Monday 3rd June 2019 - Carr Brow Moor 503m - NY 889 394
Great Stony Hill 708m - NY 829 399
I was going to post a map showing all the trigs on this Sheet 91 and then I found I have missed some off the printed list I made. And, I know I visited some of these on a visit to Appleby with the caravan with Pete a few years ago when I first started this campaign, but my records are not good enough and I may have to re-visit some - it is all going to take a bit of sorting and it seems I have much more left to do than I thought. Another problem is that there are still some within the Warcop army firing range - am I starting to get a bit disenchanted with this project? I hate giving up on something but I suppose I will carry on for the moment. The actual walking is fine in wonderful wild country and perhaps I will just enjoy that rather than getting wound up about the list ticking.
These two hills were visited with gale force winds blowing most of the time and poor light for photos.
Carr Brow was an hour there and back with good views down into Weardale.
A short drive took me to the start of Great Stony. I parked at a gate just before the tarmac ended and then had a long climb on the track with lapwings and curlews in abundance. A short trog across pathless moorland took me to the trig. It was only then that I decided to cross country and return by tracks further west. It was rough going and I regretted wearing trail shoes rather than boots.
I was able to return on a new forest road alongside the southern shore of Burnhope reservoir, the woods shown on the map having been recently felled.
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| Looking down to St. John's Chapel on the way to Carr Brow |
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| A most uncomfortable stony track before branching off up the grassy hillside |
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| Carr Brow trig is just out of sight |
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| Carr Brow looking down Weardale to Westgate - that is where I ended up in the pub after breaking my arm on the Berwick trip (pun unintended) |
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| Burnhope reservoir |
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| Great Stony Hill. The cairn is shown as a "currick" on the OS map - the local name for cairn |
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| Another rough, loose stone track on the return - hard going on the feet |
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| That path continued afterwards for a long way on this plastic matting |
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| Burnhope Burn - it descends over a series of natural steps making for pretty little waterfalls |
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| Greylag geese - full zoom |
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| I was struck by the splendid location of the house facing up Burnhope reservoir - see zoom in next photo |
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| Just to show the two trigs in context |
The walking world has not woken to the delights of Weardale.
ReplyDeleteI used to tramp. that phrase is little used these days but fits the terrain well,those pathless hills as a teenager with the most rudamentary equipment.
I remember 'acid resistant work boots' designed for builders, couldn't afford Hawkins.
Moleskin breeches bought on Darlington market, who were they intended for - poachers?
A heavy jacket of some sort of felt and of course an orange cagoule from The Army and Navy store. The latter not much better than a pacamac.
You have rekindled my boyhood adventures.
BC - It's just a pity it's such a long drive. Walks are limitless up there Unfortunately Land Rover tracks are snaking about all over these days, and I have seen many animal traps.
ReplyDeleteI remember my ex Commando rucksack with a tubular steel frame. ex WD carabiners, hybrid boots with mixed Vibram soles and tricounis, climbing Little Gully on Pavey Ark with a hemp rope rerputed to be "Alpine" borrowed from Tom's father and dating back before WW2 (or was it WW1?) We also got mothers to cut off the bottom half of those 1940s men's mackintoshes and make them into anorak jackets. I could go on ( and on.) Later a good bit of kit was the ubiquitous Black's anorak. The ultimate in boots was to have them hand made by Robert Lawrie - way out of my league.
Sir Hugh and BC - I remember well my moleskin breeches and Black's anorak which, by co-incidence Conrad, got their first soaking on Little Gully. I had to wear the breeches wet the following day but at least it was dry.
ReplyDeleteDo you think as many people would go to the hills today if that was the sort of gear that was available?
afoot - I bet the moleskins weren't dry! I didn't have those, but others did - I wore breeches and long stockings.
ReplyDeleteThey took ages to dry out. I was on holiday with my brother and his wife - I’d be 16 at the time I think. They were buying stuff in George Fisher’s in Keswick and bought me the moleskin breeches, socks and a couple of new carabiners. I think they felt sorry for me having very little money.
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