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December

 

Route

Route

Walk Leader

Ashley

Route

Battersby (ford) – Battersby Moor – Battersby (in a clockwise direction).

Weather

Mostly bright, windy on the top ridge, isolated low cloud.

Walkers

Ashley, Ron, Sandy, Evelyn and George B

Excuses

Carol - shopping for floor tiles

Bernie - birthday party

Michelle and Michael - in Barcelona

 

Comments

Parked at Battersby ford – water levels high after recent rain – not far from coming over on to the road. Started off along the ridge of the moor, which was windy and chilly. Dropped down into the only cloud for miles around and had lunch – evidence of previous occupation (used tea bag). Nice views of soon to be closed steelworks on Teesside, Roseberry Topping and Captain Cook’s Monument. After a long slow descent off the moor, we had to trudge through very muddy, claggy fields. Accumulated mud on boots increased their weight significantly. Lots of slippy stiles and bridges. One stile was very rickety.

A popular route. We were nearly run over twice by a motorbike and encountered a couple of mountainbikers, two 4x4’s and people out walking dogs. Passed lots of yappy dogs in a cage at a farm, which also had a small field of sheep jumping fences. Met a collection of very muddy and noisy two-tone trotters. Saw a garden with a reconstructed miniature stone circle.

After the walk we visited Glebe Cottage Tearoom in Kildale, which had lovely Christmas decorations. Excellent teacakes and home baked scones. Bought some Christmas scones to take home. Friendly owner whose daughter Holly (4) helped with taking the money to pay the bill - she also liked tomatoes.

Wildlife / Flora / Animals:

Birds : grouse, ducks, guinea fowl, rooster, seagulls, blackbirds, posing pheasant.

Mammals: pigs, sheep, flying shrew (Ashley), horses.

Flora: Flat toadstools, sloe berries, holly bush with berries.

Meal

Bowes Incline Hotel – nice meal


Photo Gallery

Plaque

 

Group

Measured group

Setting out

Setting out

Branch or root

Branch or root?

 

Uphill

 

Top

Group at the top

 

Bridge

Wooden bridge

Teesside

Views of Teesside

Lunch

Lunch

On fire

On fire

 

Boots

Boots

 

 

Muddy stile

Muddy stile

 

Flooded stile

Flooded stile

Pigs

Pigs

Stone circle

Stone circle

 

 

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