Otterburn

Never done this walk before.  New book and new walk.  This was promoted as a good walk to do with children. It was tricky finding somewhere to park.  Otterburn is the tiniest hamlet with narrow roads.  Eventually found a spot near the start of the walk.  Good start – straightforward hike up a track which went on for quite a long way steadily climbing upwards. 

There were good views all around and a blue sky with white fluffy clouds.  However once I got to the top the way wasn’t so clear.  I wandered up to the top of field but couldn’t really see the way forward.  After reading the book a few times it suggested I went through a large moorland pasture field full of cows to drop back down to the farm track just below me. 

Well I decided to miss that bit out and went down to the farm track and followed that to Orms Gill Green to where there was an old lime kiln. 

From here I picked up the route again walking along Orms Gill Green lane. Eventually the direction was to take an unsigned gate to the right heading along the wall edge down to a track to lovely little settlement through a gate – surrounded by cows –

 which trotted off thank goodness before I opened the gate through to some woodland eventually bringing me through a farmyard and back to where I started.  I had successfully made a 5 mile walk into a 6 mile walk and it had been pretty tricky in parts finding my way –there seemed to have been a lot of unmarked, paths, gates and turnings.

Haw Crag

Excellent day for a walk and because it will soon be coming darker earlier in the afternoon I decided to do Haw Crag while the days were long enough.  This walk started from Bell Busk and parked up in a small lay by just by a viaduct.  Taking the road back to the bridge then walking up the rough track to the field where Haw Crag is. 

I’ve never gone through this field without there being cows in it.  They didn’t move thank goodness as I quickly made my way up the hill.  At the top I passed through a stile and made my way across the field.  The fields here are huge you can’t see the walls at the other side as they are hilly too.  Luckily I spotted a trod which took me over to the left and down to the gate into the next field.  Last time I’d spent quite a while wandering around looking for the way out.  This second field had cows too but they were all laid down in a far corner so a long way from where I was going.  At the bottom I turned along the river bank to walk alongside the river. 

It was flowing fast today after the recent rainfall – the old bridge looked good – had to take a photo.  

The way back from here was straight forward past an old farm building full of derelict rusting cars and back to the car.  5 miles walked – good day.

Gargrave and The Pennine Way

I have done this walk several times before but there is always something new to see – today was no exception.  Walking along the canal at the first set of locks there were several keepers working on the gates maintaining them and to do that they had drained the canal just beyond.  It was really interesting to see the canal basin.  It isn’t as deep as  I thought it would be and the sides get shallower and shallower up to the canal walls.  

It did make the canal look a bit sad and bedraggled.  As I walked around the ground was fairly damp under foot and as I turned back on the Pennine Way a couple coming towards me warned of the field ahead which had just been spread with slurry.  

There little white dog had enjoyed it – it had rolled in it and looked like they would be very busy bathing it when they got home.  Further along as I turned down the trakc to take me back towards Gargrave I came across a whole hedge of Blackthorn absolutely covered in Sloe berries. 

Thank goodness I’d brought a plastic bag in my back pack.  Within 20 minutes I’d picked 4.5lbs.  What a good end to a 5 mile walk around Gargrave.

Hardraw Force Brass Band Competition

No walking involved today – or very little anyway we had come up to support the Friendly Brass Band in competition at Hardraw Force.  Unfortunately it was a dull rainy day.  

But there were plenty of people in the audience who had come prepared with seats, waterproofs and blankets and a little rain was not going to spoil the day.  We had fun and the children clapped and sang along in parts. 

Even though the band didn’t win anything everyone enjoyed themselves.