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. 

 

River Esk Walk from Canonbie to Langholm

My favourite walk is along the river Esk from Canonbie to Langholm. I tried about 4 or 5 years ago to get this walk as one of The Langholm Walks network but Buccleuch Estates refused permission. Since then I have taken as many people as possible on this walk as a way of sticking two fingers up to Buccleuch Estates for their lack of support. My latest party of walkers were Kate and Don Lacey who have recently moved to Skippers Cottage to be near their son Daniel who is one of the worlds leading furniture makers. In my opinion this is the nicest walk in the area and should be in our network. I even had the funding to get it all in order as all it needed was signposts and maybe a couple of new stiles but it was not to be. I think I will have another go soon to get it as a way marked walk for the benefit of visitors. It is even more important now as the Gilnockie Tower Visitor Centre is open and attracting visitors. When this opens fully next summer a way marked walk going past it could be a great asset to it.  

This is the entrance to the mill stream at Hollows Mill which now runs an Archimedes Screw to power the mill. The working Mill is another place of interest on this walk.

This is one of the rooms in the newly refurbished Gilnockie Tower. We were kindly shown round by Beverley Hyslop and when it is finished it will be beautiful and a great asset to the area. Go to www.gilnockietower.com for more information. 

Beverley with Kath and Don

Gilnockie Tower and the Clan Armstrong Centre 

The river Tarras joins the Esk at Irving House. It looks such an insignificant river here but further up the valley it is one of the loveliest rivers in Scotland with loads of wild life to be seen.

Irving House which has been empty for a good number of years and now has Moles on the front lawn which used to be a Tennis Court many years ago. It would make a lovely high class hotel 

Just below Irving House on the nicest part of the river walk we saw this Salmon. It looks to be diseased and probably wont survive very long. I am not sure if it will have spawned further up river and now be on its way back to the sea.