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ОглавлениеLooking across a meadow to Low Way Farm near Holwick (Day 12)
INTRODUCTION
Wanted: A Long Green Trail
You could say it all started on 22 June 1935. An article appeared in the Daily Herald newspaper entitled ‘Wanted: A Long Green Trail’, written by the ramblers’ champion Tom Stephenson. ‘Why should we not press for something akin to the Appalachian Trail?’ he asked. ‘A Pennine Way from the Peak to the Cheviots.’ He imagined that the route would be ‘a faint line on the Ordnance Maps which the feet of grateful pilgrims would, with the passing years, engrave on the face of the land.’ Well, the engraving went rather deep in places, even to the extent that you could claim the route was carved in stone, but that is only a testimony to its popularity.
Plaque marking the start of the Pennine Way at Edale (Day 1)
It took 30 years of lobbying and hard work to steer the Pennine Way to its official opening in April 1965. As a long-distance walk it is impressive. It traverses three National Parks, one Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and a World Heritage Site. In fact, the route could be broken down into five or six unequal stages according to the type of area being traversed.
Only the northern part of the Peak District National Park, the Dark Peak, is on the route. It is characterised by broad, bleak, high-altitude moorland. The Peak District only features for the first two days of walking, from Edale as far as Standedge, where it gives way to the gentler South Pennines. While this isn’t a National Park, it does have a distinct identity as far northwards as the Aire Gap, taking two or three days to cover.
The Yorkshire Dales National Park captures the attention of wayfarers for four or five days, from Gargrave to the Tan Hill Inn. Next comes the enormous North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which, although never given National Park status, is one of the wildest and bleakest upland areas of England. It is home to enormous National Nature Reserves and is claimed to be the most scientifically studied upland region in the world. Crossing this area on the Pennine Way takes five or six days.
When the Pennines peter out at the Tyne Gap, the route enters the Northumberland National Park, which is traversed in four or five days. This includes a splendid day’s romp along Hadrian’s Wall before heading to and through the Cheviot Hills, and finally hopping over the border into Scotland.
It measures over 427km (265 miles), involving a cumulative ascent of 11,200m (36,700ft). Most walkers take between two and three weeks to cover the distance, and there are many ways to create a schedule to suit people’s different expectations.
It is well worth reading The Pennine Way – the Path, the People, the Journey, by Andrew McCloy, published by Cicerone. The book explains how much hard work, lobbying and political manoeuvring went into the creation of the Pennine Way, and introduces many people and personalities who have been involved in the route over the past half-century.
PLANNING YOUR TRIP
Choosing an itinerary
The Pennine Way is the toughest of the National Trails, so it suits those with previous long-distance walking experience. Those with little or no experience should consider gaining some in advance. Try a weekend walk here and there, staying overnight on your route. Progress to a week-long walk, preferably in upland terrain, carrying everything you would expect to carry on a long trek. Figure out what sort of clothing and footwear suits you best for those conditions. Keep a check on your progress day by day and hour by hour, to gauge how long it takes to cover varying distances and awkward terrain. Timings given in this guidebook are unlikely to be matched by most wayfarers; some will be faster, some slower, but the timings give a consistent standard throughout. Use them as a basic guide. If you complete a couple of stages faster, then it is likely that you will always do so, and you might want to cover extra distances further along the trail. If you fall behind the stated times, then figure out by how much, and apply that to all stages in future. If it is likely that one or two of the longer stages might take too long to cover, consider splitting them into shorter stages.
The Pennine Way main route stays high to cross White Law (Day 20)
While some people have run the Pennine Way in as little as three days, most take two or three weeks to walk the distance, and on average it tends to work out at around 18 days. The schedule offered in this guidebook takes 20 days, but there are places where stages can be extended. As with all long-distance walks, take each day at a pace that is neither slow nor stressful, and the trek can be completed comfortably and enjoyably. Fatigue and foul weather can result in alterations to carefully planned schedules, so wise walkers build a day or two into their plans to cover for such eventualities.
The Pennine Way can be adapted to suit walkers of most abilities, and there is no need to follow the schedule outlined in this guidebook rigidly. Long days can be split. Short days can be extended. Pick-ups can be arranged wherever the route crosses a road, with careful planning. Nor is there any need to walk south to north, but this is the direction most people choose. Some do walk north to south. If you do this, you will need to reverse all the route directions, which could be a little confusing at times, but the signposting and waymarking is as good in one direction as it is in the other. The following statistics relate only to the main route and don’t include any diversions off-route. Those who walk the Hebden Bridge Loop and Bowes Loop, for example, will cover an extra 8.5km (5¼ miles), while detours off-route and back onto the route in the Cheviot Hills add around 6.5km (4 miles). Given other short detours for accommodation, most Pennine wayfarers will end up walking around 450km (280 miles).
The route summary table at the beginning of this guide is based on a 20-day trek, following the daily stages presented in this guidebook. Below is a suggested itinerary for a 15-day trek, based on combining some of the shorter stages, or breaking the trek at different points to create longer stages. Anything less than two weeks would require considerable stamina and determination.
When to walk
The Pennine Way is naturally busiest in the summer months, when most people take their longest holiday of the year. This is a fine time to walk, as all facilities and services are available, and the weather is generally warm and sunny, with plenty of daylight hours. In early summer, flowers are in bloom, while later in the summer, the heather moors are flushed purple. There is a chance that boggy parts might be drier underfoot, and when the blue sky is flecked with little clouds, the Pennine Way becomes very appealing.
Spring and autumn can feature many fine days, and both seasons have their own particular charms. Spring sees the gradual greening of the landscape and the first flowers of the year, but there might be a late flurry of snow. Hawthorn buses burst into bloom while new-born lambs bleat plaintively in the lower pastures. Autumn sees the gradual ripening of seeds, hedgerow fruits at their best and many species of fungi pushing strange fruiting bodies into view. The days, however, are notably shorter and there may well be cooler, wetter weather.
Winter can be severe in the Pennines, especially when occasional falls of deep snow blanket the path and make route-finding particularly difficult. While winter traverses of the Pennine Way are rare, those walkers possessing the skills and stamina to complete the trek also have to cope with the fact that many facilities and services are absent. Hardy walkers need to be experienced and self-sufficient to backpack the route in the winter months. The hardiest of all are those who enter the Spine Race, thespinerace.com, whose elite entrants are capable of running the Pennine Way in the deep midwinter in less than 100 hours!
A dusting of snow in winter near Gorple Lower Reservoir (Day 4)
Travel to and from the Pennine Way
By air
For overseas visitors, the handiest access for the start of the Pennine Way is Manchester Airport, www.manchesterairport.co.uk, served by flights from around the world. Catch a train from the airport to Manchester Piccadilly and change for Edale and the start of the Pennine Way.
Leaving the northern end of the route isn’t as simple, requiring careful study of local bus and train timetables, but the airports at Edinburgh, www.edinburghairport.com, and Newcastle, www.newcastleairport.com, can be reached for homeward flights.
By rail
Regular daily Northern trains, www.northernrailway.co.uk, serve Edale from Manchester and Sheffield. Northern train services can be used to reach the Pennine Way via Hebden Bridge, Gargrave and Horton in Ribblesdale. Greenhead, near Hadrian’s Wall, no longer has a station, but Northern trains can be caught off-route at Haltwhistle. There are no railways near Kirk Yetholm, so if intending to travel home by rail, it is necessary to catch buses to Galashiels, for ScotRail, www.scotrail.co.uk, trains to Edinburgh, or to Berwick-upon-Tweed for Virgin Trains East Coast, www.virgintrainseastcoast.com, and CrossCountry trains, www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk, to Edinburgh or Newcastle.
By bus
There are several local bus routes crossing the Pennine Way. Where useful buses exist, either connecting with other parts of the route, or leading off-route to nearby towns and villages, there is a brief mention of them in the daily route descriptions. To check details of local buses in advance, useful websites include Traveline, www.traveline.info, and Traveline Scotland, www.travelinescotland.com, tel 0871 2002233 for either service. It is also possible to search Google Maps for bus services by using the ‘directions’ feature. Always obtain up-to-date bus times a day or two before needing them, as some services are sparse. Bear in mind that there are no bus services to or from Kirk Yetholm on Sundays.
Travel along the Pennine Way
Most railway lines and bus routes cross the Pennines from east to west and vice-versa, and only a few routes run parallel to the Pennine Way. Getting to and from the route is reasonably straightforward, but using public transport to get ahead by a stage or two can be quite awkward. Most stages have some form of public transport, but it varies from regular daily services, to one bus per week, and sometimes there is nothing at all. However, there are plenty of services that are worth bearing in mind, and particularly the minibus service offered into the heart of the Cheviot Hills towards the end. Sometimes, it may be necessary to call a local taxi, and it is also worth noting that some accommodation providers offer pick-ups and drop-offs, if given advance notice.
First and last nights
Most Pennine wayfarers arrive at Edale in the morning and set off walking. Those who arrive the previous evening should bear in mind that Edale is a tiny village and facilities are very limited. At quiet times of the year, food, drink and accommodation are readily available, but at busy times everything is packed to capacity and it would be most unwise to turn up without having made advance bookings.
Most Pennine wayfarers reach Kirk Yetholm in the late afternoon and are more than happy to spend a night in the village. Normally, it wouldn’t be a problem to arrive and secure accommodation and a meal, but at busy times, again, it would be well to book in advance. Some finish their trek so early in the day that they aren’t inclined to stay overnight, and catch the bus away from the village. Onward travel brings a range of towns and cities within reach and these all offer a greater range of services if a break is needed on the homeward journey.
Accommodation
When the Pennine Way was opened, it was assumed that the bulk of walkers would carry full packs and camp at intervals along the trail. Many did, but there was also a good selection of youth hostels along the way, and the Youth Hostels Association once offered a service allowing walkers to book all their bed-nights in one fell swoop.
A wild camp on the summit of Cross Fell (Day 14)
Things have changed over the years, and while many wayfarers still camp, there are far fewer hostels available. Many walkers now choose bed and breakfast (B&B) accommodation, and some are quite happy to pay walking holiday companies to make all their arrangements for them, booking all their overnights and arranging baggage transfers in advance.
The Pennine Way has plenty of accommodation options, but they are unevenly spaced, and in some places may be limited to a single address. Those who wish to guarantee their overnights should book everything in advance, but bear in mind that this means sticking to a rigid schedule. Those who prefer to organise things on a day-to-day basis must accept that at some points they may find all beds taken, and the only way to secure accommodation will be to move off-route. Some people book all their overnights, then sadly have to retire because of injury or illness, and that has the effect of freeing up beds at the last minute, which is useful for those who make bookings at short notice.
See the accommodation list in Appendix B for details of hotels, B&Bs, hostels, bunkhouses, campsites and shelters along the Pennine Way. Remember that accommodation comes and goes, contact details change, and the loss of a crucial address in an area with no other options can cause havoc when planning a schedule. If any information on the list needs amending, please send details to Cicerone.
Food and drink
Most long-distance walkers start the day with a hearty breakfast, take a break along the way for lunch, and enjoy a good meal in the evenings. Those who like to walk in comfort can book themselves into places offering dinner, B&B, and often with the option of a packed lunch for an additional charge. Youth hostels offer full meals services and packed lunches. If relying on the provision of meals and packed lunches, it is important to find out what is offered as soon as bookings are made, as some providers may be unable to satisfy last-minute requests or special dietary requirements.
Walkers who are backpacking need to know where useful shops are located so that they can buy more food as they travel, rather than carry everything for the duration of their trek. All the towns along the Pennine Way have a range of shops, but some villages have either a limited choice or nothing at all. Be sure to read ahead to discover where re-supply options are sparse, then buy food in advance to cover for those days. Many wayfarers like to take a break at a pub, and there are several along the Pennine Way, but they are unevenly spread and only rarely occur in the middle of a day’s walk. Places offering refreshment are duly noted in this guidebook. The most famous pub is surely the Tan Hill Inn, a convivial establishment in the middle of nowhere and the highest pub in Britain.
Baggage transfer
A handful of companies offer accommodation booking and baggage transfer along the Pennine Way. They might appear expensive, but many walkers are willing to pay the price for someone else to make all their arrangements. It’s interesting to note that sometimes, when a number of wayfarers have booked through different companies, the same van collects and delivers all their bags. A list of companies offering a baggage transfer service can be found in Appendix A.
What to take
This depends primarily on your choice of accommodation. From its earliest days, the Pennine Way was intended to be a tough route for tough walkers. In the beginning, many walkers carried heavy packs and planned to camp every night. If camping, then full backpacking kit is required but keep everything as light as possible, taking advantage of modern materials and innovative products. There is no need for a full backpack to exceed ten kilos, and seldom any need to pack more than two days’ worth of food.
Food fantasy – or an enormous Tunnocks bar? (Day 20)
Youth hostels were originally spartan, but gradually offered more comforts. The provision of B&Bs along the route is pretty good, and these tend to be well-supported by today’s Pennine wayfarers. Anyone using hostels or B&Bs need little more than the usual contents of their daysack, plus a lightweight change of clothing for the evenings, allowing the ‘walking’ clothes to be rinsed and dried every couple of days or so. It really isn’t necessary to carry heavy loads along the Pennine Way, and in any case many wayfarers sign up for baggage transfers – sometimes having huge suitcases sent ahead!
Money
While an increasing number of shops, pubs and restaurants will accept payment by credit card, many don’t, so walkers need to carry plenty of cash to pay for goods and services while on the move, especially on the more remote parts of the Pennine Way. If you are unsure about carrying large amounts of cash, at least try and budget ahead, then be aware of places along the way that have banks and ATMs – these are mentioned in the daily route descriptions. Some supermarkets offer a ‘cashback’ service or have a cashpoint on their premises.
PLANNING DAY TO DAY
Bellingham is the last village with a decent range of shops (Day 17)
Using this guide
An information box at the beginning of each daily stage provides the essential facts for the day’s walk: start and finish points (including grid refs), distance covered, an estimation of time, ascent and descent figures, an overview of the types of terrain you’ll encounter, relevant OS Landranger, Explorer and Harvey sheets, and places en route (as well as slightly off-route) where you can buy refreshments.
Stage maps, extracted from the Ordnance Survey mapping, are provided at a scale of 1:100,000. In the route description, significant places or features along the way that also appear on the map extracts are highlighted in bold to aid navigation. As well as the route being described in detail, background information about places of interest is provided in brief.
Appendix A provides contact details that may be useful in planning and enjoying a successful walk. Appendix B lists accommodation options along the route and, where necessary, options off-route.
Additional mapping
This guidebook contains basic 1:100,000 scale maps, which are intended purely to give an overview of each stage of the trail. The Ordnance Survey, www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk, covers the Pennine Way on ten Landranger maps at a scale of 1:50,000. The sheet numbers are 74, 80, 86, 87, 91, 92, 98, 103, 109 and 110. For greater detail, eight Ordnance Survey Explorer maps cover the route at a scale of 1:25,000, and the sheet numbers are OL1, OL2, OL16, OL21, OL30, OL31, OL42 and OL43. The companion map booklet to this guidebook contains extracts from the Ordnance Survey Explorer maps, at a scale of 1:25,000, with the route highlighted, along with alternatives and off-route spurs.
Harvey, www.harveymaps.co.uk, publishes three maps covering the Pennine Way on water-resistant paper at a scale of 1:40,000. These are Pennine Way South, Pennine Way Central and Pennine Way North. The relevant maps are listed at the start of each stage of the route.
Waymarking and access
The Pennine Way is a designated right of way from start to finish; therefore it should be open at all times and always be free of obstructions. The route is made up of public footpaths, public bridleways, public byways and public highways. Signposts usually include the words ‘Pennine Way’, along with the official National Trail ‘acorn’ symbol. Marker posts generally feature only the acorn symbol and a directional arrow. Occasionally, the initials ‘PW’ may be painted or carved onto surfaces to give additional directions. Yellow arrows denote public footpaths; blue arrows denote public bridleways; and red arrows denote public byways.
Leaving the route at Windy Gyle allows for a descent to Trows (Day 19)
Following the ‘acorn’ symbols is fairly fool-proof, but bear in mind that the Pennine Way intersects with the Pennine Bridleway on a handful of occasions, and also runs concurrent with a considerable stretch of the Hadrian’s Wall Path. As all these routes are National Trails, they all bear the ‘acorn’ symbols, and some walkers do find themselves following the wrong trails!
Note that there are some very long stretches that have no signposts or markers, and this is the policy for what is after all a tough and often remote long-distance trail. In clear weather, providing careful note is taken of route directions, rudimentary map-reading skills will be enough. However, on some bleak and exposed moors, especially in mist, an ability to use a map and a compass is a distinct advantage. GPS users can download GPX tracks for each daily stage from the Cicerone website.
Weather forecasts
Walking for hours across bleak moorlands on an almost daily basis is fine, so long as the weather is good. There is little anyone can do about the weather, except to be prepared. Get into the habit of checking the forecast as often as possible, and keep an eye on the days ahead, so that if bad weather is predicted on a particularly tricky stretch, at least that can be included in planning. Forecasts on radio or television might be too general, but online forecasts provided by the Met Office, www.metoffice.gov.uk, can be tailored to more specific locations. For example, a detailed forecast is always available for the summit of Great Dun Fell! Numerous weather forecasts are available on smartphone apps.
Phones and Wi-Fi
Mobile phones don’t always get a signal along the Pennine Way, and coverage varies depending on your service provider. All of the towns along the Pennine Way have coverage, but some villages don’t, and rural telephone kiosks are gradually being removed. For internet access, Wi-Fi is offered by most accommodation providers, but there are a few who don’t offer it. If Wi-Fi is important, then be sure to ask about provision when bookings are made. Rural post offices keep disappearing along the route, but the remaining ones are mentioned.
Emergencies
The Pennines and Cheviot Hills are not particularly dangerous, and the biggest problem unwary walkers are likely to face is the prospect of losing their way on a featureless moorland. However, accidents and injuries could occur almost anywhere on the route and the intervention of the emergency services might be required. To contact the police, ambulance, fire service or mountain rescue, telephone 999 (or the European emergency number 112), and state clearly the nature of the emergency. Give them your telephone number and, most importantly, keep in touch while a response is mounted.
ALL ABOUT THE PENNINES
Pennine geology
As a teenager and a student of geology, I was not content simply to admire the Pennines. I wielded a hammer and chisel so that I could take great chunks of them home with me!
Pennine geology is relatively easy to understand, although in a few places it becomes very complex. The oldest bedrock is seldom seen on the Pennine Way, revealing itself only around Malham and Dufton. Ancient Silurian slate at Malham Tarn, along with Ordovician mudstone and volcanic rock above Dufton, date back 450 million years. These rocks are revealed only where fault lines bring them to the surface. The Weardale Granite, which underlies the North Pennines, outcrops nowhere and was only ‘proved’ by a borehole sunk at Rookhope in 1961.
In the Devonian period, around 395 million years ago, violent volcanic activity laid the foundations of the Cheviot Hills, at the northern end of the Pennine Way. All the lower hills are made of andesite lavas, while the central parts are formed of a massive dome of granite, pushed into the Earth’s crust some 360 million years ago and only recently exposed to the elements.
During the Carboniferous period, around 350 to 300 million years ago, a warm, shallow tropical sea covered the whole region. Countless billions of hard-shelled, soft-bodied creatures lived and died in this sea. Coral reefs grew, and even microscopic organisms often had hard external or internal structures. Over the aeons, these creatures left their hard parts in heaps on the seabed, and these deposits became the massive grey limestones seen to best effect today in the Yorkshire Dales.
Limestone pavement on top of Malham Cove (Day 6)
Even while thick beds of limestone were being laid down, storms were eroding distant mountain ranges. Vast rivers brought mud, sand and gravel down into the sea. These murky deposits reduced the amount of light entering the water, causing delicate coral reefs and other creatures to perish. As more mud and sand was washed into the sea, a vast delta spread across the region.
At times, shoals of sand and gravel stood above the waterline, and these became colonised by strange, fernlike trees. The level of water in the rivers and sea was in a state of flux. Sometimes the delta was completely flooded, so the plants would be buried under more sand and gravel. The compressed plant material within the beds of sand and mud became thin bands of coal, known as the Coal Measures. This alternating series of sandstones and mudstones, with occasional seams of coal, can be seen best in the Dark Peak and the South Pennines. Remnants of the series can also be studied on the higher summits of the Yorkshire Dales and North Pennines.
The Carboniferous rocks were laid down in layers, helping to explain what happened next, around 295 million years ago. An extensive mass of molten dolerite was squeezed, under enormous pressure, between the layers of rock – rather like jam between two slices of bread. This rock is always prominent wherever it outcrops, chiefly in the North Pennines and along Hadrian’s Wall, where it is referred to as the Whin Sill.
Almost 300 million years are ‘missing’ from the Pennine geological record, in which time the range has been broken into enormous blocks by faulting. The Yorkshire Dales and North Pennines display plenty of limestone, as their ‘blocks’ stand higher than the Peak District and South Pennines. Glaciers scoured the entire range during the Ice Age, and many parts are covered with glacial detritus in the form of boulder clay, sand and gravel. More recent climatic changes resulted in the upland soil becoming so waterlogged that thick deposits of peat have formed on most of the higher moorlands.
Pennine scenery
The underlying geology of the Pennines shapes the scenery along the Pennine Way. The Dark Peak and the South Pennines, whose foundations are sandstones and shales, with gritstone ‘edges’, give rise to acid clay soils, which encourages the formation of thick blanket bog. This bog has been growing for the past 7000 years, but in many places it is decaying, so that the moorlands are riven by peat channels, or ‘groughs’, with high banks of peat between them, known as ‘hags’. Given that the blanket bogs absorb considerable amounts of carbon dioxide, their rapid decay gives cause for concern and efforts are being made to stabilise the remaining bogs and reverse the trend.
Where limestone dominates, particularly in the Yorkshire Dales but also in parts of the North Pennines, the landscape often looks fresh and green, covered in short, dense, sheep-grazed turf, with bright cliffs and outcrops, or ‘scars’, of limestone poking through. Limestone country is fascinating, mostly because of the way the rock dissolves slowly over the aeons, giving rise to a distinctive landscape known as ‘karst’ topography. Limestone doesn’t just wear down like other rocks but dissolves inside itself, becoming riddled with caves and passages. When these are close to the surface, they may collapse, forming ‘shake holes’.
In the North Pennines, the existence of the igneous Whin Sill, sandwiched between older beds of rock, forms some of the most striking landscapes in the North Pennines and Northumberland. The mighty Teesdale waterfalls, the striking High Cup and the rugged crest bearing Hadrian’s Wall are all formed by the Whin Sill, which also outcrops along the Northumberland coast.
Technically, and geologically, the Pennines end just south of Hadrian’s Wall, so the continuation northwards through Northumberland results in another shift in the scenery. While Carboniferous rocks lie underfoot at first, by the time the high Cheviot Hills are reached, the bedrock is either lava or granite. The central granite mass of The Cheviot stands broad-shouldered, with all the other Cheviot Hills huddled around it. The poor acid soil supports thick blanket bog. Many walkers, seeing the Cheviot Hills after spending so long in the Pennines, are surprised at how hilly they are, but this is short-lived, as the Pennine Way ends suddenly with a descent into rolling, pastoral countryside.
The Helm Wind
Most walkers on the Pennine Way hear about the ‘Helm Wind’ but few understand what it is. The Helm Wind is the only wind in Britain with a name. It only blows from one direction and it gives rise to a peculiar set of conditions. Other winds blow from all points of the compass, but the Helm is very strictly defined, restricted to the East Fellside flank of the North Pennines, and according to local lore, no matter how much it rages, it cannot cross the Eden.
The Helm Wind blows down the steep western slopes of the North Pennines
First, there needs to be a northeasterly wind, with a minimum speed of 25kph (15mph), which the Beaufort Scale calls a ‘moderate breeze’. This isn’t the prevailing wind direction and it tends to occur chiefly in the winter and spring. Track the air mass from the North Sea, across low-lying country, as far as the Tyne Gap. The air gets pushed over Hexhamshire Common, crossing moorlands at around 300m (1000ft). It next crosses moorlands at around 600m (2000ft) and then Cross Fell and its neighbours are reached at almost 900m (3000ft). There are no low-lying gaps through the North Pennines, so there is nowhere for the air mass to go but over the top.
As the air is pushed up from sea level, it cools considerably. Any moisture it picked up from the sea condenses to form clouds, and these are most noticeable as they build up above the East Fellside. This feature is known as the ‘Helm Cap’. If there is little moisture present it is white, while a greater moisture content makes it much darker, resulting in rainfall. Bear in mind at this point that the air mass is not only cooler, but as a result it is also denser than the air mass sitting in the Vale of Eden.
After crossing the highest parts of the North Pennines, the northeasterly wind is cold, dense, and suddenly runs out of high ground. The air literally ‘falls’ down the East Fellside slope, and if it could be seen, it would probably look like a tidal wave. This, and only this, is the Helm Wind. The greater the northeasterly wind speed, the greater the force with which it plummets down the East Fellside, and if it is particularly strong, wet and cold, it is capable of great damage. Very few habitations have ever been built on this slope, and the villages below were generally built with their backs to the East Fellside, and most of them originally lacked doors and windows on their windward sides.
The air mass now does some peculiar things, having dropped, cold and dense, to hit a relatively warm air mass sitting in the Vale of Eden. A ‘wave’ of air literally rises up and curls back on itself. As warm and cold air mix, there is another phase of condensation inside an aerial vortex, resulting in the formation of a thin, twisting band of cloud that seems to hover mid-air, no matter how hard the wind blows at ground level. This cloud is called the ‘Helm Bar’ and is conclusive proof that the Helm Wind is ‘on’, as the locals say.
Local folk say that no matter how hard the Helm Wind blows, it can never cross the Eden. All the wind’s energy is expended in aerial acrobatics on the East Fellside, where it can roar and rumble, while the Vale of Eden experiences only gentle surface winds. Northeasterly winds are uncommon and short-lived, so after only a few days the system breaks down and the usual blustery southwesterly winds are restored. In the meantime, don’t refer to any old wind as the Helm Wind until all its characteristics have been noted, including the northeast wind, the Helm Cap and the Helm Bar.
Wildlife
Swaledale sheep are common throughout the Yorkshire Dales
Pennine pastures offer good grazing for sheep and cattle, while the higher moorlands offer passable grazing for sheep in the summer months. Only in the North Pennines are fell ponies likely to be seen, and feral goats are occasionally spotted in the Cheviot Hills. Other mammals that can be seen include foxes, badgers, hares and rabbits, along with small rodents, or bats in the evenings.
The heather moorlands of the Pennines are managed for grouse-shooting, which involves the control of ‘vermin’, meaning anything likely to affect the numbers of grouse on the moors. Red grouse are dominant, but there are small areas in the North Pennines with black grouse too. The plaintive piping of the curlew will be heard on the moors, while snipe may be flushed from cover. Lapwings are notable in high pastures, usually when trying to distract walkers from their nesting sites. The reservoirs and bog pools attract all manner of wildfowl and waders, and it is not uncommon to find raucous colonies of gulls breeding on the high moors, far from the sea. Emperor moths are also notable on the high moors.
Reptiles include common lizards, adders and grass snakes, although these are rarely seen. Amphibians include frogs and increasingly rare newts, while the native white-clawed crayfish is under great threat from competition and disease introduced by non-native species.
A well-camouflaged adder on a heather moor adopts its strike position when approached too closely
Plant life
Woodlands are rare in the Pennines, although densely planted commercial forests occur in some places. For the most part, the high Pennines feature tussocky moor grass with boggy patches of sphagnum moss. In the summer months, vast areas of nodding bog cotton give the impression of snow-covered slopes. There is rather less heather than most people expect, and much of it has been managed to provide a habitat for red grouse. The dominant species is ling, although there are occasional areas of bell heather. Heather is burnt on a rotational basis, so that there are always young heather shoots for grouse to feed on, as well as dense ‘leggy’ heather for shelter. Heather seeds are fairly resistant to fire, but in places where heather is over-burnt, invasive bracken is quick to take hold. Some heather moorlands also feature bilberry and crowberry, while the higher, bleaker, boggier moorlands are home to an interesting arctic remnant – cloudberry.
Cloudberries, arctic remnant plants, only grow on the highest and bleakest parts of the Pennine Way
There is very little tillage on Pennine farms, and most fields are managed as pastures for farm stock. Some fields are managed for hay, and in the dale-heads of the North Pennines, haymaking comes so late in the summer that wildflowers have a chance to drop their seeds, making the meadows rich in species and remarkably colourful.
The range of plants thriving in Upper Teesdale owes its existence to several factors. Arctic/alpine species survive because the climate in this bleak region suits them, keeping taller and more competitive plants at bay. The underlying crumbling ‘sugar limestone’ suits some species, while others grow on sodden, acid peat bogs. Plants that once grew in well-wooded areas now survive by adapting to life in the shade of boulders and cliffs. Many people have heard of the spring gentian, which is strikingly blue on sunny days in early summer, but few know where to find it. Large expanses of juniper are easily spotted, but in recent years a fungal disease has attacked these. Other species of note include the mountain pansy, alpine bistort, bird’s eye primrose, globe flower, Teesdale violet and blue moor grass. These grow alongside more commonplace wild thyme, tormentil, thrift and harebells, while wood anemones and woodland ferns have adapted to non-wooded habitats. The ‘Teesdale Assemblage’ of plants are survivors from bygone ages, reminding visitors how habitats have changed over time.
