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. fells in the Yorkshire 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’ Yorkshire Dales – Time: 4 hours England 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 Fell that always take a map on your walk. place for all who are interested in separates Wensleydale from natural history. Hidden amongst the Start/Parking: Dales Raydale. What a name! Countryside Museum, Hawes 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) Great Shunner Fell, between Wether fell and shade of bluish-purple. The berries and Lovely Seat, Addlebrough, Buckden Yorburgh, from where a path foliage release a familiar scent when Pike, Yockenthwaite Moor, leads straight down the hillside, Based on Ordnance Survey they are crushed – the scent of gin – Ingleborough (just!), Dodd Fell and steep in places, back to Gayle and mapping © Crown copyright: for which they are a key ingredient, Wild Boar Fell. 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.