Walking Upper Tarras

On another beautiful spring day I went onto the Tarras valley Nature Reserve in upper Tarras just to top up my daily mileage and to see if their were any Goats about. I had only walked half a mile up the road to Cooms when this Kid appeared and never moved when I stopped to take its photo.

Do you ever get the feeling you are being watched.

I had been up this way on Monday when the river was a raging torrent, but today it was much lower and looking quite lovely. 

An ideal pool for swimming, but not for a few months yet.

The road near Arkleton Cottage and where I had a seat for 20 minutes on Jim Telford's seat just listening to the river and the birds. The only passers by were a couple of cyclists and a motor biker.

Another good pool for bathing.

This is a very popular spot for picnickers in the summer

Two families of Goats

A lovely stretch of river and road

The two families of Goats, not at all bothered by my presence. I had a most enjoyable 90 minutes sitting and walking in the almost warm sunshine. A great way of spending some time in lovely surroundings.

 

Walking Jenny Nobles Gill

 

It was such a beautiful morning I decided to walk round Jenny Nobles Gill which takes you onto The Tarras Valley Nature Reserve and my favourite walk. Normally I would take about 1.5 hours to do this walk of 4 miles but today I stopped 3 times as it was so beautiful and sat and enjoyed the sounds of the birds singing. My first stop and 10 minute seat was at The Round House.

I notice TVNR has cut a lot of the dead bracken, but no doubt it will come again in the spring

The first of the Longwood Oak trees with many of them over 300 years old

Although the path was quite muddy and waterlogged in places it was not too bad at this part of the walk.

A couple of the very old Oak trees

This one is one of my favourites

And this must be one of the oldest

The sign post for Jenny Nobles Gill

The old railway line and the site of my next 10 minute rest. I recorded 5 native birds on my phone app in a 5 minute spell. None of them were visitors. Robin, Wren, Great Tit, Blue Tit and a Coal Tit. In a few weeks time I will sit in the same place and should get lots more. My record last spring was 22 birds in a 10 minute spell.

The entrance from the road to Jenny Nobles Gill and the new sign identifying it as TVNR and not Buccleuch Estates. I found a Geocache among the trees near here.

Skippers Bridge from as far down the banking as I dared to go

Border Esk which has been a distillery a garage and now private houses. 

Skippers Bridge from the other side. My last stop was at Langholm Old Bowling Club to see the tremendous work being done by the club to improve the clubhouse. All should be ready for the opening of the green at the end of April. The green is in excellent condition, but I forgot to take a photograph of it.

A most enjoyable 2 hour walk.