box) Refreshments: Cafe at Jervaulx Abbey Terrain: Tracks across parkland and quiet country lanes. How to get there: Jervaulx Abbey is situated along the A6108 between and Please note: Take care crossing the road at the beginning and end of this walk; take care walking along the country lane. There is a charge (honesty box – adults £3) to visit Jervaulx Abbey. The monks of Jervaulx lived of a few Cistercian Abbeys still Abbey detour ahead). Turn right at left across Jervaulx Park then, a simple existence adhering in private ownership and is set this crossroads of paths along the where the track bends to the right Points of interest to a strict set of rules whilst amidst beautiful parkland with an clear stony track. Follow this track after 175 metres (just by a couple undertaking their daily tasks amazing variety of wild flowers straight on across Jervaulx Park of large trees on your left) head HIS short walk is a of reading, praying or working. and herbs (around 200 species) for 500 metres (Jervaulx Abbey straight on (to the left) off the track wonderful way to spend Jervaulx Abbey became an growing amongst the ruins, many ruins across to your left) to reach heading across the parkland gently a family afternoon, influential landowner owning of which were originally planted by an obvious fork in the track, where rising up (no defined path) across exploring the romantic much of where they the monks. Take time to explore the you carry straight on (15 mph sign) the low hillocks. As you reach the T developed sheep and cattle rearing, beautiful ruins (honesty box). for a further 450 metres passing top of the ‘rise’ of land the ruins ruins of Jervaulx Abbey before setting off across the horse breeding and cheese making. between the low grassy hillocks of Jervaulx Abbey come into view They became famous for their blue to reach a large pond on your left. ahead - head straight on towards undulating parkland and then back From Jervaulx Abbey, our walk cheese, which was reminiscent of Continue along the track passing these ruins, gently dropping down to the cafe for a cup of tea and slice explores Jervaulx Park, with its the Roquefort cheese of their native this pond and then on for a further and passing a house (surrounded of cake! many small hillocks, which are Normandy, the recipe for which 350 metres across Jervaulx Park to by trees) on your left, to re-join the remains of glacial debris from the has remained in the area ever since reach a cattle grid and gatehouse track you walked along earlier in last Ice Age, as well as a large pond In 1146 land was granted to a group and is now known as Wensleydale that brings you onto a road this walk. Turn left along the track that was most probably used as a of Cistercian monks by the Earl of Cheese. The tradition of horse (Kilgram Lane). and re-trace your steps back to fish larder by the monks. There are Richmond from nearby Richmond breeding continues today at the crossroads of paths/track by Castle; such grants of land were numerous bumps and earthworks Jervaulx Abbey, where you turn Middleham, a few miles further up Turn right along the road (take common in medieval England as throughout this park that would left back to the road and car park Wensleydale. The last Abbot, Adam 2care) and follow this road for 750 the earls, lords and kings wanted a be worthy of a Time Team (take care crossing the road). Sedbergh, opposed the Dissolution investigation! metres, skirting around Jervaulx ‘safe passage’ to the afterlife and so of the Monasteries and, rather Park on your right, to reach a gifted vast areas of land in return reluctantly it seems, took part in T-junction with the A6108. As you for monastic prayers for their souls. the Pilgrimage of Grace, a crime reach this T-junction, take the Mark Reid They originally settled at Fors, for which he was hanged at Tyburn The walk driveway to the right (Jervaulx Boots & Beer Walking Weekenders near Askrigg in Upper Wensleydale in 1537. The Abbey itself was badly Abbey sign, and signpost) over a The socialable way to enjoy the Great but soon found this location to be damaged following the Dissolution From the car park at Jervaulx cattle grid beside a gatehouse that Outdoors Falls, wild and inhospitable, and so in of the Monasteries, mainly due 1Abbey cross the main road brings you back out onto Jervaulx Dales Sept 9-11 1156 settled further down the valley to the actions of Adam Sedbergh (take care) and head through the Park. walkingweekenders.co.uk at what is now Jervaulx Abbey; although furnishings from the wrought-iron gates opposite ‘To The Unique corporate activity days, ‘jervaulx’ is Norman French for Abbey can be found throughout the Abbey’. After the gates, follow the After the cattle grid and gate navigation skills and team building ‘Ure valley’ as Wensleydale was area including a wooden screen, clear path straight on to soon reach once known as Yoredale. 3(gatehouse on your right), follow experiences in the great outdoors. reading desk and an inscribed oak a crossroads of paths, marked by the grassy track bearing slightly teamwalking.co.uk beam at Aysgarth Church. It is one a four-finger signpost (Jervaulx

their name, pinkish white Italy, Majorca and other Western much to everyone’s delight. Birdwatch By Ian Kerr under-parts, grey crowns and an Mediterranean islands and which Summer visitors are now settling appropriate black eye mask for a is extremely rare in Britain. to breed but more about them next species which although feeding Other attractive spring rarities week. WO rarities which everyone Bluethroats come in two mainly on large insects, is quite have also featured. Dotterel, en hopes to see in late spring, extremes, the very obliging and capable of killing other small T red-spotted bluethroat and route from Africa to breeding showy and the very shy and birds, mammals and reptiles. A sites high on the mountains red-backed shrike, pictured, have skulking. The Hartlepool male male was at Robin Hood’s Bay of Scotland and Scandinavia, dominated the scene over the past was in the first category. It proved and a female at Ravenscar. Other occasionally pause to feed and week. particularly tame, emerging into males were near the Sunderland the open to feed on the headland’s rest. Up to ten visited Danby Last Thursday I expressed the AFC academy at Cleadon and, bowling green, much to the further north, at Embleton and Beacon and a single was on hope that a cock bluethroat at delight of many admirers. A in that other far-flung rarity Holy Island in company with Filey might herald a welcome female on Holy Island was equally hotspot, the Vicarage garden on northern golden plovers. Another little influx of these stunning confiding, regularly feeding in Holy Island. Birders, who flocked extremely attractive little Scandinavian migrants. So it a damp patch on a dunes path at to the island, as they regularly do northern and Arctic species, a proved with other males following Chare Ends, fearless of passers-by. from far afield at migration time, female red-necked phalarope, at Staithes and Hartlepool In contrast, a male just quarter of were also treated to a smart male called at Gouthwaite Reservoir in Headland and at three localities a mile away, stuck to deep cover subalpine warbler at the same . A grey-headed in Northumberland, Seahouses, and was very difficult to see. spot as the female bluethroat. This wagtail was at Seaton Common. the Farne Islands and Holy Island. Red-backed shrikes are individual was shown by a brief The two whiskered terns which Single females were also present extremely handsome creatures snatch of song to be a bird of the arrived at Saltholme on May 8 at the latter two localities. with russet backs which provide western race which breeds in have proved to be long-stayers,