A Visit from Bruce and Gaskell's Walk reopens

My friend Bruce Latimer arrived in Langholm for the Common Riding today and I spent the morning with him. We drove from The Cross keys where he is staying to Newcastleton and then over the Langholm Moor to the upper Tarras Valley which hopefully will be owned by the community by Friday. We had a paddle at the Ford at Arkleton cottage.

The bridge at Newcastleton

Bruce enjoying his paddle in the Tarras

It's 3 years since Bruce was last in Langholm. He lives near Hastings in Kent.

In Newcastleton they are building new flood defences. The village has been badly flooded twice in the last few years so hopefully this will prevent that from happening again. These bags of granite chips and sand form the basis for the barrier.

It's not a huge barrier and there are only 2 workers doing the whole job but it should raise the embankment by about 3 feet at least so hopefully it will work.

It's over a year since Gaskell's Walk closed as a result of a dangerous bridge having to be removed due to the erosion of the gully. At last and after only 3 days work the new route bypassing the bridge opened today. It has been a difficult process getting it sorted and especially organising the financial side of it.  

The slope down to the old path is fairly steep but that should not be a problem. 

The Contractor even put a new seat in overlooking Latimers warehouse. I had earmarked a Recycled Plastic seat for there but I think I have found another place for it so its a win/win situation.

It's a nice seat but like all wooden seats they have a limited lifespan.

The winding path along the top of the wood. 

 

Cooling our Feet in the Tarras

It was so warm this afternoon that we decided to go over to the Tarras Valley and have a paddle in the river at the Ford next to Arkleton Cottage.

It was perfect but the temperature was 34C or 90F and high humidity so we soon had to get back into the Air Conditioned Car and make our way back to Langholm. This was 15F higher than it was with Fraser in Saratoga, California. The first time ever it was warmer in Langholm than Saratoga.

 

An Advance Party of Kilmarnock Ramblers

Today I met a group of Walkers from Kilmarnock Ramblers Club. They were in Langholm to check out a couple of walks for their annual day out on 13th August when a full bus load of walkers will visit Langholm. The 2 men did Walk 10 Tarras Water and Whita Hill and the 2 Ladies joined me on Walk 7 Jenny Nobles Gill. 

This is Robina and Susan who thoroughly enjoyed the walk round Jenny Nobles Gill.

They were very impressed with the many floral bicycles round the town. The Bus Load of Ramblers come on Saturday 13th August so I am sure the town will give them a good welcome.

 

Wednesday Walk at Enzieholm

 

Todays Wednesday walk was up at Enzieholm as the start point and the first part was the minor road towards Eskdalemuir as far as Bailiehill where we took to the Forestry road. This is the junction at Bailiehill and the roads to Eskdalemuir or Lockerbie.

Niall is photographing some unusual Lichen at the side of the road while I try and swat flies buzzing round my head.

We stopped for a snack at the half way point in the forest and Tom climbed up this stack of timber, which is not the safest thing to do as they could have moved. It was a real struggle he had to get back down again.

There was plenty of Spagnum Moss about and if you fell into it you would have a very soft landing. 

Also plenty of Orchids.

More Spagnum Moss

At the end of the walk back down to Enzieholm we could see this Pond or Loch in the distance which was not there the last time we walked this route. Somebody has created this and it certainly enhances the view.

This is the pond from a closer view.

This was the view from higher up in April 2019 when we last walked the route