October
Lunch Stop
Walk leader | Michelle |
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Route | Frosterley circular via White Kirkley, High Bishopley and Granite Quarries. |
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Weather | Sunny most of the day, warm in the shelter of the quarries and burn but a little windy at the very top of the walk. |
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Walkers | Michelle, Michael, Richard, Diane. |
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Excuses | Ashley - injured back Sandy - dog sitting Ron - cold and cough George - at a 60th birthday party Ken - injured back Lance and Julie - in Skye Bernie - weekend in Walsingham |
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Comments |
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The walk centred on the industrial landscape to the South and West of Frosterley. This consisted of ‘Granite’ and Limestone quarries and Lead mines. We commenced the walk from the public car park in Frosterley, where there is a rather large specimen of Frosterley Granite with a plaque explaining the use of the granite in Durham Cathedral, Bishop Auckland Castle and local churches. The route took us over the River Wear and along the top of the quarries via part of the Weardale Way. After passing large Lime Kilns and remains of railway tracks we reached White Kirkley where the route turned along the valley of the Bollihope Burn. We continued along the disused railway line, passed numerous spoil heaps and eventually left the valley and headed up to High Bishopley. From there we returned over fields back through the quarry area and back to the cars. A two lunchstop walk. At the first we sat on a ‘walking boot’ seat, overlooking the quarry area, and at the second we sheltered behind a wall with a view down Weardale,and up to Tow Law. Of Note: Wildlife: Donkeys, goats, running ducks, cormorant, all sorts of chickens and ducks on small allotments over the river, rabbits, mallards, Sally the sheepdog, big white bull, Louie the riverdog, blue and coal tits. |
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Meal | ||||
No evening meal organized as Diane and Richard off to a harvest festival supper.
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Photo Gallery |
Hungry goat (Frosterley)
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Frosterley walkers |
River Wear |
Quarries and Nature Reserve |
Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly |
Right-angled Bridge |
Old river bed
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Bollihope Burn
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Old wheel
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Remains of old lead mines
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Frosterley
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Donkey
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