Walks 39 what’son Walks Cowton Castle & Pepper Arden Bottoms Walk Information Distance: 5.25 km / 3.3 miles Cowton Castle is Time: Allow two hours Map: OS Explorer Sheet 304 a superb example ‘Darlington & Richmond’ ‘‘ Parking: On-street parking around North Cowton village green. of a pele tower, Refreshments: Blacksmiths Arms at North Cowton built during the late Terrain: Muddy field paths and farm tracks all the way. How to get there: North Cowton 15th Century by lies just off the B1263 between Brompton-on-Swale and Croft-on- Sir Richard Conyers Tees. Please note: Take care crossing the B1263; some of the fields are ploughed and muddy underfoot. Points of Interest The Cowtons lie on rolling open countryside to the south of the River Tees in North Yorkshire. North Cowton is an attractive village clustered around a green complete with War Memorial, whilst East Cowton is a linear village with a number of fine old houses. There is a third ‘cowton’. South Cowton was once the most important of the trio during the nationally important wetland site stream across your path and a stile bridle-gate (Cowton Castle up to Re-trace your steps through the Middle Ages but is now just a scat- that dates back to prehistoric times just beyond. Cross the stile then your right). Head through the 4 churchyard then along the track tering of farms, a church, stately when a large lake formed here turn immediately left (wooden shed bridle-gate then walk straight on passing Church Farm and all the home and castle; grassy bumps in following the last Ice Age. Over in front of you) across the field to keeping close to the fence on your way along the farm lane to reach the surrounding fields are evidence thousands of years, layers of peat reach a stile in a hedge, then carry right to reach a kissing-gate in the the main road once again. At the of this almost forgotten medieval have been deposited some ten straight on across the ploughed corner of the field that leads onto a road, cross over to the right and, village. Cowton Castle is a superb metres deep. Just to the south of field and over another stile (wooden farm track (Pepper Arden Bottoms where the hedge dog-legs, turn left example of a pele tower, built Cowton Castle, hidden by trees, step-over stile in section of fencing) Information board). over two successive stiles that leads during the late 15th Century by lies Pepper Arden Hall. Built in the after which continue straight on onto a field, then re-trace your Sir Richard Conyers as a fortified mid 18th Century, this fine country across another ploughed field pass- Turn right along the grassy steps back across the two ploughed tower house during the troubled house was remodelled in the 1870s ing to the right of a large barn to 3 track, which soon becomes a fields and another field to reach the years of the War of the Roses, when the ornate Italianate Water reach another stile in the bottom gravel track that leads to Home stile by the wooden shed. Cross this when he is said to have fought Tower was also built, which can be corner of the field that leads into a Farm on your left. Walk straight stile and the stream and the next alongside Richard III at the Battle seen peeping above the treetops. small belt of woodland. Cross this on through the red gate and stile that leads onto a field – head of Bosworth. This castle is still a stile then turn left over another continue on along the gravel track on with the hedge on your left to working farm and boasts stout The Walk stile onto the main road. passing a large open-sided barn pass through the white gate and walls, battlements and small and a small pond on your left, stables yard to reach the road at corner towers. Nearby is St Mary’s From North Cowton village Cross the road (take care) and through another gate and onto a North Cowton. Turn left back into Church, a wonderful example of a 1 green, head along the road out 2 head along the farm lane oppo- road. Turn right along the road the centre of the village. Perpendicular church that was of the bottom corner of the green site to the right (signpost and Atley then, after 20 metres (before the built and fortified by Sir Richard at passing the Blacksmiths Arms and Fields Farm sign) and follow this bend in the road), turn right again Mark Reid the same time as his castle. Now then Anvil Way on your right, a few straight on to reach Church Farm over a stile alongside a gate that Author of The Inn Way guidebooks surrounded by open countryside, paces after which turn right along on your left where you carry on leads onto a field. Bear left across innway.co.uk this would once have served the the enclosed lane in between the along the lane curving to the left the field to reach two stiles over medieval village of South Cowton houses (signpost). Follow this lane behind the house and farm build- fences on either side of a farm Yorkshire Dales and was built with defence in mind. down to soon reach a gate across ings to reach St Mary’s Church. track. Cross the track and stiles, Inside, there is a wealth of contem- your path, then head straight on Walk through the churchyard, then walk across the field, with Outdoors Festival 2013 porary features including a screen, across the stables yard to reach passing to the right of the tower, the hedge to your left, to reach a Friday, September 13 choir stalls, wall paintings and a another gate that leads onto a field. and follow the tarmac path away stile and gate in the corner of the to Sunday, September 15, sturdy oak roof. The three 15th Walk straight across the field from the entrance porch to reach field, with the farm and Cowton Wensleydale. Century alabaster tomb effigies are through a white gate, then head a gate at the bottom of the church- Castle to your right. Cross the stile Try your hand at drystone thought to be Sir Richard Conyers alongside the field boundary on yard. After the gate, head right to reach another gate and small walling, head out on a philosophy and his two wives, although there your right to reach a stile in the alongside the hedge on your right footbridge in the bottom corner walk or go fell-walking. is some doubt about this. Close by bottom right corner of the field. (Cowton Castle ahead) to reach a of the field, after which re-trace are the extensive water meadows Cross the stile then head through stile beside a gate, after which turn your steps back to reach St Mary’s For more details visit of Pepper Arden Bottoms, a the undergrowth to quickly reach a left alongside the hedge to reach a Church. yorkshiredalesoutdoorsfestival.com Countrydiary Birdwatch HEREVER crops are grown weeds into the earth, until WALLOW migration is now in full The change in weather with lower appear, taking advantage of the it’s firmly lodged. You swing with birds starting their 9,000- temperatures, northerly winds and that W fertile cultivated soil that can watch the whole Smile journey to wintering grounds torrential rain produced good runs of agriculture provides, and some that occur performance by in southern Africa. The other day on the Manx shearwaters, a scattering of long- around cereal fields have remarkable collecting a few dry coast I watched an almost constant move- tailed skuas and some very good rarities. adaptations for dispersing their seeds. wild oat seeds, ment of small loose parties going steadily But it was a case of quality rather than It’s easy to spot wild oats in cereal fields placing them on wet southwards. quantity with far fewer than normal because they grow much taller than tissue paper until the They usually seek out reed beds to roost commoner migrants. A red-backed shrike modern varieties of wheat, barley and oats. awns straighten then while migrating. A farmer friend told me was at Loftus and wrynecks at Hartlepool If you take a close look at this remarkably putting them on a dry that every morning while out checking Headland and Whitburn. The latter locality persistent weed you’ll see how it ensures sunny window ledge, sheep he’d felt like the Pied Piper. As he also had a rosefinch. But northern areas that its seeds become buried in the surface when they’ll begin to passed his local reed-fringed lake scores attracted the real stars. A yellow-breasted layers of the soil, where they’ll be ideally turn somersaults as they dry. followed his quad bike, obviously hoping bunting and Fea’s petrel were at the Farne positioned for germination next spring. Field pansies – cornfield weeds whose for breakfast from insects disturbed by Islands and a thrush nightingale was on Each seed has a long, thin “tail” called an flowers are miniature versions of the his wheels. Holy Island where another wryneck frequented the same dunes bushes. awn that reacts to changes in atmospheric familiar garden pansy – have a method of Swallows have had a mixed breeding moisture. When it falls on wet soil the tail dispersing their seeds that will be familiar season. Many arrived late because of The thrush nightingale was the region’s straightens but when it dries out it to anyone who has tried to grasp a bar of our exceptionally cold spring and, sadly, first reasonably accessible individual since develops a knee-like bend and the tip wet soap.