‘A’ Jennifer Bell  ‘B’ Gillian Walton

Low Force 2013 c. K. Nevin

On a dry and warm day 41 members travelled to Barnard Castle for coffee before continuing on to Middleton-in-Teesdale but not before being delayed by an older person reminiscing about people and farms in the Catchgate area. We couldn’t get away from him!

The coach dropped the ‘A’ party, 25 in number at the Langdon Beck Youth Hostel for a linear walk back to Middleton. The coach returned toBowlees for the ‘B’ party then parked up in Middleton for the rest of the day. The ‘A’ party followed stony tracks to reach a stream and continued downstream on rough grassy tracks to reach the confluence with the River Tees. Here we stopped for lunch and then crossed the river to join thePennine Way.   AtBleabeck Force we stood and admired the spectacular display of falling water, caused by the heavy rainfall wehad had the previous day. High Force was in spate too, a magnificent sight with the peaty coloured water thundering down before. Just as we arrived at Low Force, a small group were just finishing a photo session with kayaks in the river. We sat for the fruit stop looking upstream at the cascading water and once or twice glimpsed fish trying to jump up the falls. We went toBowlees and viewed the waterfall at Gibsons Cave, another spectacular sight. After crossing fields to reachNewbiggin we headed back to the River Tees where we stopped for tea before crossing the footbridge over the river. We followed the riverside path with its variety of stiles back to Middleton.

Low Force 2013 c. K. Gilliland

Flowers: devilsbit scabious, hawkweed, ragwort, rest harrow, wild pansy, yarrow and yellow vetchling.

Other: brambles, juniper berries and rowan berries.

Middleton 2013 c. J.Jacobs