May

Ron

Coanwood - Lambley Viaduct – Knarsdale – Eals - Coanwood. (8.6miles)

Contrary to the forecast it started overcast and cool, with some mist. It cleared to give a warm and sunny day.

Ron, Sandy, Richard, Diane, Ken, George, Bernie.

Michael and Michelle - in Spain

Ashley - back trouble

Comments

Ken was late, and Bernie was the only one daring to bare legs and the only one to get an insect bite.

It was a good level walk along the old railway line and the side of the river South Tyne. There were only two short stretches of climbing – at the end of the viaduct in order to get around the privately owned Lambley Station, and later on through a wood of felled trees to get up from the river to the start point.

We were impressed with the good condition of the old station at Lambley with its nice garden full of bluebells, dedicated to a lady who had lived there for 28 years. We found a sunny, sheltered lunch spot on the old railway line. We sat on the stone parapet of a bridge.

We left the old railway line and descended to Knarsdale. We nearly climbed a stile into a private garden before being re-directed to the steep stone stile into the Churchyard. The church had been built in 1835, with a memorial to a rector who had frozen to death in a field in 1825. We couldn't find the pub marked on the map. We passed an old buttressed manor house as we left Knarsdale.

Ken found a good fishing spot from the bridge across the river and we watched a little duckling frantically trying to catch up with its mother and siblings.

Wildlife etc:

Curlew, lapwings, greenfinch, oystercatcher, jackdaw, pheasants, ducks and ducklings, black headed gulls, butterflies with orange tipped wings. Lambs, hares, rabbits. Strange blue grey fungus on a tree stump. Lots of squashed animals.

Falcon’s Nest, Gosforth

Richard and Ken

Lambley Viaduct

River

Bridge below

Woods beside the Viaduct

Station

Distant Viaduct

Lunch

Church

River view

Felled Trees