Climate Walk 1 May 2-25 Brockhole Lane , Settle to Cleatop Park Wood

People from Craven Conservation Group (CCG), Churches Together in Settle and the public came on this walk - 15 in total. We planned to set off at 10am and a Wildflower Exercise Walk 

this counts as a "Climate Walk"; A CCG walk - A "31 Days Wild" walk,  a Lichen Walk and  a Wildflower Exercise Walk 

Brockhole Lane: 3/4 mile long, a stonewall bordered bridleway with baserich soils,, with delightful wayside / woodland  flowers.  These plants can flower unlike the grazed sheep pastures on either side.

We are so lucky to have this resource in Settle.

1/2 mile upward through a grazed pasture (avoiding a cow and very young calf)

3/4 mile uphill through woodland on millstone grit with a flora that likes acid soil.

A view/ rest on big limestone boulders and outrops in acid grassland at the top ( a slight detour) and a spelndid view of Settle

Return through pastures higher up the slope and down to the start of Brockhole Lane.

Detour 1: The Age-UK Allotment - At Dog Meadow Allotment

In the foregound centre left is a hole- steps go down to running water whichis a culvert - so gardeners come here to get water.

Age UK have a splendid allotment. You can come here on Fridays and help I think of just have a chat - but check up with AgeUK first 01729 823066 or e-mail info@ageuknorthcraven.org It says Wed and Fri on their website but they don' do Wednesdays any more.

 

We set off

i was pleased to see there is still some water in Watery Lane (in spite of the fact the River Level at the Lochs Measuring gauge was down to 2mm. (NB 5 days later it is recording -1cm), We wil be coming here with Settle Eco Explorers tomorrow.

The special Town Hall Clock - Adoxa moschatellina

By 11.45 (1/2 mile walk) we had recorded over 20 plants. Three people had to return to Settle for meetings.

By c. 12 30 WE had walked 3/4 mile and recorded almost 40 species of plant in flower (I am waiting for the list from Geoff).

Four more people had to return home. That left about 7 of us.

 

 We walked across two pastures and uphill towards Cleatop Park Wood. We had Lunch in the Woodland Trust area below Cleatop Park Wood.

This area is all on grit rock 

We looked at all the Trees the Woodland Trust had planted.  

The trees do seem very densely planted. I do hope they will thin some of them out.

The bench had gone.

(I enjoyed having a break at this bench during my Coid year visit.

I was pleased to refind the Tree with the lichen Lecanactis abietina grwoing on it, about 50m up from the start of the wood.

We met a bird watcher and he showed us a pond area  in the wood that he said had been good for frogs ten years ago, but that had silted up now.

We saw the Climbing Corydalis growing by the path a bit uphill from this. It is too early for it to be in full flower. Here is a bit in bud.

That meant we had seen a total of five species of plant in flower in the wood: Bluebell (loads), Wood Sorrel (a few), Climbing Corydalis near the top end, Oak, Common Sedge. And that's it.

Four people now walked ahead to get back to Settle.

That left Geoff and Richard and I who enjoyed sitting down at the summit 

I took a photo of this fly sunning itself on a rock beside us, and the picture came out well, so I am showing it. It looks like Sarcophaga carnaria. Michael chinery;'s "Collins Guide to #Insects" says:-One of several very similar species with large feet and red eyes. Size is very variable. Common around houses but not often inside. Breeds in carrion, female bringing forth young larvae instead of eggs.

I was delighted to find a new lichen for my tetrad - a species of Cetraria.

Probably Cetraria aculeata but it could be C muricata.

THe view behind is us very good: - looking towards Ingleborough on the left and Pen y Ghent on the right.

After this it was a two mile return walk to Settle.