Walking in the North Pennines. Paddy Dillon
including the northeast wind, the Helm Cap and the Helm Bar.
Plants and wildlife
Although the North Pennines today features extensive moorlands, this was not always the case. From time to time, eroded peat hags reveal the roots of ancient trees – the remnants of the wildwood that once covered all but the most exposed summits. Only hardy species such as juniper or dwarf willow can survive in exposed upland areas, though some of the dales feature mature woodlands, and some marginal areas have been planted with commercial conifers. It may seem strange, but woodland plants can thrive in areas far removed from woodlands, simply by adapting to the shade provided by boulders or other taller plants. One of the best remnants of the original wildwood can be seen around Allen Banks and Staward Gorge, along with the juniper thickets of Upper Teesdale.
Many visitors are delighted to visit Upper Teesdale in spring and early summer, where the peculiar Teesdale Assemblage of plant communities is seen to best effect. Remnant arctic/alpine plants thrive on bleak moorlands – such as cloudberries on the boggiest parts. Drier areas, particularly where the soil is generated by the crumbly ‘sugar limestone’ on Cronkley Fell and Widdybank Fell, feature an abundance of artic/alpines, including the delightful spring gentian and mountain pansy. Other plants thrive in hay meadows, because haymaking traditionally starts late at Upper Teesdale and Weardale, allowing seeds to mature and drop before mowing. A trip to the Bowlees visitor centre is a fine way to get to grips with the nature and floral tributes of the region before setting off walking and exploring.
Extensive heather moorlands in the North Pennines are essentially man-managed
Cloudberries are arctic/alpine remnant plants that thrive on the boggy slopes of Mickle Fell (Walk 13)
Upper Teesdale boasts a fascinating assemblage of wild plants, including the mountain pansy (Walk 27)
Bear in mind that the extensive grass and heather moors of the North Pennines exist only because of human interference. Grassy moorland was developed as rough pasture for sheep grazing, while heather moorland was developed to provide food and shelter for grouse, to maintain a grouse-shooting industry. There should be a greater range of species on the moors, including trees and scrub woodland, but these are suppressed by grazing and rotational burning. Vegetation cover can change markedly when underlying sandstone gives way to limestone.
Most of the animal life you will see around the North Pennines is farm stock, although deer are present in some wooded areas, where they might be observed grazing along the margins of woods and forests at dawn and dusk. Britain’s most northerly colony of dormice is found at Allen Banks, and the elusive otter can be spotted, with patience, beside rivers and ponds. Reptiles are seldom seen, but adders, grass snakes and common lizards are present. Amphibians such as frogs are more likely to be seen, while toads and newts are much less common.
Birdlife can be rich and varied, but the North Pennines is notable primarily for their population of red grouse. Rare black grouse can occasionally be spotted, especially during the mating season, when they perform elaborate displays on particular parts of the moors. The placename ‘Cocklake’ is derived from ‘cock lek’, and refers to the mating displays of black grouse. For details see www.blackgrouse.info.
Late spring and early summer are important times for breeding birds. Cuckoos will be heard as they advance northwards, while skylark, lapwing, snipe and curlew are often seen on broad moorlands. Watch out for buzzards, merlins and kestrels in open areas, and red kites around Geltsdale in particular. Herons fish in watercourses, while dippers and grey wagtails will completely submerge themselves in rivers. Some gulls and waders travel from the coast to the Pennines, and it is not unusual to find raucous colonies of gulls around shallow pools high on the moors.
The enormous Upper Teesdale and Moor House national nature reserves often feature guided walks with wildlife experts. Look out for their annual events guide, which runs from March to October, with a special emphasis on the spring and summer. These reserves claim to be the most scientifically studied upland regions in the world! For details, tel 01833 622374 or go to www.naturalengland.org.uk.
Grouse shooting
Red grouse are hardy, non-migrating birds that thrive on heather moorland. They are deemed to be unique to Britain but may be related to willow grouse across Scandinavia and Russia. These plump birds spend most of their time among the heather, where they are perfectly camouflaged, and many walkers have almost stepped on them before they break noisily from cover, calling ‘go-back, go-back, go-back’. They fly close to the ground, with rapid wing-beats, seldom covering any great distance before landing. While young chicks will eat insects, adult birds chew on young heather shoots and various berries.
With so much of the high moorlands used for grouse shooting, it makes sense to be aware of this activity, and to be aware of how the moorlands are managed. The first thing to bear in mind is that extensive heather moorlands are not natural, but have to be created. Heather needs plenty of light and cannot compete with tall vegetation. It can tolerate wet ground, but cannot grow in waterlogged bogs. Moorlands may have drainage ditches cut across them to remove excess water, and they may be burnt on a rotation basis, between 1 October and 15 April. When moorland is burnt, heather seeds survive better than other species, and so the plant is quick to recover. However, even the heather itself needs to be burnt, since tall heather has limited food value to grouse, which prefer young heather shoots. Walkers, therefore, will find awkward drainage ditches, deep heather, short heather and scorched terrain. A project called Peatscapes aims to restore some areas of moorland to a natural state, including blocking drains and encouraging species diversification.
Large populations of red grouse will naturally attract predators, including foxes, various rodents and birds of prey, and grouse can also suffer from a debilitating internal parasitic worm. While some predator species are protected, particularly birds of prey, others are not, and are liable to be trapped in an effort to ‘control’ them. Sometimes, over-zealous gamekeepers have been suspected of killing birds of prey. A particularly sensitive time is spring and early summer, when grouse lay their eggs and raise their chicks, and are vulnerable to attack by predators. Nor do the eggs and chicks fare well if they are constantly disturbed. Dogs should be kept on a leash at this time, and may be banned from some areas of access land.
Once the grouse are thriving in the height of summer, and the heather moorlands turn purple, the grouse-shooting season starts on 12 August. The ‘glorious twelfth’ sees a lot of activity on the moorlands, with gamekeepers leading shooters (or ‘guns’) from around the world to specially constructed butts, while beaters are employed to drive the grouse towards their doom. Some estates charge a fortune for a day’s shoot, and there is still a tradition of getting fresh grouse to the best London restaurants for immediate consumption. When the shooters take a lunch break, they generally retire to a shooting hut. Some of these are rough and ready, while the better examples are often referred to as ‘gin palaces’. Grouse shooting is as much a social occasion as it is a sport, and a lot of local people gain employment from it.
Naturally, walkers must expect some grouse moorlands that are designated access land to be closed at various times. There might be a complete ban on dogs, so check in advance whether this is the case (contact the Open Access Contact Centre, tel 0845 1003298, www.openaccess.naturalengland.org.uk). Moorlands may be closed during the breeding season, and at times when shooting is taking place. Even if a moorland is open, please tread carefully, as grouse eggs are notoriously difficult to spot. If a moorland is open, yet shooting is taking place, then be prepared to wait courteously for a break in the shooting. The shooting season finishes on 10 December, but towards the end there may be very little shooting actually taking place.
Access