Therefore all seasons shall be sweet to thee,
Whether summer clothe the general earth
With greeness, or the redbreast sit and sing
Betwixt the tufts of snow on the bare branch
Of mossy apple-tree, while the nigh thatch
Smokes in the sun-thaw; whether the eave-drops fall
Heard only in the trances of the blast,
Or if the secret ministry of frost
Shall hang them up in silent icicles,
Quietly shining to the quiet Moon.



Monday, May 05, 2014

A Moorland Walk


This morning B Baggins and I tried a different walk though we were still on Blackamoor. A winding upward path eventually brought us to this cairn, I'm not sure exactly where we were but it might have been the top of Bole Hill - on the other hand it might not! Either way there was a wonderful view. I added another stone to the cairn and then carried on down the other side of the hill.



Eventually we came down onto the track that you can see in the photo and turned right walking up onto the moorland proper, it was obviously very boggy at the sides of the track and I wouldn't have cared to step off it! B Baggins was on a lead along here as there are a lot of ground nesting birds on the moors at this time of the year.



The track ahead...



...and to the left...



..to the right...



...and looking back the way we've come. This is Totley Moor, a bleak place in winter or bad weather and dangerous too. In times past before the turnpike roads you needed a guide to cross these moors and many people met their deaths in snowstorms or by wandering off the tracks in mist and fog. This track carries on to Stony Ridge which was farther than I wanted to go so eventually we turned round and retraced our steps. There are lots of skylarks up here and I watched and listened as one rose so high in the sky that finally all I could see was a small black dot.



We reached a place where we turned off the main track and followed this little path round the side of the hill and into a friendlier looking scene where B Baggins was able to run free again for a while.



Once through the gate at the end of the track he had to go back on the lead as there were lots of sheep and lambs around.Even more exciting was this herd of red deer coming down off the high pasture. They were quite a distance off and this photo was taken with a 20x zoom.



We turned right and followed the drystone wall to another gate where we turned right again and followed the rough, stony track down to familiar territory where I heard a cuckoo calling. This is Lenny Hill where we walk most days, the little group of trees are special friends - a hawthorn, a young horse chestnut and a wild rose. What the horse chestnut is doing up here I have no idea, I think it must only have managed to survive because of the protection given to it by the hawthorn.


We turned right again and walked down Strawberry Lee Lane, halfway down B Baggins stopped at Lee Syke for a welcome drink and paddle, this little stream joins Blacka Dyke further down the hill and they in turn join Oldhay Brook which eventually joins with the Totley Brook to form the River Sheaf, one of Sheffield's five main rivers. Then it was home for breakfast at the end of a lovely walk that I shall definitely be doing again.

24 comments:

Barbee' said...

I loved taking that walk with you! I am no longer able to do the real thing, nor would I have such a gorgeous area to traipse. This is a very special post. Thank you.

Louise said...

A lovely walk, I love moorland walks :) We were that way on Saturday and did a nice long walk (to be blogged soon!) and we did call at Gillfield Wood too - not as many bluebells as I'd hoped/expected but it was a very pleasant wood :)

Roy Norris said...

Lovely to see the Red Deer D, what a nice surprise.

JoAnn ( Scene Through My Eyes) said...

It is always wonderful to go walking with you - lovely lovely landscapes.

Morning's Minion said...

What a lovely walk. The terrain of a moor is so different to any I have known.

Pondside said...

What a gorgeous walk.
So interesting, to read your words about the danger of veering off the path through the moor. As I girl I read many old English novels and there was often a scary bit about a night flight through the moors. I could never understand what could be so dangerous - of course now I do, but it was interesting to see your photographs to illustrate the difference between path and moor.

John "By Stargoose And Hanglands" said...

I can almost taste the fresh air up there!

MorningAJ said...

What a lovely walk! I think the only thing I know about Totley Moor is that it has a very long railway tunnel running under it.

ChrisJ said...

Totley....that's a name I haven't thought of for a while. I did my teaching practice at Totley Hall School -- many moons ago!

George said...

Great post and photos, Rowan. I love these moorland walks when I take them in the UK. The moorlands have their own unique beauty, but they can also be a bit intimidating in bad weather.

Rosie said...

What a wonderful walk - the moor looks bleak and yet beautiful too. How wonderful to see the red deer and hear the skylarks and cuckoo - I haven't heard one yet. We saw swallows today for the first time - it really is a lovely time of year:)

Anonymous said...

It reminds me of Sally Gap in Ireland, so many years ago....

Mac n' Janet said...

I never think about there being moors in the middle of England. We've walked Dartmoor and found it very eery.

Diane said...

It is a truly stunning walk with so many amazing sights and sounds from nature. Unbelievable to think that this is so close to the city. Beautiful.

Patricia said...

I did enjoy this walk Rowan and what beautiful colours the moors are. It must have been wonderful to see the red deer, never having seen them myself. x

Dartford Warbler said...

What a lovely walk to be able to choose so close to home.

B Baggins in the stream, under those soft new beech leaves, is a beautiful image. He must love his moorland walks.

Cheryl said...

What an enchanting landscape.
How wonderful to be able to walk your dear dog in such a beautiful area.

I love the fact you heard the skylark and that there are many.....this is wonderful news about a species in decline.

Tku for sharing your adventure with us......

ahomespunyear said...

Hi Rowan,

What a beautiful walk...with lovely views. And such a treat to see the Red Deer. I know that Noreen and Brian see deer sometimes on their high ground.

Mx

Mary said...

What a beautiful, scenic walk with B Baggins Rowan - do you take a compass or GPS with you just in case you get turned around in less familiar areas?

The red deer are beautiful - love that you added a stone to the cairn - a little bit a history on the moor.

Happy week ahead - you'll be walking more I'm thinking as I hear the weather is lovely in England.

Hugs - Mary

Ruthie Redden said...

What wonderful views, I love the wildness of it all. Isn't it always such a treat to come across wild deer, I still am amazed every time I see them on my walks up the hill here, such shy creatures they always spring away into the trees.

Granny Sue said...

Your photos so remind me of Return of the Native--why I don't know. So peaceful, Rowan.

JoAnn ( Scene Through My Eyes) said...

A lovely walk. Oh how I wish I could hear a meadowlark rising into the sky and singing.

Gardens at Waters East said...

Nice to walk with your today. Pretty and reflective. Thanks. Jack

Marti said...
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