Friday 27 February 2009

Memories of Hury Reservoir

We often walk in the Baldersdale area which is where the Hury Reservoir {NY 965 196} is located - see the map below.

Map showing the location of the Hury Reservoir
The reservoir lies about four miles south of Middleton-in-Teesdale and three miles to the west of Cotherstone. The dam was built in 1892 for the Stockton and Middlesbrough Water Board. It was named after the small village of Hury which lies on its northern bank (see map). The reservoir was emptied in 1991 for maintenance by Northumbrian Water Limited, Teesdale area

The dam structure 'bridges' the River Balder as it flows east to join the River Tees at Cotherstone. Hury is one of three reservoirs that are located in Baldersdale; the other two being Blackton and Balderhead which lie further upstream - to the west of Hury. The three reservoirs (like those in Lunedale - which is further north) play host to both walkers and fisherman - all of whom enjoy the natural beauty, tranquility and solitude of this outstanding area.

Here is a picture taken from the parapet of the reservoir - looking in a south-westerly direction towards Goldsborough (on the horizon).

Hury Reservoir - looking South towards Goldsborough
And here is a short video clip (taken from the south-bank) showing the extent of the dam.



Press the left-most button to start the video.

Some time ago, Brent Whittaker sent me four really good photographs that he took during the C-walk in Baldersdale on Sunday, 21st January, 2007. Essentially, the photos show different views of the Hury Reservoir taken from the north shore as they approached the dam from the east. The rightmost photograph is taken from a point furthest from the dam. Notice that in the left-most photograph Goldsborough shows up quite well on the horizon.

Click on the button below if you would like to have a look at these photos.





Further information on Baldersdale and the Hury Reservoir
Hury Reservoir can be found on Wikipedia.


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Thursday 26 February 2009

Mid-Week Dining at Middlesbrough College

On Wednesday, 4th March, Stockton Rambling Club will be 'dining out' at the new Middlesbrough College campus at Middlehaven. Please meet at 6.00 pm (for a 6.30 pm start) at the College which is based in Dock Street, Middlesbrough {NZ 501 208} - see the following map. If you have a sat-nav in your car, set it to navigate to "TS2 1AD".

Map of the Middlesbrough College area
The cost of this event is £11.00 and bookings must be made in advance. For further details ring 01642-350504.


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Monday 23 February 2009

Walking the Weardale Way

On Sunday 22nd February, each of the three walking groups of Stockton Rambling Club did a section of the the Weardale Way - starting at different points along its route between Durham City and Bishop Auckland.

Click here or here for more details about the Weardale Way.

The A-group set off from the coach park in Durham City {NZ 275 430} at about 10.49 am. There were nine people in the group: LB, PB, CH, JJ+J, KF, MS, JY and PY. The walk was led by JJ.

After crossing the footbridge over the River Wear, we joined the Weardale Way (WW) at NZ 273 429 and headed south with the river on our left. There were some excellent views of Durham Castle and the Cathedral as we faithfully followed the course of the river to Maiden Castle and Shincliffe Bridge.

River Wear, Durham Castle and CathedralFrom Shincliffe we followed Hall Lane to Shincliffe Hall. As we passed through Shincliffe Woods there were some tremendous views of the River Wear as it made its way towards Durham and onwards to the coast at Sunderland.

From the river's edge, we had a good (but rather muddy) climb up to High Butterby Farm where we encountered some interesting quadrupeds having their lunch.

Cows at High Butterby Farm We carried on to and through Croxdale Hall. As we approached Sunderland Bridge we came across the B-group having their lunch. We had our lunch stop near Holywell Hall {NZ 252 370} - a picturesque spot overlooking the River Wear.

River Wear near Sunderland BridgeAfter lunch we carried on along the western bank of the River Wear to Page Bank Bridge, Jubliee Bridge and Furness Mill Farm. Here we had another good climb (including a ladder) from the river up to the old railway line near Bell Bank. We then had some terrific panoramic views as we walked on our easterly trek towards Farnley Hill. At Farnely we turned south and headed towards the Roman Road near Binchester.

Eventually, as we approached Bishop Auckland, we caught sight of the Newton Gap Viaduct - where we stopped to pose for a group photograph. One of the legs of this impressive structure (the viaduct, that is) can be seen in the background of the photo.

Group Photo at Newton Gap Viaduct As can be seen from the clock at the entrance to Auckland Castle, we arrived in Bishop Auckland well in advance of our required 16.45 pm deadline. Indeed we were more than 30 minutes early!

Entrance to Auckland CastleHaving some time to spare, some of us decided to do a quick 'optional' tour of the grounds of the castle.

Auckland CastleThere was an impressive array of flowers nestled on the grass banks underneath the trees. There was a profusion of yellow Winter Aconite with isolated patches of Snowdrops interspersed amongst them.

Flowers in Auckland CastleThe above scene reminded me of the opening lines of William Wordsworth's famous poem:

I wandered lonely as a cloud,
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
when all at once I saw a crowd ...

Snowdrops in Auckland CastleJudging by the profusion of flora depicted in the above two photographs, I guess Spring is well and truly on its way?


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Sunday Walking to Guisborough

On Sunday, 1st March, the Stockton Rambling Club will have three walks in the North-Western area of the North York Moors. All walks will finish in Guisborough {NZ 615 518} - see the following map.

Map of the Clay Bank - Guisborough area Map of the Clay Bank - Guisborough area
The A-walk will start at Clay Bank {NZ 572 035} and will take in Round Hill, Battersby, Kildale and Highcliffe Nab.

The B-walk will also commence at Clay Bank and will visit Cloggers Hall, Bank Foot, Kildale and Highcliffe Nab.

The C-walk will set off from Great Broughton {NZ 547 063} and will pass through Whitehouse Farm, Easby Firs and Little Ayton.

This is a Route 1 coach pick up (Billingham: 9.30 am, Stockton: 9.45 am and Acklam: 10.00 am).


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Thursday 19 February 2009

Mid-Week Walking from Hutton Village

On Thursday, 26th February, Stockton Rambling Club have a mid-week walk in the Guisborough area of the North York Moors. Please meet at 10.30 am at Hutton Village {NZ 602 137} - see the following map.


The walk will not be longer than 10 miles.
For further details ring 01642-313138.


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Expression of Gratitude

I am so grateful to the lady who rang me and left a message on my answer-phone. She informed me that there was an error on the SRC Web site.

Apparently, she tried to access our 2009 January-June "Walks Programme" via the entry on our home page. Sadly it would not open because there was an error in the link address - I had forgotten to change "2008" to "2009" when I recently (December) updated the walks-programme page. Silly me!

She did not leave her telephone number so I could not ring her to thank her. Bearing this in mind, I just hope she 'stumbles' across this entry on our weblog in order that she can read my expression of gratitude.

Many thanks to you - who ever you are!


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Monday 16 February 2009

Sunday Walking in Weardale

On Sunday, 22nd February, the Stockton Rambling Club will have three walks in the Weardale area of County Durham. All walks will finish in Bishop Auckland {NZ 210 300} - see the following map.

Map of the Weardale areaThe A-walk will start at Durham {NZ 276 425} and will follow the Weardale Way to Bishop Auckland.

The B-walk will also commence at Durham and take in a section of the Weardale Way, Witworth Hall and The Batts.

The C-walk will set off from Sunderland Bridge {NZ 266 376} and will follow the Weardale Way to Bishop Auckland.

This is a Route 3 coach pick up (Acklam: 9.30 am, Stockton: 9.45 am and Billingham: 10.00 am).


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An Evening to Remember

On Wednesday 11th February, Stockton Rambling Club held a very successful slide evening at the University of Teesside in Middlesbrough.

Addressing his audience in a 'packed to capacity' lecture theatre, John Carter took us through a multimedia extravaganza that was very professionally prepared and delivered. His beautiful pictures were accompanied by thoughtfully selected musical accompaniments and a spoken narrative that both impressed and inspired his audience.

The evening's event was split into two parts that were separated by a fifteen-minute intermission for refreshments. Each half of the programme was very well balanced in terms of content and impact. John achieved this by intermingling slides taken in the English Lake District (some of his favourite walks) with pictures from his recent expedition to New Zealand - including flights in a hot-air ballon and a bi-plane. Using this type of 'airborne technology', John was able to take some wonderful photographs that would have been impossible to obtain by any other means.

Thank you for such a splendid evening; we are all looking forward to a repeat performance in the near future.


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Saturday 14 February 2009

Snowy Scenes from Kirby Hill

During their walking expeditions with Stockton Rambling Club on the 8th February, both the A-party and the B-party passed through the delightful North Yorkshire village of Kirby Hill {NZ 140 066}.

The images shown below provide a few graphical reminders of what the snow was like.

Here is Ken (A-walk) with Kirby Hill church in the background:



This is the view looking East from Kirby Hill:



The following two photographs show the B-walkers leaving Kirby Hill en route for Richmond:





A lovely day was had by all!


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Wednesday 11 February 2009

Mid-Week Walking from Darlington

On Wednesday, 18th February, Stockton Rambling Club have a mid-week walk in the Darlington area of County Durham. Please meet at 10.30 am at ASDA (Whinbush Way) {NZ 309 168} - see the following map.


The walk will not be longer than 5 miles.
For further details ring 01325-266803.


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Sunday 8 February 2009

Sunday Walking - All Routes Lead to Staithes

On Sunday, 15th February, the Stockton Rambling Club will have three walks in the Eastern Region of the North York Moors. All walks will finish in Staithes {NZ 781 185} - see the following map.


The A-walk will start at Scaling Dam (East) Car Park {NZ 755 128} and will take in Lealholme Side, Ugthorpe, Hob Holes and a section of the Cleveland Way.

The B-walk will also commence at Scaling Dam (E) Car Park and will visit Green Houses, Mickelby and Runswick Bay.

The C-walk will set off from Scaling Village {NZ 744 128} and will pass through Stang Howe, Ellerby, Low House and Runswick Bay.

This is a Route 1 coach pick up (Billingham: 9.30 am, Stockton: 9.45 am and Acklam: 9.30 am).




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Saturday 7 February 2009

Exploring New Footpaths

It's sometimes quite wonderful to have the opportunity to explore a new path or to re-visit a route that one hasn't walked on for a decade or so.

Quite recently, in early January, I designed a circular walk of about 10 miles distance. It started from the car park at Grosmont Station {NZ 827 052}. The route took me in a counter-clockwise direction and visited Key Green, Murk Mire Moor, Beck Hole, Green End and New Houses.

Click here to see the tracklog of the route that I took.

During the planning stage of my walk I managed to 'work in' three
footpaths that I hadn't walked on before - or, at least, I canot recall
ever having walked them. Each path in itself was quite delightful.

My first new path took me from the viewing point (overlooking Grosmont Station}at {NZ 827 050} along a permissive path, a minor road and a public footpath to reach a nicely situated cottage at {NZ 814 050}. My westerly trek took me along Lease Rigg through a delightful little wooded area (Brow Wood) and then over the River Esk. The route of this path is shown in the map below.

Map of my First Path
My second path took me from the road at Egton Bridge {NZ 802 051} uphill through another delighful wood to reach the minor road at {NZ 806 046} near Blue Beck. The route of this path is shown in the map below.

Map of My Second Path
The third of my new paths took me into open terrain. It started from the minor road at {NZ 802 043} and went in a westerly direction along quite a good farm track that took me to Swang Farm {NZ 799 040}. I continued in a southerly direction to reach another footpath at {NZ 798 028}. The route of my third new path is shown in the map below.

Map of my Third Path
From the above location {NZ 798 028} I headed east to Struntry Carr and then dropped down to Beck Hole. From here I returned to Grosmont - following a northerly route through Hollin Garth, Morton Close and Dale End Farm.

 


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Thursday 5 February 2009

SRC Christmas Quiz - Revisited

Over the Christmas period I posted a Christmas Quiz to our TS20 blog.

Because of the interest that it generated, and because it is now not easy to get at using the recently revamped TS20 weblog, I thought I would re-post the links on this new SRC-Weblog.

For those who are interested in testing their knowledge of SRC activities, here are the links:

Click here for the SRC Christmas Quiz

Click here for the Answers to the Quiz

Enjoy!


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Wednesday 4 February 2009

Two Mid-Week Events

During the week beginning 10th February, Stockton Rambling Club will have TWO mid-week events available. One is a slide evening and the other is a day walk.




The slide evening is on Wednesday, 11th February and will start at 7.00 pm. It will be held in Room CG17 in the Constantine Building at the University of Teesside {NZ 496 199} - see the map below. Entrance to the venue is through the Middlesbrough Tower - this is labelled '2' in the following diagram.



At this event, John Carter will present a multimedia extravaganza entitled "Lakes and Mountains of England and New Zealand".

The cost of the evening will be £2.00.
Please ring 01740-644347 for bookings and more details.




The day walk is on Thursday, 12th February. It will start at 10.30 am from West Auckland Village Green Car Park {NZ180 264} - see the map below.


The length of this walk will be up to 10 miles.
Please telephone 01642805781 for more details.

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Sunday 1 February 2009

Rambling Club Slide Evening

Stockton Rambling Club will hold a slide evening on Wednesday, 11th February commencing at 7.00 pm. The venue for the event will be the University of Teesside campus on Borough Road, Middlesbrough, TS1 3BA.

The slides will be presented by John Carter and will depict some of the outstanding photographs(such as the one shown below) that he has taken on his trips to the Lake District (in the UK) and New Zealand.


Being an accomplished musician, John has augmented the slides with appropriate musical accompaniments. Interspersed with this, he will deliver a live narrative at relevant points in his audio-visual presentation.

For further details on this 'not to be missed' event, please contact Bill McTimoney on 01740-644347.

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Sunday Rambles to Richmond

On Sunday, 8th February, the Stockton Rambling Club will have three walks in the Richmond area of North Yorkshire. All walks will finish in Richmond {NZ 171 011} - see the following map.


The A-walk will start at Broken Brae Farm {NZ 202 003} and will take in Easby Abbey, Gilling West and High Coalgarth.

The B-walk will follow a circular route from Richmond and will visit Aske Hall, Kirby Hall, Sturdy House and Low More.

The C-walk will set off from Brompton-on-Swale
{SE 214 998} and will pass through Easby Abbey, Round Howe and Whitecliffe Wood.

This is a Route 2 coach pick up (Billingham: 9.30 am, Acklam: 9.45 am and Stockton: 10.00 am).

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