Author: Barry

Very Sad News About Lenny Nunn

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I am sad to report that Lenny Nunn passed away on 20 January, 2024 and our condolences & deepest sympathy go to his wife, Jean.  Lenny was a well liked member who had been with the club right from the start in 1977, thus being a founding member.  He worked at BIP and then Hydro as did most of the early members of the club, and for many years he never missed a walk.  He made a massive contribution to the club’s operation (especially raising money through the annual Xmas draw), always offering help and advice and will be fondly remembered for his sense of humour, boundless energy and enthusiasm for walking.  He hasn’t been on walks recently, in part because he was helping to care for his mother in-law, who is over 100 years old, but just a few days ago ago he told me he hadn’t had a drink in two years and would soon be returning to walk with the club and he was saving himself to have a drink with us again.  The picture below shows him enjoying a pint in Whitby following an AFWC walk along the Yorkshire Coast in 2004.

Sad News About Mike Scarre

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There is sad news about Mike Scarre who died on the morning of 10 January, 2024. Mike was an old colleague of mine from the Hydro Polymers and BIP days where our club was started and he was a very keen fell walker. He was instrumental in forming and running the Aycliffe Fell Walking Club from the late 1970s, throughout the 1980s and into the 1990s. The picture below goes back to 2005 when he was still enjoying his walking and he was climbing Fairfield in the Lake District on a club walk. My thoughts are with his family.
RIP Mike.

9 September 2023 – Forest of Bowland

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It was a warm, humid but misty start to the walk when the coach dropped us off at Jubilee Tower, Quernmore, Lancaster.  The tower was built in 1887 to mark Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee and the car park near it was created by the council when the tower was gifted to them. During the car park construction, they uncovered a burial ground.

Coach drop off and Jubilee Tower

Jubilee Tower (Victoria Diamond Jubilee 1887) A stone on the tower was engraved with “This tower was erected by James Harrison of Hare Appletree in commemoration of the Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Victoria ANNO DOMINI 1887”

 

Colin, Nina, Girls (sorry I can’t remember your names) and Mick on Jubilee Tower

 

Colin and Barry on Jubilee Tower

 

Coach and AFWC walkers with the Forest of Bowland and Grit Fell behind

 

Most walkers headed downhill to complete a walk to and along the coast into Lancaster, a small goup of fit members headed to the Forest of Bowland to do a fell walk of about 15 miles.  For me I decided to do part of this long walk, encompassing the fells but shotening it by about a mile so, I headed uphill from the drop off point aiming for Shooters Pile (cairn) and Grit Fell

 

Shooter’s Pile cairn on Grit Fell

 

Amongst the Bilberry and Heather, one of the many grouse on the fells of the Forest of Bowland

 

I then continued over the fells to Lancashire’s second highest peak, Ward’s Stone.  It was so humid and warm that when the heavens opened and rain fell heavily, it was most welcome, even though I was soaking wet.  Ward’s Stone is a flat topped hill and has two triangulation points about a kilometer apart. Whilst I was there and over a period of just a few minutes, the mists cleared and the views majestically appeared.

Ward’s Stone 560m in the mist. The second highest hill in Lancashire.

 

Ward’s Stone 560m as the mist vanished.

Sheep on Ward’s Stone & a Geographical Marker

 

The Flat top of Ward’s Stone hill.

 

Barry at the second triangulation point (561m) on Ward’s Stone

 

I then retraced my steps before taking a track through the old Clough Quaries down to Cragg Wood. This ancient wood is a “Specal Area Of Coservation” because of its upland location and the Sessile Oaks and Birch trees that grow there.

 

Ancient Cragg Wood with old upland Sessile Oak trees

 

From Cragg Wood there was what seemed to be a very long trek along minor country roads and then over the M6 into Lancaster City to complete about 14 miles and where the Crafty Scholar and the Lion Inn provided some welcome food and refreshements for a weary walker.

 

Looking back to the the Forest of Bowland and Clougha Pike taken from about halfway to Lancaster.

 

On the coach home, I was pleasently surprised by Andy Jakob wishing me a “Happy 70th Birthday”.  Thank you Andy and the birthday wishes from those on board!

 

Pictures of the December 2019 walk in Nidderdale & Xmas Party

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Nidderdale

The Aycliffe Fell Walking Club had its Christmas Walk on Saturday from Pateley Bridge to Hampsthwaite in the Yorkshire Dales and which, of course, meant a party meal and drinks and a Quiz in a delightful Dales Pub called the Joiners Arms.
I started my 13 miles trek in Pateley Bridge where I took a coffee and bacon bap in the River Terrace Cafe before heading upwards onto the moorland and into a snowstorm with very strong winds. Whilst most took in Brimham Rocks and/or walked the valley, I walked alone all day and saw very few people until the party at the pub. I did see lots of birds and a few hundred sheep and had the pleasure of walking down into the valley across sodden livestock fields where I felt I had suckers on my boots that made slurping noises at each step as I pulled each one in turn out of the mud. The remainder of the walk was along the river Nidd and wasn’t too bad except for the rain. The Timothy Taylor Landlord beer at the end was excellent. Here are my photos (unless stated).

(Above photo Eddy Adam)

(Above photo Lorraine Richardson)

Party time in the Joiners Arms in Hampsthwaite

 

Bacon bun and coffee in the Riverside Terrace Tea Rooms at Pateley Bridge.

 

High Street Pateley Bridge.

 

Pateley Bridge

 

A mixture of snow and hail didn’t upset the the quaint village of Bewerly.

 

Barry at Yorke’s Folly.

 

Guise Cliff.

 

Near Guise Cliff.

 

Low Hood Gap.

 

Nidderdale Way Curlew-sign.

 

Nidderdale.

(Above Photo by Jes Smith)

(Above Photo by Jes Smith)

Pack Horse Bridge over the River Nidd.

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