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As Elizabeth hasn't been out for quite some time and the weather forecast is good for today we decided that we would take a walk and the chosen hill was Bink Moss. E has chosen this walk and the reasons are good enough as she hasn't been out for many a week so has sort of lost her hill legs; it's a short walk over mostly good ground, and the height gain is not too great; so a good one to get her going again. My reasons are quite simply because it's a hill, and one that I haven't been up before.
My mission this year is to complete as many of the English Hewitt's, Nuttall's, and Birkett's as I can, and this being only my sixth Hewitt/ Nuttall I have done outside of the Lake District there's a bit of a handful to be getting on with.
The weather was looking a bit grim despite the forecast as we drove down the A66 towards Brough with low clouds over the Pennines behind Long Marton, Dufton, and Murton with full cloud cover and a temperature of zero. Upon reaching the turn off for Brough the sky in the east was becoming decidedly brighter but there was no change to our left or ahead of us.
We had resigned ourselves to a walk with no view and as we got higher up the B6276 from Brough there was a touch of ice on the road and snow a plenty on the fells either side of us but, the sky towards Middleton-in-Teesdale was getting brighter. Soon after passing over a cattle grid that sits across the road near the Warcop MOD red flag and the Ranges permitted southern access point to Mickle Fell the sky began to open up and a welcome patch of blue appeared in front of us.
On either side of the road the fells are welcoming, white, and wide open with the grass showing through besides the road but getting whiter as the altitude increases. The road begins to drop down towards Middleton-in-Teesdale at roughly this point and as Selset Reservoir comes into view we know that we are near our parking place at Hargill Bridge. As we drive on the fells either side of us are becoming increasingly devoid of snow, on the lower to be seen slopes anyway, but I'm sure we shall find some at a higher level than we can see just now.
Arriving at Hargill Bridge we drove through the open gate on our left to park the car on a level area at the bottom of the access road/track that leads to the shooting lodge that goes by the name of Greengrain Shop purely because it sits by the side of a water course of the same name. It is also our means of access to Bink Moss.
As we were getting set up for the walk the sky opened up to blue sky and welcome sunshine, but there are still lots of clouds about that when covering the sun allows the temperature to drop quite a bit. There is also a brisk, cool breeze blowing from the north which will be in our faces on the climb up to the shooting lodge.
It is still 0°c as we set off and both of us have cold hands brought on simply by getting into our walking gear but we warm up quick enough as we start walking. Off we trot following the wide and well stoned track that rises easily alongside the eastern side of Hargill Beck…
- The view back to Hargill Bridge.
- Looking back down Green Grain.
to arrive at a footbridge that spans Green Grain. At this point the track splits with the left hand branch following Hargill Beck - which we will encounter on our way back - and the right hand one heading roughly north as it meanders about on its still steady climb upwards towards the shooting hut and Grouse Butts.
The views even at this low level are quite good with the best of them to the west where the cairns on the 598 metre high Standards are prominent, Staple Currick is just north of that with the massive dark brown gash of Standard's Shap lying between the both of them. North and in front of us there is just the rising ground to see. Ground that will eventually take us to the summit of Bink Moss. The view to the east is restricted by the rising ground from the side of the track but there is the 520 metre high hill of Cock Lake.
Before too long the shooting lodge comes into sight on the left of the track. It's the usual black painted building, constructed from old timber boards and corrugated iron sheets cladding the sides, timber and felted roof, and brown double glazed windows. Posh eh! It also has an awning over the front and a paved patio from where there are really good views.
- Greengrain Shop shooting lodge.
From the lodge we continued along the track until arriving at a newly - or recently - laid section of track that continues upwards but sweeps around to the northeast and not where we need to go. At this point we saw some faint quad bike tracks leading roughly in the direction that we need to go and which we guessed - correctly as it happened - would take us on the best and easiest route across the moor on its way to top up the trays at the many feeding stations whose positions are identified by the vertical white rods that are scattered profusely on this well managed grouse moor.
- Leaving the road to cross the moorland.
After all the rain that we have had recently we were expecting a very wet walk across to the green and moss covered bank of High Bink but it was not to be, as although snow is a scarce commodity around here just now there is ice and frost underfoot which has stiffened up the ground sufficiently to carry our meagre weights. Some of the deeper and lower pools were clear of ice but for now we enjoyed following the tracks which do meander around on its way across this, what appears to be, desolate landscape.
- One of the many water filled shake holes.
Desolate landscape is far from the truth as there is an abundance of black grouse and pheasant flying up from around our feet. So far we have seen three animal traps that look as though they are meant to catch the smaller variety of grouse hunters such as stoats, weasels, polecats - do they live on the moors? - or any other such unwelcome guests that will thwart the shooters from their 'fun'.
After an unexpected and pleasant walk across Low Bink Moss we arrived at the low bank that separates the area of Low Bink Moss from the higher ground of Bink Moss itself. This requires a short and easy ascent up and over very green and moss covered slopes until once again arriving at the brown moor grass and short swathe of heather that covers the gentle slope on our walk up to the yet invisible summit. We haven't reached our goal yet but the views are wonderful and we are grateful for having such a good day to be up here. We can see for miles in all directions. To the west as far as the Pennines Cross Fell, Mickle Fell, etc. To the north we see nothing yet as we are below the northern skyline. South towards Tan Hill and Baugh Fell and east there is a wide expanse of fells of which I am unsure of their identity.
- Looking west towards Standards.
Continuing up the gently sloping grass we soon arrived at the now defunct and original summit marker that is slightly lower and to the southeast of the summit proper and consists of a rough lump of concrete that has 50mm diameter brass stud set into it and a pile of flat and broken stone slabs sitting alongside it.
- The brass datum stud on Bink Moss top.
A photo shoot was required before moving on to the slightly higher and true summit of Bink Moss at 619 metres that is decorated with a wooden stake and a pair of Mud Boot Company - the company began its life in 1993 - wellington boots of which the sole less one is stuck on top of the post.
- Bink Moss and its wellie laden summit.
Close behind the summit and slightly to the northwest there is a very large shake hole full of water and could nearly be passed off as a moorland tarn.
- The water filled shake hole on Bink Moss summit.
Being slightly higher than the secondary summit we can see much of the same with the difference being that we could now look north into Teesdale and had a clearer view of Hagworm Hill with its prominent summit cairn in evidence over to the west.
It's a glorious day with a cold wind just now and a smattering of snow underfoot as we left the summit and walked west and south of the fence across the open fell towards Hagworm Hill.
- A walk across the moor to Hagworm Hill.
- Approaching Dry Gill and Hagworm Hill.
The going is once again easy enough as we passed across swathes of low heather, the brown grass, and unusual large patches of moss covered ground as we started on the gentle slope down to Dry Gill. Before arriving at said gill we came across a sheltered spot with convenient rocks to park up on so this is where we had a break whilst looking down at the restricted view - just for now - of Hargill Beck.
- Lunch time above Dry Gill.
Break over we set off to cross the gill which was not really dry and has bank sides of very boggy ground. Fortunately we spotted some timbers that someone had placed across the boggy ground at a quad bike crossing.
- Dry Gill crossing point.
So taking advantage of our find we began to climb the heather covered slopes up to Hagworm Hill summit cairn which sits at the top of the path that runs between the B6276 road near to where we began this walk in the south and joins the Pennine Way near to the River Tees in the north.
- Hagworm Hill summit cairn with Long Crag behind.
After looking up the word 'hagworm' I found it to be an old English word for snake or adder which would lead one to surmise that the hill was a favourite haunt of them at one time, or indeed still is.
- Elizabeth at Hagworm Hill summit cairn with Bink Moss behind.
As well as the cairn there is a large stone shelter cairn more to the north and over the fence that runs east to west. The view to the north takes in the snow covered tops of The Cheviots, a place that we are going to return to later this year.
Our way back will now take us firstly south down the fell side and then southeast above and following Hargill Beck that runs through some really miserable looking ground and a place that looks as though it should be avoided at all costs. We find the path that is just below the cairn and follow its narrow way through the heather for a short distance before it opens up onto a wider grass covered track that looks like it could have once been an old cart or drove road that ran between the two valleys. The path is good and firm and is a joy to walk on although the ground is not as frozen as it is higher up it is a bit wet in places.
- Elizabeth leaving Hagworm Hill.
When we got to the point where the path got steeper a good view could be seen over Hargill Beck and the lowlands that it passes through on its journey to meet up with the River Lune and Selset Reservoir.
- looking over the route of Hargill Beck and our way back.
As we began to descend down to the beck the path does a disappearing trick as it turns towards the banks of it. Looking across and forward we can see the wide grassy path stretching out in front of us but for now it's a case of finding a suitable way down through the long heather until we can once again get on to it.
- The old path back to the main road.
It doesn't look as though this route is very much used nowadays as it is very much overgrown at this point and there are no signs of any old boot prints.
Looking at the track log it appears that by taking what looked like the easiest way down we wandered off too low before picking it up again after a short while. But it was this short while that proved to be very wet and boggy but after much meandering about around the worst of it we managed to escape with dry feet if not boots. Once we had regained the path proper it was pretty much straight forward and easy going following the grassy track as it wended its way along the rock covered patched flank of Low Bink Moss to eventually arrive at the currick/cairn that sits on the western end of Low Bink which is a rock covered 20 metre or so high step up on the fell side at the bottom edge of Low Bink Moss.
- Looking back to Hagworm Hill.
- A view to Standards from the west end of Low Bink.
One sign of the path being used - or not - was the three standard marker posts with very faint or not there directional arrows pointing in one direction only, up.
- One of the few marker posts on the path down from Hagworm Hill.
- The decorative flank of the fell with Standards behind.
From the currick/cairn it was an uneventful walk until we reached the banks of Hargill Beck with its bank side and tumbledown sheepfolds one of which we used as shelter from the still cold wind whilst we finished off our food and drink. Apart from looking at another trap that was sat on a log that spanned the river, it was a pleasant place to be with the sun shining and the sound of the beck lulling me into a position where my head was resting against the old wall behind me as I dropped off into a light doze. I was soon brought back to reality when I was offered a banana that was stuck unceremoniously into my hand, oh! give me peace woman.
- The view from the old sheepfold where we had our second lunch break.
Setting off once again we arrived at firstly the ford that would allow us to cross the beck and walk down its west side to eventually reach the main road just short of Hargill Bridge and also the access bridge that is over Green Grain that we passed over on our outward journey.
- The bridge and the ford.
As there was a fair bit of water running down Hargill Beck E didn't fancy her chances crossing over it so I just had to sulk all the way back to the car along the path we had already used earlier.
This has been a good walk with the weather improving as we went along. Freezing temperatures and cold wind, sunshine with some cloud, mostly dry and firm underfoot; easy walking, great views, and kept warm all the way round simply by the efforts of steady walking.
