June

Ron

Westgate – Daddry Shield – St John's Chapel – Seeingsike Rd – Middlehope Burn – Westgate

Very sunny and windy. Chilly at the start but warm in sheltered spots later on.

Ron, Sandy, George, Michelle, Michael

Ashley - in London

Comments

We were mugged by chickens at the car park.  Michelle had her toe pecked.

We found an idyllic lunch spot, sheltered behind a wall with far reaching views across to St John’s Chapel and up the other side of Weardale. Ruby loved rolling in the soft, dry grass.

We followed a tarmac road to Side Head and New Meadows past Fairfield Animal Rescue then up Seeingsike Road – a rugged track which has been badly eroded by off-road vehicles – to the old lead mine workings at Slitt Mine.

There was a picturesque descent through the woods alongside Middlehope Burn with several waterfalls. We passed an old mill on the Middlehope Burn with lots of notices. Ron was ticked off for taking photographs. We had our final refreshment outdoors in the warm sunshine at the Hare and Hounds in Westgate.

Fauna and Flora:

Mule (not a donkey), big shire horses, black lambs, rabbits.

There were lots of multicoloured chickens, mallard ducks. grey wagtails, dipper, skylarks, oyster catchers, meadow pipits, sand martins, also a white duck with hens.

Many fields were covered with wild flowers - buttercups, violas, clover and common bugle, geranium, red campion, wild garlic, hawthorn blossom.

The Badger, Ponteland - joined by Evelyn. Both meal and service were good, as usual.

Cockerel

Walking the Meadows

Latest ear fashion

Roadside Flowers

Little house

More meadows

River Wear

View across Weardale

Old mine entrance

Old mine workings

Mine and stream

More of the mine

Common bugle

Old mine bridge

Middlehope Burn