Natural England

Events in 2008

Moor House-Upper Teesdale NNR

Moor House-Upper Teesdale National Nature Reserve is a wonderful and very special place. We hope that these events will highlight this and provide more opportunities for people to enjoy the Reserve, as well as increasing people’s understanding of farming and wildlife.

Booking is essential for all events

Numbers on guided walks are limited so please book in plenty of time to avoid disappointment. Most events are free but there will be a charge for refreshments where they are available. Packed lunches and plenty of snacks with drinks are recommended on most events. For further information or to book your place, please contact: Natural England, Moor House – Upper Teesdale NNR, Widdybank Farm, Langdon Beck, Forest-in-Teesdale, Barnard Castle, Co. Durham, DL12 0HQ Tel: 01833 622374. A message can be left outside office hours -please be sure to leave your name and phone number so we can get back to you and confirm your booking.

Be prepared
The weather around the Reserve is unpredictable and can be very different to that lower down the dales. Please come prepared with waterproofs, hats and gloves and strong footwear, appropriate for the grade of walk/event. You may need sunhats and suncream too! If you do have a pair of binoculars or hand lenses do bring them along, you never know exactly what we may encounter.
The Reserve is on the 1:25,000 OS Map OL31. 1:50,000 Landranger maps 91 (Appleby) and 92 (Barnard Castle) are also useful.
The organisers reserve the right to change the details of an event if the weather is unsuitable, where possible prior notice will be given.

Grades of walks/events
We have graded the events to help you to decide if it is right for you. Because there is an emphasis on guiding and finding out more about the Reserve there will be frequent stops to look at points of interest during a walk/event. If you are in any doubt please contact the Reserve base and chat to one of the staff - they will be pleased to help.

Strenuous – will be over rough terrain with some steep gradients and requires a reasonable level of fitness. Waterproof jackets and trousers, hats, gloves and strong walking boots are essential.

Moderate – a typical country walk with some stiles and possible muddy and uneven paths: waterproof clothing and boots advised.

Easy - suitable for most people, easy gradients, flat shoes required, waterproof jacket recommended.

Tuesday 25 March 10am-2pm
Early birds in Teesdale
Find out which birds have returned to the dale and watch their courtship displays. Look out for lapwings, curlews, ravens and dippers as bird enthusiast Peter Lowes leads you on this magical tour of Widdybank pastures and meadows. You can also join Peter’s walk on 27 May to see what has changed.
Meet - gate to Widdybank farm (NY 847 309; about half a mile from Langdon Beck Hotel along the Cow Green reservoir road)
Grade- Moderate, 3 miles
Info - Bring a packed lunch and binoculars if you have them.

Saturday 29 March 10.30am – 4pm
Lumps and bumps in the landscape – An archaeology walk
Learn to make sense of those lumps and bumps in the landscape and discover the secrets of past inhabitants of Teesdale on this walk around the Low Force area with local archaeologists Tom Gledhill & Ros Nichol. Enjoy a bowl of soup at Low Way Farm cafe at the end of the walk. Meet - at Low Way Farm Café car park, Holwick, Teesdale (NY 911 267)
Grade - Strenuous over rough terrain. Not suitable for young children 4 miles
Info - walkers must be dressed for a day on the fells in possibly poor conditions. March can be wintery!
Cost the walk is free, but you will need to pay if you would like soup and roll at the café (£4.00 per head, including tea or coffee pay on the day).

Sunday 20 April 9.30am – 4.30pm (approx)
Scaling the heights
A high level walk over Cross Fell, Little Dun Fell and Great Dun Fell looking at the making of the landscape on the highest part of the Pennine chain in the company of David Nightingale of East Cumbria Countryside Project.
Meet - at 9.30am at the sheep pens on the ‘Radar Road’ which leads from Knock village up to Great Dun Fell radar dome. Grid ref: NY 697 296. Drive past the Christian Centre, and past the ‘Private No through Rd sign’ parking at the sheep pens and the sign for Moor House Upper-Teesdale National Nature Reserve. After leaving our cars here we will travel by minibus to the start of our walk near Blencarn. We finish the walk back at the cars.
Grade - Strenuous, over rough terrain, approx 10 miles (17 km). Not suitable for children, participants must be 16 years old plus.
Info - Full fell walking clothing and footwear. Packed lunch, snacks and drinks needed. Please note as this is a linear walk once it is started the full walk must be completed as there is no short cut or ‘escape routes’.

Saturday 26 April 5am-9am
Black grouse morning – a chance to see the rare black grouse lekking
Observe the weird and wonderful behaviour of the rare black grouse during their courtship displays. We will drive in participants cars to view the birds, ensuring that they are not disturbed. After a short tour of the area to look at habitats we return to Langdon Beck Hotel for a talk by Phil Warren about the Black Grouse Recovery Project. Breakfast (optional) will be available at the hotel.
Meet - at the Langdon Beck road junction, park on the side of the Cow Green road (grid ref. NY 853 312 on OL31).
Grade - Easy – no walking involved.
Cost free (breakfast available at £8.00 per head please book in advance with Sue at Langdon Beck Hotel 01833 622267 once you have confirmed your place with us at the Reserve base).
Info - bring binoculars and telescopes if you have them, we have some to lend out.

Sunday 27 April 10am-3pm
River & Fell – a look at plants, birds, archaeology and geology
Explore England’s largest juniper wood, learn how High Force was formed then follow the ancient Green Trod drove road over Holwick Fell, enjoying the sights and sounds of Springtime on the moors with Green Guide, Peter Ditchburn.
Meet - High Force Hotel car park (grid ref NY 885 286)
Grade - Strenuous 5 miles.

Monday 5 May 10am – 4pm
Birds, flowers and boulders – a walk through Upper Teesdale
Discover birds, plants and geology on this walk through meadows, pastures and along the River Tees to Cauldron Snout in the company of naturalist Bryan Jeffrey. A short scramble over boulders and up the Whin Sill beside the waterfall brings us up to Cow Green Reservoir where we will follow the nature trail back to the car park, looking out for Spring Gentians on the way.
Meet - Cow Green car park, by the signboards (grid ref NY 811 309). A minibus will take you down to Langdon Beck to start the walk.
Grade - Strenuous crossing 2 small boulder fields with a short exposed scramble alongside Cauldron Snout. 6miles.

Saturday 17 May 10.30am-12.30pm
History in the rocks
Join Jenny King in this joint event with Durham Wildlife Trust to investigate the geology of the Bowlees area and a look at Gibson’s cave.
Meet - at Bowlees car park (NY908 283).
Grade - Easy/moderate – there are a series of steps to climb and stiles to cross but good paths.
Info - light refreshments available at Bowlees Visitor Centre.

Sunday 18 May 10am-4pm
Geology of the South Tyne
Geologist Eric Johnston will lead a walk along tracks and paths to Moor House by the upper reaches of the South Tyne looking for clues about the geology of the area, and the links to the mining history. A minibus will take you up to the Moor House track and return you to Garrigill at the end of the walk.
Meet - outside the shop in Garrigill, near Alston.
Grade - Moderate
Info - hill walking clothing and footwear recommended.

Tuesday 27 May 10am-2pm
Spring Birds in Upper Teesdale
Find out about the wonderful range of birds found in Upper Teesdale. Over 30 species of birds were seen on this route last year including ring ouzel, raven and black grouse! Bird enthusiast Peter Lowes will lead you on this magical tour of Widdybank pastures and meadows. See if the early arrivals in March have stayed to breed.
Meet - gate to Widdybank farm (NY 847 309; about half a mile from Langdon Beck Hotel along the Cow Green reservoir road)
Grade - Moderate, 3 miles
Info - Snack or packed lunch needed

Saturday 7 June 10.30am-4pm
Wonderful Waders – birdwatching and art day for families
Spend the morning looking at wading birds such as lapwing, curlew and redshank with wader expert David Morris from RSPB, using our binoculars and telescopes to get a really good view. The afternoon will be spent making crafty bird items.
Meet - at the gate to Widdybank farm (NY 847 309; about half a mile from Langdon Beck Hotel along the Cow Green reservoir road).
Grade - Easy 2 mile walk along a track
Info - Bring a snack and drink and a packed lunch, warm clothes and waterproofs or sunhats may be needed

Saturday 7 June 10am-3pm
Flowers of the South Tyne
Discover the wonderful variety of plants and flowers to be found along the ‘young’ South Tyne river in the company of Green Guide Bryan Jeffrey. A minibus will take you to the start of the walk at Teeshead bridge, and you will walk back from the source of the Tyne.
Meet - outside George & Dragon Hotel, Garrigill, near Alston
Grade - Moderate, 5 miles

Sunday 8 June 10.30am- 4pm
Haymeadows of Upper Teesdale
Join Green Guide and naturalist Cliff Evans on a walk through haymeadows and pastures in the Widdybank area. Plenty of time will be spent looking at the plants and wildlife that you come across along the way.
Meet - at the gate to Widdybank farm (NY 847 309; about half a mile from Langdon Beck Hotel along the Cow Green reservoir road).
Grade - Moderate, 5 miles

Saturday/Sunday21/22 June Midnight-6am
Midsummer sunrise on Little Dun Fell
One for the night owls and early birds! Join us for a walk up to one of the highest points on the NNR to watch the sun rise over the fells. Green Guide Mike Knipe will lead this nocturnal adventure. Bring a camera.
Meet - Reserve entrance by the sheep pens, at the end of the minor road from Knock village to the radar station, past the Knock Christian Centre (grid ref NY 696 296), 5 miles north of Appleby.
Grade - Strenuous 8 miles
Info - bring a torch and a packed breakfast to eat while the sun comes up and plenty of warm drinks and snacks – maybe a karrimat/sit mat to sit on!.

Sunday 29 June 10.30am - 3.30pm
Improve your outdoor photography
Carl Watts of Natural England will help you take better pictures when you are out and about. We will explore techniques from landscapes to close-up photography. Bring a camera - film or digital, compact or SLR. Also bring along some photos - to discuss techniques. The day will begin with a short indoor introduction before heading out to put it all into practice. All levels of ability welcome.
Meet - Newbiggin Village Hall, Upper Teesdale (NY 914 275) on B6277
Grade - Easy
Info - Please make sure you have warm clothing.

Sunday 6 July 10am-4pm
Flowers and birds of the riverbank
Join Cliff Evans, local naturalist, in a stroll along the banks of the River Tees, and visit some of the best spots in Teesdale to see a wonderful range of wild flowers such as globe flowers, wood cranesbill, and orchids. Birdlife abounds so bring binoculars if you have them. The walk will take you from the hamlet of Bowlees, across Wynch Bridge and will then follow the River Tees upstream, tea and cakes available at the visitor centre at the end of the walk - £3.00 per person.
Meet - at Bowlees Car Park – by the footbridge to the visitor centre (NY908 283).
Grade - Moderate, up to 3 miles

Sunday 13 July 10.30am-4pm
A look at Cronkley Fell
Experience the natural history and geology of Cronkley Fell with Green Guide John Worsnop. Look for some of the rarer plants and discover how the management of the land helps protect the rich wildlife you will encounter along the way.
Meet - Hanging Shaw car park, Forest in Teesdale (grid ref NY 868 298)
Grade - Strenuous, 8 miles

Saturday 19 July 10am-5pm
Out on the Fells
Learn how to enjoy the fells safely as you walk over part of the Reserve. Join Jo Hayes, Duke of Edinburgh Award expedition trainer and Green Guide, to find out about route planning, navigation and how to use a map and compass.
Meet - Hanging Shaw car park, Forest in Teesdale (grid ref NY 868 298)
Grade - Strenuous, 8 miles
Info - Bring a compass and map (1:25,000 OS map OL31) if you have them and plenty of food.

Wednesday July 30 2-4.30pm
Scars and scratches of Teesdale
A family trail to discover the scars and scratches of Teesdale in this circular walk from Bowlees. Discover fossils, learn how the rocks and boulders have got their scratches and get up close to Holwick Scar in the company of Jill Essam.
Meet - at Bowlees car park (NY908 283).
Grade - Moderate, approx 3 miles.
Info - Children must be accompanied by an adult. Refreshments available at Bowlees Visitor Centre.

Saturday 23 August 10am-4pm>br> Geology of Moor House at Knock
Geologist Eric Johnson will take us up towards Great Dun Fell radar station, looking at Swindale Beck and Knock Ore Gill and explaining the geological features and mining history as we go. Find out what the rocks here tell us about the history of the area.
Meet - Reserve entrance by the sheep pens, at the end of the minor road from Knock village to the radar station, past the Knock Christian Centre (grid ref NY 696 296), about 5 miles north of Appleby.
Grade - Strenuous 7 miles

Saturday 30 August 1.30pm-5.30pm
Peatlands and climate change, Moor House
Ecological research and weather recording at Moor House extend back 75 years. Join Rob Rose, scientist with the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, on this walk to a variety of research locations and see a river gauging station and an automatic weather station. Find out what this research can tell us about climate change and our peatlands.
Meet - Garrigill Post Office, Garrigill near Alston. A minibus will take you to the start of the walk
Grade - Moderate, 2 miles with some sections of the walk over rough and boggy ground
Info - tea and biscuits in the Moor House bothy at the end of the walk

Saturday 30 August 9pm to midnight
Creatures of the Night – a joint event with Durham Wildlife Trust
Discover the wonder of these night time flyers with the aid of bat detectors and moth traps. We will begin with a short talk at the visitor centre to set the scene. Refreshments will be available to buy during the evening.
Meet - Bowlees carpark – by the footbridge to the visitor centre (NY908 283).
Grade - Easy (but it will be dark!!)
Info - Bring a torch and warm clothing!

Sunday 7 September 10.30am-4pm
Lovely lichens!
Discover the mysterious world of Lichens on this walk up to Cronkley Fell with Natural England lichen specialist Mike Sutcliffe. Learn about these unique, fascinating organisms, how they live, how to identify them and what they can tell us.
Meet - Hanging Shaw car park, Forest in Teesdale (grid ref NY 868 298)
Grade - Strenuous, 5 miles.
Info - Bring a hand lens if you own one.

Saturday 20th Sept 10.30 am – 1.00pm
Messing about with rocks and fossils!
A fun and messy morning of hands on activities and crafts with David Nightingale of East Cumbria Countryside Project exploring the worlds of rocks and fossils. Make your own erupting volcano, cast a fantastic fossil and discover more about the National Nature Reserve.
Meet - Dufton Youth Hostel, Dufton (near Appleby)
Info - you will need indoor and outdoor clothing: your old stuff not best!
Suitable for children 6 – 12 approx. and their parents who will enjoy it also. (Parents required to stay and supervise children). No need to book just drop in.

Sunday 28 September 10am – 4pm
Teesdale’s Ice Age Legacy
David Evans, geomorphologist, will help us to interpret the lumps and bumps left in the landscape by the ice that covered the North Pennines 20,000 years ago. An indoor talk will be followed by a tour by minibus around some sites in Upper Teesdale.
Meet - Middleton in Teesdale Car Park, by the fountain
Grade - Easy except for one Moderate section.
Info - Coffee/tea will be provided during the talk at the start.

Saturday 4 October 10.30am-1pm
Juniper berry picking
The Teesdale juniper wood needs help –the trees are old and seedlings are not growing! Martin Furness, Assistant Site Manager for the Reserve will explain why. You can help the Juniper Regeneration Programme by picking ripe berries that will be grown into saplings and then be planted out again. Meet High Force Car Park (NY885 287)
Grade - Moderate There is a short (2 km) but steep (up and down) walk to the woods.
Info - Wear old weatherproof clothing and strong boots or wellies. Bring tough gardening gloves if you have them – we can provide them. Suitable for accompanied children (age 5+).

Saturday 4 October. 2pm-5pm
Small mammals at High Force
A fun family event – come and meet the shy and secretive animals that live in the juniper woods at High Force. Find out who might be eating the juniper berries and nibbling young bushes.
Meet - High Force car park (NY885 287)
Grade - Moderate – well defined path but with steep steps. 1.5 miles. Suitable for accompanied children (age 5+)

Out and about with Green Guides

Green Guide volunteers will be present on the Reserve during the spring and summer, especially on the nature trail at Cow Green. They are there to answer any questions that visitors may have about the Reserve and offer advice, or show people features of particular importance. They will be recognisable by their yellow/green waistcoats and badges. Please do stop and have a chat to them.

Book a Green Guide

If you would like to bring a group to the Reserve and need a guide to help you get the most out of the visit why not book a Green Guide. Green Guides are Natural England volunteers who have an interest in the Reserve and surrounding area and have taken part in a training programme so that they can act as guides. You could book a guide for an hour, an afternoon or a whole day depending on your group’s needs and the availability of the guides, and the service is free of charge but we do need at least a weeks notice to arrange this service. For more information please ring the Reserve base.

Getting your hands dirty practical conservation opportunities.

A group of volunteers who enjoy doing practical tasks join the staff one Thursday a month to get fresh air, exercise, convivial company and a sense of achievement in helping to put something back into the environment. Why not join us on one of the days and see the Reserve from a different point of view!

All that is needed is a packed lunch, outdoor clothing, boots or wellies (some can be borrowed from the Reserve) and a sense of humour! The tasks start at 10am and finish by 4pm. For more details please phone the Reserve on 01833 622374.

Thursday 3 April- Tree planting at Lady’s Rake, Harwood
Help to stabilise the riverbank by planting willows.

Thursday 1 May – Painting the Reserve base at Widdybank
Many hands make light work…….

Thursday 12 June - Thistle digging at Widdybank pasture
Help us keep this prickly pest in check. Extract thistles from the pastures using lazy dogs, a tool to remove roots and all!

Thursday 10 July - Tree maintenance at Knock.
Removing tree guards, repairing exclosures. Transport will be provided from Middleton in Teesdale.

Thursday 7 Aug - Ragwort pulling at Holwick / High Force
Another pest species that needs to be kept under control around the juniper woods. Meet at High Force car park

Thursday 4 Sept – Rush cutting in Widdybank pasture.
Keeping rushes at bay allows other more delicate species of plant to flourish, help to rake and bag the rushes that are cut mechanically.

Thursday 2 Oct - Juniper berry picking, Holwick / High Force
Help the Juniper Regeneration Project by collecting ripe berries so that the seed can be grown into saplings that can then be planted out to rejuvenate the local juniper woods.

Thursday 30 Oct - Juniper maintenance, Holwick Fell
An opportunity to check how recently planted trees are faring, and to replace guards and trees where needed.