THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2016 The Northern Echo 39 Walks what’son Walks Aldbrough St John and the Tofts Walk information Distance: 7.25 km (4.5 miles) on your left, gently rising up for 525 metres to reach a gateway on Time: 2 hours the edge of Hillhouse Plantation. Maps: OS Explorer 304 Carry straight on along the track Parking: Parking around the for a further 200 metres to reach a village green at Aldbrough St John road, opposite the turning for East Layton. Refreshments: Stanwick Arms, Aldbrough St John How to get there: From Junction Turn left along the road for 800 56 on the A1(M), follow the B6275 4metres (take care) to reach a northwards; Aldbrough St John is track to the left alongside some signposted off to the left. more extensive and very obvious wooded earthworks that run Terrain: A mixture of field, across your path on either side stream-side, tracks and country of the road. Turn left along this roads. Some of the paths are wet track and follow it straight on underfoot. with the earthworks on your right Caution: Take care walking along for 650 metres to reach a junction the roads. Livestock in some of of tracks where you follow the the fields; always give cattle a clearer track to the right in a wide berth. Some paths are wet S-bend (crossing the line of the underfoot. ‘stone walls’. This amazing feat and tomb covers inside the porch. open field, over a small ‘rise’ and earthworks). After the S-bend, of engineering was carried out There are also several interesting then down to join a fence which carry on along the clear track with under the orders of Venutius, the stone effigies and memorials to the comes in from your right and on to the wall and earthworks now on Points of interest husband of the Brigantes Queen local Catterick family who held reach the road. your left for 350 metres then, where Cartimandua, who had quarrelled the Manor of Stanwick during the clear track bends sharp right with his pro-Roman wife and the Middle Ages. The name of towards Park House Farm, carry LDBROUGH St John is subsequently went off to lead anti- the family later changed through At the road turn left then almost 2immediately right over a stile straight on along the grassy path a beautiful village of Roman resistance in the North. marriage to Smithson, and several still with the wall/earthworks on old stone cottages and This provoked the Romans into generations later they inherited just after a gate and head straight on alongside Mary Wild Beck your left. Follow this grassy path a wide village green, action and they set about to quell the Earldom of Northumberland for 600 metres to reach a gateway Awith a small stream on your left, through a gate and the troublesome tribes of Northern when a Smithson married continue on with the stream still on your left with stone gateposts flowing through its heart. This area Britain, which culminated with Elizabeth Percy. Stanwick Hall was on your left. Half way across this (waymarkers) – walk past this is steeped in history, as this was the capture of Stanwick and defeat demolished many years ago. field, cross the bridge over the gateway and alongside a short the last stronghold of the ancient of the British tribes. The Romans stream to your left and then walk section of curving wall then, where British tribe that once ruled the soon stamped their authority on up with the stream now on your the wall ends on your left, take the North – the Brigantes. This walk this area – the B6275 follows the The walk right to join the road beside Kirk footpath to the left (waymarker), explores much of the impressive line of the Roman Road of Dere From the old stone water pump Bridge (church short detour to the following the wall and earthworks remains of Stanwick Camp, the Street before it crossed the River 1on the large ‘green’ in front of the right). as it turns left. Walk straight on largest Iron Age fort in the country Tees at Piercebridge on its way Stanwick Arms, walk in between with the wall and earthworks on with deep ditches and earthworks from York towards Hadrian’s the houses and cross the stone your left then at the top of the field stretching for over 8 km enclosing Wall. Of particular note is the footbridge (adjacent to the road At the road turn left then, after a (house just over the wall ahead of an area of some 700 acres. This was Church of St John the Baptist at bridge) across Aldbrough Beck. 3few paces, turn right through a you), curve right alongside the field more than a defensive site and was Stanwick beside Kirk Bridge, a Immediately after the stone bridge red metal gate (signpost). After the boundary and on to quickly join used as the political and economic very impressive building for such turn right along the track passing gate, turn left and walk straight on the road over a stile on your left stronghold of the Brigantes tribes a small hamlet. Inside the Church between two stone gateposts and across the field (The Tofts) towards (signpost). Turn right and follow who ruled Northern Britain before you will see evidence of worship through the white gate ahead. woodland for 250 metres to reach the road straight on back into the Romans arrived. since Saxon times, perhaps earlier, Walk straight on across the field a gate beside a wall corner at the Aldbrough St John. The original Iron Age hill fort as this stands just outside The alongside the stream on your right, top of the field, with woodland occupied a smaller site known as Tofts area of Stanwick Camp. The down over a small footbridge across on your right. Head through the The Tofts at the heart of the larger church predominantly dates from a side-stream and through a gate gate and walk straight on with the Mark Reid Stanwick Camp; however, this early the 13th Century, although it was ahead. After this gate turn left and wall on your left (short section TeamWalking Hill Skills & fort was enlarged and extended restored during the 19th Century. follow the fence up across the field, of enclosed path) to soon emerge Outdoor Adventures during the first Century AD to Inside the church you will find then half way along this fence head out onto a field. Carry straight on www.teamwalking.co.uk create the vast earthworks we see an intricately carved Viking Ring through a gate on your left and along the edge of the field, with today. When it was constructed Cross, thought to date from the time continue up across the field with the wall/fence on your left, for 250 Unique corporate activity days, there were deep ditches cut down when Stanwick lay just inside the the fence now on your right to reach metres to join a grassy farm track navigation skills and team building into the bedrock with high stone northern boundary of the Danelaw a gate in the fence across your path on a sharp bend. Turn right along experiences in the great outdoors. walls – the name ‘Stanwick’ comes during the 10th Century, as well as at the top of the field. After this this track and follow it straight teamwalking.co.uk from the old Danish words meaning several Anglo-Saxon cross-heads gate continue straight on across the on, passing a holly and ivy bush Birdwatch By Ian Kerr ACH winter there are males, a plumage characteristic Since then numbers visiting The reasons for their decline in hungry waxwings. Counts over certain very attractive we seldom see in Britain. Britain have declined sharply and are unclear. It could be simply that the past few days have involved E species which most birders milder winters across northern They have a huge breeding in recent decades groups seldom 200 at Jarrow, 70 at High Shincliffe want to enjoy. Waxwings are a range and our birds probably even achieve double figures. It Europe have meant that more are and Pickering, 50 at Boldon and prime example and there are remaining closer to their breeding come from populations which means that most birders can count Richmond, 20 at North Oremesby plenty of opportunities at the areas than in the past. Whatever nest on the stony tops and ridges themselves lucky if they come and 16 at Cargo Fleet. Smaller moment. Another target species the reason, they are a wonderful of high mountains in northern across one or two each winter. numbers have graced many other is shore lark. Sadly they are a species to see on an otherwise localities. decreasing winter visitor along Scandinavia. Others breed at All of that makes a flock which gloomy winter’s day. sea level on the tundra along the peaked at 21 in coastal stubble our coasts although this year they Waxwings have continued to have put in their best appearances Arctic Ocean and this nesting at Burniston in North Yorkshire zone continues eastwards right be widespread, thanks mainly to for a long time with birds in at particularly noteworthy although the abundance of our late berry across the top of North America. least three localities. it has since declined. Up to seven crop. Some areas, normally by Shore larks are very attractive Their heyday locally was back have also been present at East now stripped bare by starlings birds with striking yellow and in the 1970s when local wintering Chevington on Druridge Bay.