Grade: Medium Grade: Distance: 5 miles 5 Distance: farmland. paths, open meadows and and meadows open paths, Illustration by Steve Pardue. Photography by Steve Pardue and Jim Milner. Jim and Pardue Steve by Photography Pardue. Steve by Illustration Valley countryside on the woodland woodland the on countryside Valley Design, production and interpretation by: Differentia Ltd, 0191 2332330. 2332330. 0191 Ltd, Differentia by: interpretation and production Design, A walk through the beautiful Tees Tees beautiful the through walk A Cover illustration: green woodpecker. green illustration: Cover Farming landscape Farming Council, English Nature, English Heritage and the Ramblers Association. Association. Ramblers the and Heritage English Nature, English Council, Our thanks go to our partners: The Countryside Agency, Durham County Council, Northumberland County County Northumberland Council, County Durham Agency, Countryside The partners: our to go thanks Our Tel: 0191 229 5500 Email: [email protected] Email: 5500 229 0191 Tel: Defra (RDS), Quadrant, Newburn Riverside, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE15 8NZ. 8NZ. NE15 Tyne Upon Newcastle Riverside, Newburn Quadrant, (RDS), Defra For more information about this walk and others in the series, please contact: contact: please series, the in others and walk this about information more For David Bellamy, Bedburn, March 2002 March Bedburn, Bellamy, David again in good heart.” heart.” good in again environment with all the benefits of soils, landscapes and rural communities once once communities rural and landscapes soils, of benefits the all with environment Heritage on view on Heritage sense, and information and technology transfer now paves the way ahead for a farmed farmed a for ahead way the paves now transfer technology and information and sense, and government and non governmental organisations large and small. Common Common small. and large organisations governmental non and government and back into the countryside of England, thanks to a dynamic partnership of farmers, farmers, of partnership dynamic a to thanks England, of countryside the into back decade of vision and action that is slowly but surely putting wildflowers and wildlife wildlife and wildflowers putting surely but slowly is that action and vision of decade “From silent Spring to the march of the seasons, each buzzing with biodiversity. A A biodiversity. with buzzing each seasons, the of march the to Spring silent “From Cotherstone produce, recreation and tourism. and recreation produce, helping farmers and rural businesses diversify into areas such as providing high quality quality high providing as such areas into diversify businesses rural and farmers helping protecting both jobs, countryside heritage and the environment. Other schemes are are schemes Other environment. the and heritage countryside jobs, both protecting schemes that create a direct link for agriculture and the environment to work in harmony harmony in work to environment the and agriculture for link direct a create that schemes important for the countryside - for its people and its wildlife. Defra has initiated initiated has Defra wildlife. its and people its for - countryside the for important walk through . through walk Flower rich meadows. rich Flower partners are working with farmers and landowners to protect the features that are are that features the protect to landowners and farmers with working are partners A Countryside Gateway Gateway Countryside A We hope that these walks will provide you with an insight into how Defra and its its and Defra how into insight an with you provide will walks these that hope We opportunities for tourism, conservation and commerce. commerce. and conservation tourism, for opportunities of conservation taking place and how modern farming practices are offering new new offering are practices farming modern how and place taking conservation of generations and this offers unrivalled opportunities to learn about some of the methods methods the of some about learn to opportunities unrivalled offers this and generations will be walking through a landscape that has been farmed by the same family for for family same the by farmed been has that landscape a through walking be will people who live and work in them. In some cases you you cases some In them. in work and live who people in our region and to witness, first-hand, the efforts of the the of efforts the first-hand, witness, to and region our in offer an opportunity to experience the wonderful landscapes landscapes wonderful the experience to opportunity an offer HERE countryside throughout the north east of England. They They England. of east north the throughout countryside START START permissive paths and bridleways, over farmland and and farmland over bridleways, and paths permissive These walks follow a trail through public rights of way, way, of rights public through trail a follow walks These What are the Countryside Gateway series of walks all about? about? all walks of series Gateway Countryside the are What 40 miles from Durham and 20 miles from Darlington. from miles 20 and Durham from miles 40 Cotherstone is approximately 52 miles from Newcastle, Newcastle, from miles 52 approximately is Cotherstone How to get there get to How Opening doors to a forever changing countryside changing forever a to doors Opening Redstarts and cheese The most famous maker of Cotherstone Mickleton, Romaldkirk, Cotherstone and was Mrs Birkett, cheese maker at West ends near Lartington. The history of cheese making in the Dales Park until 1940, who was very keen to The Railway was the remnant of a scheme goes back to Roman times with the dales make the distinction between Cotherstone for a line from Barnard Castle to Alston. It of Tees, Swale and Wensleydale being and Wensleydale cheeses. Mrs Birkett was opened in 1868 by an independent foremost in this. Most of the cheese was probably responsible for the rise in company and was taken over by the North from this area was originally made with popularity of Cotherstone as a cheese in Eastern Railway in 1882. There are great ewe’s milk, and would have borne little its own right. resemblance to today’s cheese. Between views along the entire length of the walk, the dissolution of the monasteries and the ...not an exact science... revealing a wooded pastoral landscape. 17th century there was a change towards This is characterised by a patchwork of At the turn of the century, virtually every Enchanted woodland cow’s milk from Shorthorn herds being small fields bounded by dry stone walls farmers’ wife in the Dale made cheese used, and so the cheese became more like Ancient woodlands support a diversity and hedges dotted with trees. for the family. No doubt, each one was the Dales cheeses we are familiar with of wildlife including nationally rare or slightly different. Even today Cotherstone Just before reaching Cotherstone, you now. declining species and this particular site is will cross over the tall nine-arched Balder cheese can taste different on any given one of the most important woodland sites Cotherstone cheese was probably a Viaduct which spans a deep river valley. day - even though the milk may be from in the north east of England. descendant of Wensleydale, and may have the same herd of cows. It was built in 1848 for the Tees Valley been made in the 17th century. Later, If you sit on the grassy banks looking Railway Company. When the Tees Valley in the 19th century, this sort of cheese ...ancient woods across the valley towards Balder Grange, Railway opened, Cotherstone became a proved popular with provision merchants, As you walk the fields past Shipley you may be lucky enough to spot a small, popular holiday resort. Apartment houses, as it could be kept for a whole year. and Great Woods you can't help but be robin-like bird flitting out of the woodland, tea rooms and shops flourished. Although The fat moist properties of the cheese entranced by the tantalising view of an bobbing up and down on a fence post, today only the Post Office remains. encouraged the growth of green moulds. ancient woodland site. then darting back into the safety of the However there are two busy pubs serving The resulting blue cheese was highly wood. Look carefully for bright orange- good food, including of course Cotherstone prized in the last century. An ancient woodland is land continuously red as it flies off. This is a redstart which cheese, traditionally eaten with stout - try wooded since AD1600 in England is on the Amber list as species with with a cup of tea - its still good! The village name of Cotherstone was only and Wales or AD1750 in Scotland. unfavourable conservation status in given to the cheese early this century. This resource cannot increase and is Europe where it is declining. irreplaceable. Since the 1930’s almost half of ancient broadleaved woodland The breeding males have slate grey upper in England and Wales has been planted parts, black faces and wings, and an with conifers or cleared for agriculture. orange rump and chest. Females and More than 8 out of 10 ancient woods young are duller. These smart little birds in England and Wales are less than nest in holes, typically in old trees, a 20 hectares, only 501 exceed 100 charasteristic of ancient woodland habitat. hectares and a mere 14 are larger than ...and what about the railway 300 hectares. Although some woods are designated for their scientific and The Tees Valley Railway Path is a 10km conservation importance this does not long path set in the attractive countryside guarantee protection or ensure positive of Teesdale. The path starts near the management. village of Lonton, passing through or near Immaculate hedgerows at West Park The Mill 1. Park on the main street - near the Red into a field of “swishy grass” towards 8.