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 

A New Road and a Baby Barn Owl

On my Thursday walk with Mike Tinker today we had decided to walk the new road Langholm Initiative have had made to take the trees out of the felled wood at Hallpath. This has had to be done in the summer to prevent any damage to the habitat on Whita Hill.

This is at the Broomholmshiels end of the road.

A grand view of Langholm in the distance

Part of the road follows the track made by the people working on the pylons a couple of years ago

An even better view of Langholm

A little bit higher up from Broomholmshiels

We stopped for a Coffee Break at Broomholmshiels and Mike noticed in the distance a fluffy ball in the middle of the road so on closer inspection we found this baby Barn Owl.

It was very cute but in real danger from the forestry trucks going along the road

We decided to pick it up and put it back in the barn so Mike being very brave did the deed but not before it had stuck its claw into his finger and I had to remove it. 

This was the first time Mike had seen a baby Barn Owl never mind pick it up.

One of the Forestry Trucks plying the new road

A most beautiful bird. We contacted Langholm Initiative and two of the Tarras valley Nature Reserve team came up to look at it and managed to get it back into the nest box. They said that the Barn Owl expert Rick would visit tonight to see that it was ok. 

A Walk Round Jenny Nobles and New Seats

These photos are a week late in being posted, but I forgot to put them on my blog last week. It's the first time we have all walked together for quite a while. It was only round Jenny Nobles with Coffee at The Buccleuch Centre first and then Lunch there after our walk as well. The weather was excellent and the crack even better. 

At the Round House

It was so good to have Peter with us as he has had a difficult time recently and has now moved to Edinburgh to live so he got a lift down to Langholm with John and Sandria.

We have recently put several new Seats and Picnic tables on The Langholm Walks routes to replace damaged seats. This is at Colin's Turn on the Copshaw road. I was sitting on the seat admiring the view when Jane and Alan Kettle cycled by on their way to Newcastleton. They have been in Canonbie for about 3 years now and came as the first customers of Wild Eskdale and liked it so much they decided to move here. They have never regretted their move north from Lincolnshire.

The new Picnic Table at the Car Park on the Tarras Valley road to Cooms. This is Niall Weatherstone who sponsored the 2 Picnic Tables there and is with the new team from the Tarras Valley Nature Reserve, Jenny, Angela, and Kat.

Me with Jane Kettle. In a way I was responsible for them coming to the area as I helped set up Wild Eskdale which was the reason they came to see the Hen Harriers and a Black Grouse Lek.

The new seat at Elizabeth Street

Niall and myself at the other Picnic Table on the road to Cooms.

The new seat replacing the damaged one at Lands End. We placed 2 Picnic Tables and 4 Seats this week and have another 3 seats to place in the next month.

 

An Early Morning Walk and Tree Planting on Tarras Valley Nature Reserve

Leo and myself at 7.00am this morning. It was glorious sunshine high up on the Moor but in the valley there was a river of mist.

Later in the morning we joined Kat on Tarras Valley to plant some more trees in lower Tarras.

I think its a Wheatear perched on the MacDiarmid memorial

This Raven in the bottom of the picture was being chased by a pair of Crows while we were planting trees.

A river of mist in the valley.

Leo was fascinated by the river of mist.

These are trees that Leo, Hannah and myself planted in about 2 hours this morning. 

The Langholm Monument on a beautiful morning. I will be back up tonight but the weather wont be as nice for the Beacon and Laser Show.

The MacDiarmid Memorial looking splendid with the mist in the background.

The River of Mist