Birdoswald

One of the viewing points for the Illumination of Hadrian's Wall is likely to be Birdoswald and I went out to get some pictures to show you the views from there.
It's a nice circular walk from my Gilsland home, about 5 miles if I meander in my usual fashion.
I walked through Gilsland village and noticed just how untidy it looks.
I suppose when you live in the Village you don't notice the crumbling wall outside the village hall, or the old caravan covered in green algea that obviously hasn't moved for years, but visitors must.
It's never been a pretty village but it could look better and people do try, when the hanging baskets are on the hall and pretty planted tubs by the bus stand in the summer it cheers the place up.
I went on up the Hill, taking the footpath through the field that cuts off the corner past Kiln Hill Farm, Michael has some of his cattle in there and they bellowed a  bit as I passed them by.

Michaels cattle

The path passes through a little wooded dene, quite a steep climb on one side but there are steps to help you up.
As you come out of the wood you can see Birdoswald Fort across to your right with the line of Hadrian's Wall in front of you.

Hadrian's Wall at Birdoswald

Through the field of sheep to the kissing gate and out onto the road.
The view from the road at Birdoswald along the Wall to Walltown in the distance is always spectaular, it's a good stretch of Hadrian's Wall here and so easily accessible.

Birdoswald looking towards Walltown

Birdoswald looking west

For my walk today I head east following the Hadrian's Wall Path to the bridge abutments above Harrow Scar, from the top here looking down towards Willowford you get an idea of just how determined the Roman's were. It's a bridge building exercise that would tax todays engineers yet the Roman army managed to build a very impressive structure, as shown on the interpretative boards on the lower abutments.
Nowadays you have to walk down the hill and cross the River Irthing using the new Willowford Bridge, impressive in it's own right, a gentle arc over the river.
I love to look for fossils here especially after we've had a heavy flow of water to churn things up a bit.

Fossil at Willowford

There are some fine remains on this eastern side of the Roman bridge and a long line of Hadrian's Wall takes you up hill to Willowford Farm, one of our local Bed and Breakfast places and a great place to stay, right on the Wall.
The track takes you alongside the Wall back to Gilsland, notice the Willowford Farm access track it runs along the line of the defensive ditch that was to the north of the Wall.

Gilsland Village

Slipping and sliding along.

-10 on Sunday night left the minor roads hereabouts, like a skating rink.

It really wasn't worth taking the car out, although the main roads were well gritted all of the access roads to Hadrian's Wall are little windy roads, with an incline that water runs down, perfect conditions for black ice and accidents.

A walk from the house was decided upon, and the route was up Wardrew Hill to Temple Mount, ( I wonder if there was a temple there, must check Google earth and see what it looks like from space), across the footpath towards Barron House, along the footpath to Greenhead then returning to Gilsland along the Hadrian's Wall Path.

Gilsland Panorama from Temple Mount

Got my camera ready and set off  up the hill, I'd hardly gone 100yards before I fell the first time, I was well wrapped up and didn't hurt myself but getting up was a chore.

Everywhere was so icy that I couldn't get an purchase to push myself up, had to crawl on hands and knees to the verge, then I got a fit of giggles so it was a while before I was upright again.

Made it to Irthing House Farm but Wardrew Hill was solid ice, I detoured into the adjacent field (I have permission from the farmer) and climbed up to Temple Mount, the untrodden snow had an ice crust so it was easy if strenuous walking.

View over Gilsland from Temple Mount, Lake District mountains on the horizon.

At the top it was so beautiful, you can see for miles, the north Pennine range and even the snow covered  mountains of the Lake District were visible.

No-one had walked this way so I followed animal tracks, obviously this is a busy thoroughfare during the night, unfortunately the way the melt and refreeze distorted the tracks it was impossible to identify what creature left them, unless there really are Yeti's roaming these hills :)
Paul and Christine were out on the quad bike spreading hay for their sheep, they have a beautiful 5 star, holiday house to rent, West Nichold Cottage a converted barn that you can see in the picture. Not a bad place to spend a winter holiday, even being snowed in there would be pleasurable.

West Nichold Cottage, perfect spot for a holiday

The views from the footpath, across to the Thirlwall Nicks (used to be the 9 Nick of Thirlwall but quarrying took at least one of them out!) and Hadrian's Wall at Walltown are lovely, the hills seem much closer than they are and, with a shining white field of fresh snow, they made a nice picture.

Views to Walltown from footpath.

Down the Hill to Barron House Farm, the footpath goes through the farm yard and the farmer Leslie ( happy 60th birthday Leslie) and his young son John were there to greet us.

The footpath down to Barron House

Had a catch up on the news before heading down their farm road, the ice here was so bad and the verge so thin that I had to edge down the hill sideways. The idea of slithering my way to Greenhead, especially as the cafe there is closed now until March, didn't appeal so I carried on down over the railway line to join the B6318 and head back into Gilsland.

A warm coffee and a bit of Christmas cake my reward for all the effort :)

Catch you later,

Joan

Click on the photographs to view them at a larger size.

Christmas Day

I've already told you I'm a bit of a grinch when it comes to Christmas, but I love the fact that while people are kept indoors by 'family' obligations, I can get out for a walk.

We set off from home to the sound of church bells ringing and headed through the village of Gilsland and turned up towards Birdoswald, a nice circular walk of about 4 miles.

Birdoswald

The road through the village had been well gritted so walking was easy but once we turned onto the B6318 heading up towards the Hill the going wasn't so easy.

We saw the tracks of roe deer in the snow, there are a good number around and they can often be seen early in the morning, heading down to the River Irthing to drink.

One of the bucks had been knocked down, someone had taken the antlers but the carcass was left,

crows, foxes and badgers will probably share what's left.

It was a cold, foggy day and there was very little traffic on the roads so we were able to walk on the tyre tracks with relative ease.

From this road you can look over towards Willowford Farm B&B and follow the line of Hadrian's Wall as it goes from Gilsland to Birdoswald via Willowford Bridge.

Got to Kiln Hill Farm and turned down towards Birdoswald, Eric from Slack House Farm (home of Birdoswald Cheese) snow ploughs this road, a great service and one I much appreciate, it's a steep hill with sharp bends so would be dangerous otherwise.

The buildings of Birdoswald Visitor Centre were just visible though the mist, it's closed now for winter like many of the centres.

Of course Hadrian's Wall itself is 'open' all year, with a lovely stretch of Hadrian's Wall at Birdoswald, easily seen from the road and, one of the most accessible for anyone with a disability.

Hadrian's Wall at Birdoswald, view west

On a clear day you can look east towards Walltown, but that wasn't visible on Christmas Day, the Wall just disappeared into the mists.

Hadrian's wall at Birdoswald

Michael's sheep were on the track down to Harrow Scar, he'd been in with hay for them to feed on, so they weren't the least bit interested in us, as we passed by them.

Down the steep track to Willowford Bridge, looking at the various animal tracks in the snow and  wishing I'd taken my tracks ID book with me, although it was probably a bit too cold to stand around flicking through a book!

The River Irthing is always beautiful, some lovely mature trees down in this dip, I'd like a good hoar frost to coat the trees, but still took lots of photographs of them in the snow.

Willowford Bridge

Willowford Trees

Up the stone steps past the blue tarpaulins, put there to keep the lime mortar repairs to Hadrian's Wall dry.
English Heritage have a policy to use the same amterials that the Roman builders used and spent considerable time getting the exact same 'recipe' for the mortar.
Apparently lime mortar takes longer to set, although leaving the tarps on for months on end seems a bit excessive.
Past Willowford Farm B and B which can truely claim to be right on Hadrian's Wall, along the track and back into Gilsland.
We saw just one other couple in all the time we were out and they were visiting from Japan, brave souls.
Catch you later.

Fresh air and exercise

Wednesday started clear and fresh.

I was on my way to Cuddys Crag, hoping some mist would rise but in all honesty just happy to be out on a lovely morning.

The air here is top quality, you only have to look at the mosses and lichens growing on Hadrians Wall to know what's going into your lungs is probably amongst the best in the UK.

This thought comforts me as I puff and pant my way uphill, some mornings it's okay, but others I really struggle, don't know why.

Eventually I reach to Rapishaw Gap and cross the ladder stile. At this time of the year these stiles are slippery beggars, the wood is usually wet, so you have to take care going over them.

I got upto the point on Cuddys Crag that looks towards Housesteads, and waited. It does feel like cheating somehow to be standing there at 7.15am waiting for a sunrise, not so long ago it was 4.15am, soon the clocks will be changing and I'll be able to head out after breakfast.

The sky was clear and while it was cold, there wasn't any frost.

Then the sun rose, just a big yellow ball slightly to the right of the Wall now, no clouds to diffuse it and no mist either. On Wednesday morning there didn't seem to be many birds about so even the dawn chorus wasn't much of a twitter - the cockeral was 10 minutes late with his crow, he must have had a lie-in.

Cows made the most noise and I could hear the occasional car on the Military Road, as people headed off to work. Thought again how lucky I am to be retired and able to take advantage of these good mornings, I really do appreciate it.

I stood for a while just enjoying being out there, until eventually the sun rose enough for the light to catch the Wall stones, and put a bit of life into the view, it's amazing how much difference it does make to a scene.

I was back home by 8.15 and blow me, Longbyre was shrouded in mist and Gilsland was white with frost, I suppose all that upping and downing of the land makes for little pockets of microclimate. Pity I can't move it around to where I need it to be.

I was speaking to one of the Rangers the other day and he thought I should look for 'different' angles on the Wall, something that hasn't been done before. History is against me on that one, there have been so many Hadrians Wall photographers before me, that every concievable angle has been covered. Not sure that people really want arty photographs of a historic monument anyway.

My excuse is that I rely on Mother Nature to add that unique factor for me.

Nature has the X factor

Have a good weekend, catch you later,

Joan

http://www.joanthirlaway.com/

A bit further afield

I've been meaning to visit the SSSI at Gowk Bank (NY678739)

It's a lovely wildflower meadow with masses of orchids at the right time of year unfortunately yesterday was just a bit too late and the orchids were finished. The Trollius too had flowered and had ripe seed, maybe the good weather has brought everything forward.
There was still a lot to see and on a bright sunny day the butterflies and bees were whizzing about the field.
It is a managed wildflower meadow so it's really only worth visiting late May to August.
I drove back along the road running alongside the Spadeadam moorland, it's an Electronic Defence testing site and we often get a variety of aircraft from a variety of countries coming to drop smoke bombs on the moorland. A good number of plane spotters also come along and it's strange to suddenly come across a dozen or so cars parked up in the middle of nowhere.

I stopped off at the Crammel Linn Waterfall,(NY640695) I noticed there's now a proper finger post pointing out the footpath to the waterfall a useful addition to the scenery. I headed down the steep bank, it's not an easy track and there's no mobile phone coverage so please do be extra careful if you head that way. I was lucky yesterday, the dry weather meant that it wasn't slippery and I managed to get down without the usual sliding along on my behind.
I've been there in all weathers, winter when it's frozen or in times of heavy rain when the water rushes over looking almost horizontal as the power and quantity forces it over the cliff, but yesterday, after a prolonged dry spell it was very 'weedy'.
There is a circular walk up through the Irthing Gorge to the waterfall and it's well worth the effort, plenty of spots for a picnic and you can even swim in the pool at the base of the waterfall.

Catch you later.

Wildflowers and Romans

Today I decided to visit the milecastle at Poltross in Gilsland.

I suppose because it's on my doorstep, so to speak, I've passed it without taking much notice of it yet it is the best preserved Milecastle on Hadrian's Wall. You can see the form it would have taken, the oven and stairs up to the ramparts are still in evidence.

The Victorians put the railway right next to it and I suppose it's a blessing they didn't build a few yards to the south or there'd be nothing left.

Locally I've heard it referred to as the 'King's Stables' but I have no idea where that name came from.

The Milecastle lies above the Poltross Burn and, at this time of the year, the little valley the burn runs through is awash with wildflowers.

I headed into the wood there, and it was magical, bluebells and the pretty white stitchwort flowers. Butterflies dancing from flower to flower in the sunshine and the sounds of the burn as it makes it's way down to join the River Irthing.

I easily counted 15 different wildflowers and plan to go back with my macro lens to get some close up photographs.

I know I've said it before but so many people set themselves a searing pace for walking the Wall and don't have time to enjoy the sights and sounds along the way.

Catch you later.

Gilsland

Decided on a walk from home.

We headed off up Wardrew Hill, passing Irthing House Farm and onto the steep climb up the hill to Temple Mount.

I don't know the origins of the name but it would seem that there may have been a temple here at some point in history.

As we approached a cattle grid at the top one of Paul's ewes and her two lambs were wandering about, they're great escape artists. One of the lambs ran over the cattle grid, using the flat side strut and the ewe and remaining lamb went the other way. I opened the gate but the lamb wouldn't join it's family and ran off down the road. Eventually we took the turn down the drive to Wardrew House and the ewe called the lamb back to her.

A left turn takes you into Irthing Wood, it's an ancient woodland under various ownerships.

When I first came to Gilsland, six years ago I was struck by just how many wild flowers there were here. For anyone interested in flowers, grasses, lichen and mosses it's a lovely place to be. We also have red squirrels, returning to the woods after culling of the greys, roe deer and various small creatures who leave footprints in the mud but whom you never see.

At this time of the year the woods are alive with birdsong and your head swivels about trying to pinpoint the various songsters.

The bluebells are just starting to flower here, some patches fully out where they catch the sun others well into bud but not quite open yet. I imagine there should be quite a show for the May Bank Holiday.

After the rain on Wednesday night the waters were rushing down the River Irthing and under the Spa Bridge meaning we wouldn't be able to use the stepping stones path to get back into Gilsland. We went that way last week and one of the stepping stones had been washed away, someone had kindly made a temporary path using river boulders, but they wouldn't withstand a rushing river.

We took the route that leads towards the Popping Stone, made famous by Sir Walter Scott who allegedly proposed to his bride there. It's a lovely detour but it's always muddy. Masses of wild primrose on the banks here, this part of the walk is an SSSI and on a warm summers day it's alive with butterflies on the wild flowers.

Heading up the path past the old Iron Chelate Well, one of the Spa treatments the Victorians were fond of, I determined yet again to bring a spade with me and clear out the area around the well so it's more easily visible. On up towards Gilsland Spa we stopped to talk to one of the groundsmen, there's been felling of trees and he was telling us they're taking out non-native species so some quite large conifers have gone. Not the Scots Pine though, they're native and essential for the squirrels.

We walked down the road back to the village, Jonathon at Howard House Farm has moved his little flock of Jacob's sheep, I'd hoped to get some pictures of the lambs, they're so cute with little spotty coats.

Lunch at The House of Meg Tearoom in Gilsland, it's in Mump's Hall home of Meg Teasdale whom one of the characters in a Walter Scott book was based on. She's said to still haunt the house. The food is very good but you can't be in a hurry, the service is so slow. There were only a couple of people in the tearoom and they had already been served, so it wasn't that they were rushed but by the time our sandwiches came the coffee's had gone cold. Maybe asking for the coffee to be served at the same time as the sandwich would help but they need to speed up service a bit.

Catch you later.

Bluebells and fairy dells

The Hadrian's Wall Path crosses the Poltross Burn (NY634662) and heads on up to the Roman Fort known as the King's Stables, and just out of sight as you cross the the Poltross Bridge is a pretty little waterfall, surrounded by lush green ferns just as you would imagine a fairy dell. It's not that easy to access, involving climbing over old fallen trees and mossy rocks but if you're agile then it's doable.

I'm getting on a bit, and as my husband is fond of saying in a voice dripping with sarcasm, 'I'm as agile as a mountain goat'. I got along to the waterfall but I had trouble getting back and ended up having to slide down a steep slope on my bottom, which resulted in a mud covered behind, and blessings being counted that there were no big rocks to impeed my progess down the slope!

My plan had been to head out today checking the status of the bluebells, on my calendar for the last couple of years Gilsland Bluebells have been at their best on the 12th of May. This year they're going to be about three weeks earlier, the buds are forming and in one or two very sheltered spots flowers are out already.

Coomb Crag Woods (NY593650) between Banks and Birdoswald is another good wood for Bluebells,normally flowering a week in advance of the Gilsland woods, it's a nice place to walk in any season. There are some inscriptions in the rocks and the Romans did quarry stone for Hadrian's Wall there so it has a bit of history.

Irthing Gorge, (NY634678) behind the Gilsland Spa hotel is probably the most easily accessed area of bluebells, park in the hotel car park head down into the wood, cross the Spa bridge and turn left into the area with the birch trees.

I'll keep checking and update you on the best time to visit. The Spa Hotel does a very good carvery on Sunday so maybe you can enjoy a bluebell walk and a meal.

It pays to advertise

Gilsland is one of the Hadrian's Wall Villages and some of the best bits of remaining Wall are at Willowford.

I had a wander down that way yesterday and what did I see before me, some mini advertising hoardings gambolling about in the Willowford Farm fields.

I'm a sucker for lambs, they really are so cute and play just like children everywhere, running and jumping in gangs until they tire themselves out, or the ewe calls them back to her.

When they're newly born the ewe's can be very protective, when a camera appears the ewe will put herself between the lambs and the photographer, but on this occasion I managed to get a couple of shots.

I was so taken by all of this that I didn't get much further in my walk.

Easter Monday

Well the weather didn't let us down - another nice day on Hadrian's Wall.

I took a walk from Gilsland to Greenhead, up over Temple Mount, down past Barron House Farm, Thirlwall Castle (there's a 'farmhouse tea' at the farm next to the Castle) and on to Greenhead.

The Old Forge Cafe is now fully open so it was the perfect excuse to stop for coffee and carrot cake. I know I mentioned diet yesterday but that carrot cake leapt out at me screaming 'eat me, eat me', so I did.

We walked back along the Hadrian's Wall Path, there are a number of stiles along the way and whoever set them up must have 6ft long legs because the bottom step on all of them is too high especially if like me you have knees that no longer bend very well!

Come this evening and it looked to be shaping up for a nice sunset so once again it was on with the walking boots and away we go.

Destination this evening was Steel Rigg, I wanted to go up onto Peel Crags so that if there was any good colour in the sky I would have the option to shoot looking east or west. They're repairing the dry stone walls on top of the Crags and I have to say they're making a first class job of it, hope they (The stones not the drystone wallers :)) can withstand those Galloway cows rubbing against them. One morning last year I was out for a sunrise when the cows were on top of the crag and it was a constant clattering of stones being loosened.

The footpaths alongside the Wall are really worn already this year, goodness knows how they'll look in a few months time. With walkers all year round the paths don't have a chance to recover and I know most of them were reseeded this last autumn.

Got to the bit of turf Wall (NY759677) and set up the camera, little bit of colour in the sky but there's not yet any real warmth in the sunset so I took a few shots and then packed up. Still the hard climb up and down Peel Crags will have helped burn off some of those calories I hope.

Catch you later.

15 03 09

Sunday and not a bad day weather wise.

There's a shot of Mucklebank Crags I'd like to get but it needs a figure in the shot to give it the right scale.(Mucklebank Crags are the two bumps in the distance on this photograph of Walltown Crags)

I head off to Walltown, I thought I'd be tripping over mating toads as usual at this time of the year but I don't see any at all, shame as I'd like some toadspawn for my pond. Toads return to the pond they were 'born' in, often travelling miles overland to get there.

I take the gentle incline around the lake and head up towards Hadrian's Wall and the gnarly hawthorn tree.

Photographers all claim this little tree as their own, but of course they're wrong, it's my tree :)

With a good cloudscape it can make a spectacular shot but today's is pretty average. Of course that doesn't stop me taken half a dozen anyway in case the camera sees something I don't.

Wander along following the line of Hadrian's Wall, Walltown has some fairly sunstantial chunks of Wall and they are fairly easy to access, as long as you can climb up to them.

The views across towards the Solway are amazing, you can see into Scotland on a clear day, nearer the views are across Longbyre and Gilsland.

The light is coming and going and there aren't many people about, certainly not as many as I expected. I catch some sheep grazing in the dip and set up the tripod. Don't know who has been training them but, as soon as they see a camera, they turn their backs like reluctant celebrities. I take shots all the way along the crest of Walltown Crags,although they're not my favourite type of photograph, you never know when you might need a simple sunny day shot.

I eventually get along the top of Walltown Crags to the spot I need for my shot of Mucklebank Crag, a bit of twoing and froing before I'm happy with the composition and then I wait for someone to come along.

A pheasant wanders across the view, stopping to cluck at me but not at all afraid, not quite the figure I had in mind.

Wouldn't you just know it - the sun goes in, and this time it stays in as big banks of cloud blow in from the west.

Putting a mental 'x' marks the spot I pack up and head back to the car. As often happens as I'm heading back streams of folk appear, I suppose I was being optomistic to think they'd be out before 10am on a Sunday :)

Not long until Easter, if the weather is good to us I'll get my shot then and I know exactly where to stand for it.

I was back home by 2pm for a nice cup of coffee and a Werthers. In a week or so's time the Old Forge Tea Room in Greenhead will re-open after a refit, I've heard they do amazing cupcakes, something to look forward to.