Walking to the Hanging Tree

 

On Thursday Charlie and I headed over to Newcastleton to do a 3-mile walk named The Hanging Tree (Route 11) in their walks brochure. On our way over the Moor we spotted this Power pole on fire and the Newcastleton Fire Brigade had just arrived to put it out. There were sparks flying everywhere and a lot of smoke coming from the pole.

There were areas of the trail that were still in shade and therefore still frozen.

On the higher and open ground the views were spectaculat

This section of the trail at the furthermost point had about 100 yards of boardwalk.

This area of the trail passes through a former farmstead and a small collection of cottages called Belshiels. There is little remaining there now to make you realise several families lived there over 130 years ago.

The area called Belshiels

This mast at the highest point of our walk enabled me to have good reception on my iPhone, which I was using to follow the route of the walk using my OS Map.

This is the start of the walk at Priesthill and several trails start from here.

The first part of the trail was on this old Drove road and we had good views in every direction.

At one time this would all be farming country but now forestry is the main industry.

Our return journey would take us through the heavily forrested area.

On the way up the hill at the start of our walk

We completed the walk in about an hour and a quarter and then headed back over the moor road from Newcastleton to Langholm. The Pole fire had now turned into something much bigger as sparks from the pole had ignited the grassland just beyond it and there was now a massive fire. There were these 2 Fire Engines and a third one just further along the road. We had to turn round to go back to Langholm via the Canonbie road. On our way back we met another Fire Engine heading to the fire and when we arrived back in Langholm at the Skippers Bridge yet another Fire Engine was heading out towards Langholm and would go over the Tarras Valley Nature Reserve to reach the fire which was on Oxygen Conservation land. 

This was the fire in the distance from the road and you can see firefighters in the distance doing their best to contain the fire. I should add that despite the walk being called The Hanging Tree there is now no sign of this particular tree which was at a place called Pouterlampart which was held by the Armstrong's until 1632 but has been abandoned for at least 200 years and all that remains are low turf walls which we never saw.

Walking the Shore at Gretna

 

Our usual Wednesday walk took us to Gretna and Tom had invited his friend Alison and she brought her friend Hazel with her.

The War Memorial in Gretna and a lovely display of Poppies

We met these Donkeys in Gretna

This was a field of Maize and has recently been harvested

The Solway was very calm and it was low tide. There were loads of Geese landed on the mud flats and they were making quite a noise.

The Solway Geese

A very calm Solway Firth

A beautiful day on the Solway

The Geese landing on the mud flats. We walked 4.5 miles and finished at the Solway Lodge Hotel for a nice lunch.

Exploring a Walk Route in Lower Tarras

 

Three years ago I was involved in planning a footpath from Rashiel Bridge to the site of the new ponds in lower Tarras Valley. This would connect the entire river Tarras from the entrance to the ponds right up to Lodgegill in upper Tarras Valley a distance of about 10 miles. With my friend Mark Hallam, Jenny from TVNR, and Ross the D & G Council Ranger we walked the 2.5 miles of the route from this bridge to where the ponds were going to be created. The route was very difficult and we decided that we would need 3 wooden bridges plus at least 1000 yards of boardwalk over the very marshy parts of the walk. This would cost in excess of £65K as the terrain is so difficult. I decided to walk part of the route today after we have had a hot summer and a dry autumn and to my surprise its even wetter than it was 3 years ago.

Rashiel Bridge

My car parked in the lay-by near the bridge on the other side of the river. The section I walked today was about a mile to just below the old suspension bridge placed by Buccleuch estates many years ago. This bridge is now closed as it is in a dangerous state and may eventually have to be dismantled.

The first of the 3 streams we would need to bridge. These wooden bridges cost on excess of £15K each as they have to comply with rigorous standards.

The areas where there is a lot of bracken is not so bad for walking

Far too much bracken in some areas of the walk

A Hawthorn tree laden with red berries. Once the cold weather hits us we should get migratory birds from Scandinavia feeding on these. Some Redwings have already been seen in Galloway this autumn.

The path is starting to get soft and muddy

The old Buccleuch Estates suspension bridge

Now closed as it is unsafe

This area is in places almost impassable unless you have good stout and waterproof boots and a stick to assist you.

The worst sections

At one point I was  way over the top of my Boots and my stick went down through the peat about 4 feet.

Another of the better areas but still soft in places.

The stretch nearer the Rashiel Bridge

An area of Bull Rushes that has a good variety of birds frequent them

Across the Tarras this is a nesting box provided by Tarras Valley Nature Reserve for Kingfishers

Plenty of mud

I walked almost a mile and then back again. We will need to raise a lot of money to create this path. It is the missing link in the road and paths between the Ponds and Lodgegill. 

Autumn on the Castleholm

After a trip to DGRI with Gaye this morning I was keen to get a late afternoon walk. The weather was perfect and the sun in the right direction to see the autumn colours at their best

I think the tree on the right in Buccleuch Estates yard may be dead or has just lost its leaves early

Looking at Warbla in the distance

The above photos need no explanation. The walk round the Lodge Walks is beautiful at this time of the year.

A lovely sky

The monument on the top of White hill

The Duchess Bridge. I would like to photograph it from down at the riverside but its a bit risky at my age