6 The Northern Echo Thursday, May 13, 2010 7DAYS northernecho.co.uk COUNTRY DIARY WALKS ADYBIRD beetles are famous for their bright colours, but Buckden Pike L there are two other beetle species that are found at this time of year whose colour schemes are even By Mark Reid more vibrant. Tiger beetles, which are quite common on sandy moorland WALKFACTS soils and on the soft, crumbling HERE are 42 mountains magnesian limestone cliffs of the Distance: 13 km (eight miles) Durham coast, are instantly and fells in the identifiable by their brilliant green Yorkshire Dales with a Time: four to five hours colour, overlaid with ever-shifting T height of 600 metres of Maps: OS Explorer Sheet OL30 patterns of iridescent purple when more, and a relative Start/parking: Large pay and the sunlight strikes their shiny bodies. height of more than 20 metres. display car park at Buckden. Their movements are distinctive too, Here is the third of the rapidly running over the soil surface “northern and central” Yorkshire Refreshments: Pubs at Buckden and often taking to the air for short Dales – Buckden Pike (702m), and Starbotton. flights when they’re disturbed. These which is also the lowest of the Terrain: A stony track climbs insects are ferocious hunters, running seven fells in the Yorkshire Dales out of Buckden before a rough, down their prey and impaling it on above 700 metres. grassy path climbs steadily up needle-sharp jaws. When my The summit of Buckden Pike onto Buckden Pike, with a short daughter was a child she made the offers far-reaching views across the but steep final climb to the mistake of catching one of these Pennine hills, with massive summit. The walk across the jewel-like beetles in her cupped shoulders of moorland gently broad summit ridge heads over hands and instantly regretted it when rising and falling away into the boggy ground to join Walden it sunk its jaws into her finger. These distance and Pen-y-Ghent and Road (bridleway). This grassy beetles are small – less than an inch Ingleborough clearly visible. path then leads steadily down long. The jaws of tiger beetle larvae, A short distance to the south all the way to Starbotton, with that live in vertical shafts in sandy some steep sections, soil, are equally impressive and are from the main summit trig point along the broad summit ridge is a particularly the final descent held level with the soil surface, ready into Starbotton. From to snap shut on any small insect that memorial cross erected in memory Starbotton, the route follows the blunders too close to the burrow. of the five Polish crew of an RAF riverside path all the way back Wasp beetles that are found in plane that crashed in a snowstorm to Buckden. woodland look dangerous because in January 1942. their black and yellow colour scheme There was one survivor, who How to get there: Buckden is on mimics a wasp – and their jerky followed the footprints of a fox in the B6160 at the head of movements and constantly quivering the snow which eventually led him Wharfedale, between Aysgarth antennae add to the general air of down to the White Lion at Cray and Kettlewell. menace that surrounds them – but and safety. A bronze head of a fox Open access: The section from they are completely harmless. Their peeps out from the base of the Buckden Pike to Walden Road defence depends on bluff. They feed cross, the lone survivor’s personal crosses open access land. See on nectar and are often seen on the tribute to the fox that led him to local signs for information or flower heads of cow parsley. Their safety. visit openaccess.gov. uk larvae feed by tunnelling through From the memorial cross, our rooting wood – such a poor diet that route continues along the ridge to Caution: This is a strenuous it takes them over two years to soon reach the old “road” across walk to the summit of Buckden become fully fed. the fells between Wharfedale and Pike (702 metres). The walk Based on Ordnance Phil Gates Walden, which offers a wonderful across the summit ridge Survey mapping © descent back into Wharfedale with between Buckden Pike and Crown copyright: BIRDWATCH superb views across the dramatic Walden Road heads across AM26/09 side-valley of Cam Gill Beck. exposed moorland that is boggy underfoot. The walk includes a OOD sandpiper is another number of steep sections. Map, Head through the gate and follow Buckden”). Follow this path down migrant on extended show Leave Buckden along the stony the clear grassy path straight on, to reach a large footbridge across W 1track at the top end of the car compass and hill-walking gear because of the near-wintry are essential. heading across the steep hillside, the River Wharfe. After the conditions.Most years, a few rest on park (signposted “Buckden Pike with the deep side-valley of Cam footbridge, turn right (signposted our wetlands for a day or two, but and Cray High Bridge”). Gill Beck falling away to your left. “Buckden”) along the riverside this spring the number is above Follow this clear track (Buckden path to reach the trig point on the Follow the path, dropping very path to soon reach a small average and they’re lingering longer. Rake) climbing quite steeply up summit of Buckden Pike. gently down for 400 metres to join a footbridge over the side-stream of through Rakes Wood for 1km up to Fosse Gill. Numbers at individual locations have As you reach the trig point, wall on your right, where you reach a gate in a wall across your continue straight on to soon reach After the footbridge, continue been small –no more than three at 2 carry straight on alongside the path at the top of the climb, after a gateway in another wall across straight on along the riverside path both Bothal Pond, west of Ashington, wall on your left (signposted which the track levels out for a your path. across two more fields to reach a Northumberland, and Pulfin and “Suggested route to war short distance (wall on your left). Head through this gateway and wall-gate beside a gate in the field High Eske reserve, near Beverley, memorial”) to soon reach a ladder It gently rises up and, where the follow the clear path straight on, corner (river bends away to the East Yorkshire. But an impressive stile over a wall across your path. total has built up with one or two track divides, head straight on with the wall now on your left right). Head through the gate and along the left-hand track, with the Cross the ladder stile and carry reported from nine other locations then, after 400 metres, the path follow the clear path straight wall on your left, and through straight on alongside the wall on between Tyne and Humber. On joins a clearer, but rough, track at a alongside the wall on your left another gate. Immediately after your left heading across the top of signpost. Continue straight on heading across flat pastures (path Tuesday, more were in at least ten this gate turn right (signposted the broad moorland ridge for three- along this rough track, with the enclosed by walls on both sides in other counties farther south and “Buckden Pike”) and follow the quarters of a kilometre to reach a wall still on your left, for a further places) for 1.5 km all the way to west. After overwintering in central clear, grassy path heading up wall across your path and a ladder 400 metres to reach a gateway in a join a clear track along the foot of Africa, these elegant waders are alongside the wall on your right for stile to your left, with the war wall across your path at a junction the steep wooded hillside (Birks bound for nesting grounds in Arctic 100 metres, then follow the path memorial just across the wall. of walls. Wood), marked by a signpost for latitudes, their summer range bearing to the left up across the Cross the ladder stile, with the Head through this gateway and “Dales Way”. stretching to the tops of Norway, field to reach a gate in a wall on the war memorial just in front of you follow the track straight on across Follow this track straight on Sweden, Finland and Russia. So opposite side (National Trust sign and turn right alongside the wall the field to soon reach a gate in a through the woodland, passing a hanging on in the North-East makes for “Upper Wharfedale”). on your right and follow this wall, fence/wall, after which follow the large stone barn on your left, 150 sense; if the temperature is below After the gate, continue straight gently dropping down across boggy clear track straight on alongside metres after which follow the path zero overnight here, what must on along the grassy path, ground for 400 metres to reach the the wall on your right, with the bearing offthe track to the right conditions be like there? gradually bearing up across the “Walden Road” bridleway across valley of Cam Gill Beck falling (signpost) down through a wall- Also delayed this week were 12 gently shelving rough hillside and your path beside a bridlegate in the away to your left, gently dropping gate. dotterel – possibly making for through a gateway in a wall, after wall on your right, just before the for three-quarters of a kilometre, After the wall-gate, turn right Norway – near Malham Tarn, in the which continue along the clear wall bends sharp right.