Return to
Whittle Wanderer|
Teesdale, Fendrith Hill,
Swinhope Head, Ettersgill, Co Durham. |
|
|
OS Grid ref:
NY 86730 29832 Lat/Long: 54.663374, -2.207243 Today I'm heading for a walk in Upper Teesdale. With sub zero weather I decided to avoid the minor roads. My journey was via the M6, Tebay, Brough and Barnard Castle. I then headed directly to Teesdale and the car park at the start of my route where the temperature was -2 degrees C. I headed up the track to the school which is in the middle of nowhere so I wondered how many pupils it had. Further up the track I was heading through the farmyard of Hanging Shaw then up onto the moors. |
 Morning view on the climb |
| I was able to follow the track through the snow until I came to my first objective which was to investigate some caves shown on the map. I turned left and headed through the snow to cliff face of High Hurth Edge. It was plastered in snow so I climbed up to investigate. I found a couple of cave entrances but didn’t go far in. In the area are High Hurth Caves, where the bones of a prehistoric man were discovered in 1887. It is hard to say if the cave entrances I was looking are are the same cave. |
 Inside one of the caves |
| I scrambled through the snow up to the summit and was able to climb over the wall without problems as there was deep snow on both sides. I turned in east to re-join the track which continued up onto the moor. I was heading north and continued to the old Quarry area at Church Bowers. As all the stones were covered in snow I couldn't investigate as it was too dodgy with all the hidden loose rocks. |
 Old image of the cave |
| I stopped at the old quarry building, which was roofless but gave me some shelter from the cold wind. The cloud was low but I had good views below it. The continuing rack vanished after a while and I had to cross deep snow across open moor summit of Fendrith Hill and the trig post. Away to the west or southwest I could see the distant hills of Cumbria. |
 Twin cairns by the quarry |
 Old quarry building |
 Fendrith Hill and the trig post. |
| They seemed to be doing better with the weather as it looked like sunshine was on the hills. I followed the boundary line fence which eventually became a wall and just to the north was the top post of the Ski-Tow which was working and although I only saw one skier as I walked by. |
 Ski-Tow |
 Summit wall and snow |
|
| I continued east to Dora’s Seat and crossed the wall using the deep snow either side to make the crossing easier. I followed the south side of the wall to Swinhope Head where I stopped briefly. The last time I was here was in 2003 when I rode over the summit on a cycle tour. Reaching the road didn't make the going any easier as it was compacted snow and very slippery under foot. I had to find fresh snow to walk on and continue down the road for just under a mile where I left the road to head south west to Wester Beck through old mine workings. |
 Wester Beck |
| Just before the beck crossing I noticed an old ruin building which is called New Strake Shop on the map. The map also shows a path crossing the moor but there is no sign of it on the ground. I continued on my bearing and had a look at the old roofless building by East Bank Pits then continued down the hillside following a faint path to High House and Scar End. |
 By East Bank Pits |
 Ebenezer Primitive Methodist Chapel 1889 |
 Ebenezer Primitive Methodist Chapel 1889 |
 Wesleyan Chapel Erected 1867 |
 Wesleyan Chapel Erected 1867 |
| The path climbed to where I reached start of a minor road which I followed to Bank Top and Brumwell Street. Continuing on I left the road to cross over East Moor Riggs through the snow and picked up a track at Thompson’s House. The track was now easy to follow and I stopped briefly to have a look at an old church with Ebenezer Primitive Methodist Chapel 1889 on the datestone. It is currently being converted to a house. Further along the track I came to the main the road near Duffton Moss and another church but this one is still a church and the date stone says Wesleyan Chapel Erected 1867. It was then a short walk along the road back to the car park and my car. |
 By the car park is this carved stone dedicated to the geology of the area |
 |
 |
|
|
|