6 The Northern Echo Thursday, March 4, 2010 7DAYS northernecho.co.uk COUNTRY DIARY WALKS ENTION the word ‘woodland’ and the image that springs to Drumaldrace Mmind is of towering trees, but on the south bank of the river Tees, close-by High Force, there’s a By woodland that doesn’t fit that stereotype. There, few of the trees are Mark Reid more than fifteen feet tall. It’s a forest 614 metres where an average-sized person POINTS OF INTEREST assumes the proportions of a giant – HERE are 42 mountains and relative to the trees, at least. in the Dales All the trees are junipers. The oldest with a height of 600 metres WALKFACTS are probably about 250 years old, but of more, and a relative their gnarled trunks and wind-pruned T height of over 20 metres. Distance: 11.25 km (7 miles) foliage make them seem much older. Here is the second of the ‘northern It’s the largest juniper woodland in and central’ – Time: 4 hours and one of the natural Drumaldrace (614m), the high point Maps: OS Explorer Sheet OL30 – features that make Teesdale a special on the vast rise of Wether that always take a map on your walk. place for all who are interested in separates from natural history. Hidden amongst the Start/Parking: Dales Raydale. What a name! Countryside Museum, tangle of trunks lies a wealth of wildlife Drumaldrace conjures up images of – mosses, ferns, flowers, insects and the Celts that once lived in this area Refreshments: No facilities en birds – but they also provide shelter for before the Romans came. When the route. Facilities at Hawes. rabbits which could be the downfall of Romans did invade almost 2,000 Terrain: Flagged field paths lead this unique habitat. Rabbits eat the years ago, they built a road as young juniper seedlings so, as the to Burtersett from where there is straight as an arrow from their fort a steady climb, steep in places, oldest trees begin to go into terminal at Bainbridge (Virosidum) across decline, there are no young saplings to across boggy moorland (stream the hills to Ribchester. Our route crossings) up to join Cam High take their place. Over the last half follows this old Roman Road, now a century few seedlings have survived stony track known as Cam High Road (Roman Road). This and grown much larger than bush-size, Road, up onto the flanks of Wether enclosed track is followed up so now there are coordinated attempts Fell. The views from this track onto the flanks of Wether Fell, every year to harvest berries, grow new across Raydale and Bardale are where our route heads offacross trees in nurseries and plant them in the superb, whilst the views from the Open Access land onto the gaps amongst the older trees once summit of Drumaldrace itself, summit of Wether Fell they are large enough to survive the graced by a well-built cairn, are far- (Drumaldrace). A short stretch of onslaught from hungry rabbits. reaching and breath-taking. All rough walking now ensues across Unlike most conifers juniper around are the high fells of the peat hags to join the bridleway produces berries, not cones. These Yorkshire Dales with (looking across Wether Fell. This path is take two years to ripen, eventually northwards in a clockwise followed down into the saddle turning from green to a very attractive direction) , between Wether fell and shade of bluish-purple. The berries and , Addlebrough, Buckden Yorburgh, from where a path foliage release a familiar scent when Pike, Yockenthwaite Moor, leads straight down the hillside, Based on they are crushed – the scent of gin – (just!), Dodd Fell and steep in places, back to Gayle and mapping © Crown copyright: for which they are a key ingredient, . Hawes. AM26/09 although juniper berries for commercial gin production come from THE WA LK How to get there: Hawes lies Mediterranean countries and North From the Dales Countryside along the A684 in Upper America, not Teesdale. 1 Museum, walk back up to the Wensleydale. Phil Gates main road (A684) where you turn Open Access Land: The section left (passing the Ropemakers) along from Cam High Road to Wether Burtersett Road heading out of Fell heads across Open Access plateau (heading: north-east) for a just above a waterfall, after which Hawes. Just before the last houses Land. openaccess.gov. uk further 100 metres to reach the head down alongside this stream on BIRDWATCH on your right take the footpath to stone-built cairn on the summit of your right to reach a wall-stile at the the right through a kissing gate Caution: This is a strenuous walk Wether Fell (Drumaldrace). As you bottom of the field (with a waterfall ANY birders have given a little before the Wensleydale Press up onto the moorland summit of reach the cairn, bear to the left sheltered by some trees on your right). sigh of relief this week with the building (signpost Burtersett). Drumaldrace, climbing to a (heading: north) across the open After this wall-stile, head down the Mend of what proved a height of 614 metres. Follow the flagged path straight on moorland of Wether Fell (no path), hillside bearing slightly to the left to particularly difficult third winter of across a field to soon reach a lane. gradually dropping down across reach another wall-stile at the bottom survey work for Atlas 2007-11, the Cross the road and take the path heather and peat hags for 500 of this field, after which bear right hugely ambitious project by the British opposite to the left (signpost climb (Burtersett High Pasture), metres to reach a wall across your down the wooded bank to another stile. Trust for Ornithology (BTO) to map the Burtersett), and follow the clear where you carry straight on across path (this wall encircles the north After this stile, walk straight on across nation’s birds throughout the year. path to the left to quickly reach a the grassy moorland down to soon side of Wether Fell). As you reach the middle of the field to reach a small Everyone now has a month of small wall gate, after which reach a squeeze-stile in a wall this wall, turn right along the path wall-gate, after which follow the path grace, time perhaps to catch up with a continue along the clear stone- across your path. After the squeeze- and follow the wall on your left bearing left across the middle of the few more elusive wintering species flagged path across several fields stile, carry straight on to soon heading around the northern edge field to reach a squeeze-stile to the before they disappear, and it’s then through a series of wall gaps. As reach a stream set in a pronounced of Wether Fell for 0.75 km to reach a right of a gateway in the wall on the back to work when the breeding you approach the houses of gully (upper reaches of Hunger Hill gate in the wall to your left (just as opposite side of the field (signpost season commences in April. Burtersett, the flagged path divides Sike) after which continue straight the wall bends more distinctly to Gayle). After this squeeze-stile, head to What made it difficult was, of (just before a wall and gate in front on along the clear path rising up the right). the left across the field, over a track course, the snow which left so many of you) – follow the right-hand across the moorland for 400 metres and on to reach a wall-stile, after survey areas cut off for long periods, flagged path that leads uphill to a to reach another squeeze-stile just Head through this gate and which bear slightly right across the particularly in the uplands. Areas small wall-gate then across two to the right of a gate in a wall 5follow the slightly sunken wide bottom corner of the field to reach which were reached were largely fields before passing between the across your path (just beyond the grassy path straight on for 250 another wall-stile. After this stile, bear empty as most birds, apart from really houses into Burtersett. stream of Horton Gill). After this metres before the gradient steepens left down across the middle of the field hardy characters like Red Grouse, had squeeze-stile, cross another small and you follow the wide sunken to reach a small gate in a fence (where fled the weather while other strictly Turn right along the road up stream just beyond then continue path winding sharply down to the the fence adjoins the wall), then follow sedentary species, such as Barn Owls, 2through the village then, at the straight on along the grassy path left to reach a gate in the wall down the path down to join the road at had suffered very high mortality. top of the village (just after the rising up to join the walled stony to your left, near a small barn. Head Gayle. Turn left along the road then through the gate and follow the right at the junction, over the bridge The BTO was delighted that despite small village green), follow the road track of Cam High Road (Roman Road). grassy track straight on passing the across Gayle Beck then follow the road all the problems the region’s birders bearing round to the left and small barn on your left then round towards Hawes. Before you had done so well. The latest atlas continue along the road for a short Turn right and follow the walled straight on across the shallow reach Wensleydale Creamery, take the maps for the North East indicate very distance then take the footpath to 3stony track of Cam High Road saddle between Wether Fell to your footpath to the right (signpost Pennine high levels of coverage achieved with the right through a squeeze-stile straight on rising steadily up for 1.5 left and Yorburgh to your right to Way) and follow the flagged path to just a few areas, particularly in North just before the stone barn on your right (signpost Marsett). After the km then follow the track bending soon join a stone wall on your left. reach Hawes Church. As you reach the Yorkshire, still to reach that level. One sharp left up to soon reach a gate Head straight on alongside this wall church, head through the left-hand of of those areas, NZ80, is immediately squeeze-stile, head straight up the field alongside the wall on your left across the track. Head through the on your left (leaving the track to the three gates that leads onto an south of Newholm, haunt of one of this to reach a squeeze-stile/wall-gate gate and walk straight on along the bear away to the right) to soon enclosed path (church on your right), winter’s super-rarities, the Black- near the top left corner of the field, track (wall on your right quickly reach a wall-stile to your left just which you follow down through a throated Thrush, which was still after which carry straight on bends away) for a further 1 km before a gate. passageway to emerge at the bottom of present this week. bearing slightly left up across the alongside the wall on your left and the Market Place, where you turn right Atlas organisers are hoping that field to soon reach another squeeze- open moorland of Wether Fell to After the wall-stile, head to the along the road back to the Dales local birders will take heart from that stile in the middle of the wall along your right to reach another gate 6right along the narrow path Countryside Museum. find and boost coverage there both the top of the field. After this across the track, where the track down across the rough field to during the breeding season and next squeeze-stile, continue up across becomes enclosed by walls on either reach a tumbledown wall, after Mark Reid winter, the final effort of the whole the field to reach another squeeze- side again and you reach a wall which follow the path to the left Author of The Inn Way guidebooks project. stile beside the bottom left-hand corner on your right (signpost). across the top of the field to soon innway. co.uk Meanwhile, the past week has corner of the plantation. After this reach a gap in the wall on the provided very ‘new’ exciting birds. Two squeeze-stile, carry straight on As you reach this wall corner opposite side of the field just where See photos of this walk at Avocets were at Seal Sands before along the narrow path meandering 4(immediately before this gate) the hillside begins to steepen yorkshiredales600s.blogspot.com moving to Greenabella Marsh, a drake up across the middle of the rough turn right then immediately head (Hawes comes into view). Head Green-winged Teal was at Druridge field (ignore permissive path to the diagonally to the right away from through this wall-gap then follow Pools, two Waxwings were at Norton left halfway up this field) to reach a the wall (heading: north) along a the path to the right down across ■ While every effort is made to ensure and small parties remained on gap in the tumbledown wall along narrow path that leads up onto the the middle of the field, heading that walks are accessible and are Tyneside. Lapland Buntings have been the top of the field (two-thirds of top of the summit plateau of steeply down to reach a gate in the rights of way, The Northern Echo particularly scarce this winter, even in the way along this wall heading left Wether Fell. As you reach the top of wall at the bottom of this cannot guarantee that fields, paths or their traditional areas, so one at the away from the top corner of the the summit moorland plateau after field/steep bank. After the gate, pubs will be open. If you are walking in North Gare was a good find. plantation). After this tumbledown about 150 metres, you come to a follow the path straight on bearing the countryside, please remember the Ian Kerr wall, head straight up to soon reach fork in the path – follow the right slightly to the left across the field, Country Code. the brow of hillside at the top of the hand path across the moorland then cross over the small stream wwwnorthernecho.co.uk/leisure/walks