We start 2012 with our 201st blog post and a sighting of our first snowdrops of the season.

Mum and dad stayed out late last night, to celebrate the new year,  so today we made them pay with our demands for a long walk and no breakfast for them until they came back.

Snowdrops - first of the year

With dark clouds all around and reasonable warm temperatures of 10 deg C, a walk in the big world was the least they could do, after leaving us to fend off the firework monsters last night.

We headed for Dalston, to the west of Carlisle, where we know we can have a good walk without getting too muddy and dirty.

Many of the soil and grass paths in the county are just soaked through and have plenty of standing puddles of water. This sort of rules them out, unless we are allowed to get really mucky.

Snowdrops flower 

A sure sign of the warm winter this year is the arrival of the snowdrops.  These are the first we have seen for this season and brought a smile to the two leggers faces.

Huddled behind a wall at the side of Dalston Church quite a few clumps of the small white flowers were to be found.

Path repaired with new wall and fence

Our walk took us through the churchyard, were we were on our best behaviours, and onto the path which leads behind Caldew School and the Nestle milk factory.

This path is well used and was especially busy today with a lot of cyclists, walkers, children and friendly pooches.

Paths repaired

Way back in November 2010 we mentioned that some of the paths on this walk had started to crumble and were at risk of collapse.

Following our walk today we are please to report that it would appear that a lot of money has been spent to underpin and repair one stretch.

A slight detour, maybe?

Looking over towards the river, work seems to have been done to install cages full of rocks into the river bank to prevent further damage. A new fence and tarmac path have then been installed on top.

Well done to all of those involved as the finished path looks really good and in character with the area.

Machines take a detour

Further on towards Carlisle we spot a new, very muddy path curving off to our right. This gives a bit of an insight possibly into the work needed to repair the path earlier.

The small, narrow path appears to be too narrow for any machinery to cross so they have been forced to take a detour across a small stream and across the very soggy grassland.

We so wanted to investigate, but mum stopped us before we could get really dirty.

Until next time. Have a safe, happy 2012.

Buster and Charlie

Our onboard clocks became very confused yesterday (Saturday), like much of nature it turns out, as the temperatures soared to about 16 deg C and the sun blazed through the autumn leaves.

Buster enjoys trampling in the leaves

Although it was quite soggy underfoot after the rain overnight, we escaped to the woods for our walk and were rewarded with carpets of golden leaves and fantastic sniffs.

The weather has been most unusual given that it is the middle of November almost and we all should be shivering with cold. It is like a mid-spring day.

As we start to write this update on Sunday morning, the windows are open on the house and it is a very pleasant 12 deg C outside. No sign of the winter duvet coming out yet for the humans, or the heating going on tonight.

To the woods

Autumn colours drift across the woods

As mum and dad had loads of stuff to do at home this weekend our walk had to be quite local, so we headed to the north of the city and the woods behind the Kingstown Estate.

Quite a large number of other dogs were also taking advantage, like us, of the fantastic conditions.

Since our  last visit, many of the trees have lost their leaves and these now lay scattered on the ground.

Lichen clings to a branch bare of all leaves

Many have curled up and now act like little water reservoirs collecting the rain. These are ideal water sources for ground clambering bugs and it also helps the leaves rot away into the forest floor.

Camera testing

Dad purchased a new camera about a week ago and so the fantastic leaf colours and low dappled light gave him something to work with, as we walked around between the trees and bushes.

Catkins growing on the trees ahead of spring

It is another Canon camera, the Powershot SX150 IS , and his first impressions are quite favourable.  The long zoom lens, 12x optical, allows for some good framing and the fact it uses AA batteries allows him to use the many rechargeable ones he has around the house.

The macro facility is causing him a few problems however, if he read the manual, these are more likely operational quirks rather than a problem with the camera.

First signs of spring

Although many trees and bushes are now bare of leaves mum spotted the first signs of spring with these very new catkins forming.

A bench in a woodland glade surrounded by golden leaves

Still closed up these flowers clusters are, when open, full of pollen which drifts in the breeze in mid-spring.

Whilst we mention about spring, we spotted in the garden the first of the bulbs starting to break through the damp brown ground in the garden.

Given the size of the shoots they were possibly from some of the many hundreds of daffodil bulbs mum put in the ground last year.

If they keep on growing like they are doing, and we do not have any hard frosts, we may even have daffodils out for Christmas, in five weeks time.

Until next time

Big licks

Buster and Charlie

With the schools reopening this week Buster and I had a simple wager, as to when the first christmas catalogue would come through the door.

Lakeland Christmas catalogue arrives

And the winner is…… Lakeland.  Formally Lakeland Plastics of Windermere.

The big A4 sized envelope dropped through the letterbox straight onto Buster as he slept beneath.  He was not happy.

Featuring over 80 pages of gadgets, nick-nacks and gift ideas the Lakeland catalogue is full of those things the humans think they really need.

Mum and dad had a laugh when they turned to the back page and spotted a box full of stuff to make a christmas cake.

Every item came in a pre-measured and numbered packet and was called ‘Baking by Numbers’.

Half the fun is making loads of gloup to fill the bowl and having a bit left over for the indigestion making licks.

The christmas catalogue contains quite a mix of stuff and is possibly not clear with what it needs to achieve.

Chocolates, bird feeders, christmas decorations, a shovel ( yes, really a shovel) jams and knives all feature in what appears to be a land grab for Christmas stocking fillers.

So who will be next?  Watch this space…

Until next time

Charlie and Buster

Greystoke near Penrith was our destination today as we left the city behind and headed for the green fields of the countryside.

Watching the world go by

Our journey took us past many famers busy in their fields with combine harvesters and grass bailers.  They are possibly trying to get ahead of the wet weather promised for tomorrow.

Greystoke is built like the centre of a wheel with many roads leading away from the middle.  Parking in the big village car park, we  started our explorations up each lane in turn.

Whilst we concentrated on the many new sniffs, mum and dad kept spotting houses that they would love to move into. The humans call it ‘goal planning’, at my age, more like ‘wishful thinking’.

It did seem that quite a number were up for sale and, given the current problems with the stuff the humans call money, it was interesting to see the number of new properties being built.

Stone slab bridge with wooden barriers

One thing we did notice, was that the sniffs were much better than in the town and the grass seemed to taste fresher and looked greener.

Greystoke church

Walking up and down the lanes that surround Greystoke we came across this quite unusual bridge.

Constructed it seems from a single slab of rock, it spanned the banks of a little stream to the rear of the church.

Greystoke church

The wooden railings were affixed to the rock edge with, what can only be described as, giant netting staples.  These clamped around the rock and held the fence in place.

No visit to a village is complete for the two leggers without a visit to a local church to gather stuff for one of their websites gravestonepix.com.

On this particular occasion, it was St. Andrew’s.  Whilst we stayed with mum near to the entrance to the churchyard, dad went off to see what he could find in the graveyard and for a look inside the church.

Lickers at the ready!

He returned after about 20 minutes clutching a church leaflet. Another one for mums collection !

Rich and creamy

No visit to the big world can be complete without some party food, especially if we can share.

After our long walk up and down the tracks of Greystoke we took up a seat on the village green just around lunchtime.

Whilst we watched the many bikes going past on the C2C cross country cycle trail, we sent mum off to the shop.

For a small hamlet the village post office and general store was very well stocked with eatables and other essentials for rural living, reported mum as she returned a few minutes later, food in hand.

Starters was a breakfast sandwich full of egg and sausage and for pudding we got final licks on a pot of ice cream.

A perfect way to end a trip in the sunshine to a lovely part of Cumbria.

Until next time

Buster and Charlie.

Venturing out of the house for a quick brisk walk, mum said she had lots to do today, we headed for Dalston.

Harris hawk in Dalston

This place, just a few miles from home, is ideal for a reasonable walk, some new sniffs and, in the summer, a paddle in the river.

Frost still clung to the grass and branches as we parked the car and set off on our walk.  Every time we visit we spot something new and today was no exception.

Within minutes we heard a most unusual squawk behind us, unlike anything we had ever heard.

Turning round we saw a big bird perched on a man’s arm.  It was making quite a noise and flapping it’s wings.

The big white bridge in Dalston is still closed

Mum and dad spoke to the owner of what turned out to be a female Harris hawk called Keo.  They were going for a walk and a bit of a play in the nearby woods and fields.

Dalston White bridge still closed

Being in Dalston gives us chance to check up on the White Bridge.  We reported that this popular crossing had been closed in November 2010 following an assessment by divers.

The bridge is still closed and sealed with high barriers welded on either end.

Turnip supplies refilled thanks to local vegetable grower

Assorted official notices adorn the railings indicating alternative crossing points and that the repairs may take a few months yet to complete.

Our path now turns right into the field alongside the river.  The cold weather is fantastic for bringing out some great sniffs.  Rabbit, the occasional mouse, mole and cow are all to be found along with many we do not know the names for.

We continue out the other end of the field and through the woods before we turn around and head back towards the village.

Fresh vegetables

Turnip, sprouts and carrots are all our favourites for cleaning our teeth and as a general treat straight from the fridge.

Turnips, spuds and parsnips all for less than £5

Our habits cost mum a small fortune, so when the chance comes to save some chew money, she is eager to find out more.

Situated just off the main car-park in Dalston is a small green sign propped up next to some railings  it reads – ‘Waltons Vegetable Shop’.

Passing through the gate you find a wooden shed stocked full of dirty vegetables with real taste.

Mum chose some potatoes, some parsnips and two turnips and the cost was below £5.  A bargain she said compared to supermarket prices.

Scattered all over the country are similar farm gate shops and outlets. You can find a number of them here at pick-your-own-veg.com.

Sausages

Sausage supplies restocked - from a fantastic local butcher

In the title of this blog we mentioned sausages, well, no visit to Dalston is now complete without some mighty fine meaty licks from the butcher.

Last time we visited, we took home some chilli and lime sausages and very nice they were too.  So first on the shopping list was a repeat order.  This was to be complimented with some Carrock Cumberland sausage.

The hot pan and fresh buns await…..

Until next time

Buster and Charlie

Santa has been to our house once more and brought us some lovely gifts for Christmas Day.

Is this one for me, is it?

The freezing temperatures have not stopped Father Christmas defrosting his sleigh for Christmas 2010.  So what is dad’s excuse for washer bottles freezing and needing to scrape the windows?

Two dogs in Cumbria now have very happy lickers thanks to gifts provided by our readers and friends.

Christmas Day

An early start on Christmas Day for us all but first some porridge and a cup of tea for mum and dad.

How long does it take for them to eat their breakfasts?  Hurry up. Santa has been and we have loads of lovely sniffs all wrapped up under the tree.

Eventually they finish and we can get down to some serious unwrapping.  Every parcel is inspected to see if it contains chocolate, biscuits or squeaky things for us.

Presents for Buster and Charlie

Dad gets a number of bottles of brown gold coloured liquids that he calls whisky. The glass is cold on our noses and they smell slightly of caramel or the sea.

Mums soapy things make us sneeze.  One  gift was of talc  and it has slightly leaked in the packaging.  When the parcel was opened Charlie was covered with white powder. It was funny and he sneezed and sneezed until mum wiped his nose with a cloth.

Christmas gifts from Toby

Thanks to our friend Toby, in South Cumbria, we are the proud owner of two well wrapped presents.

Toby tucks in to his hide boot

Mum has decided that she is going to keep these prezzies in a safe place for a few weeks as we have plenty of other things to be getting on with.

Toby sent us a photograph of the hide boot chew we sent him.  He says he loved pulling out the laces then working on the big flat pieces.

He adds that it took him most of Christmas Day afternoon to deal with the challenge.

You open it, go on...

He goes on to say that the snow and ice is still causing problems to walk on for his human but now that she has some new rubber pull-on walking spikes, walks around the block are back to their normal length once more.

Christmas gifts for dogs

Back to our gifts and one thing missing, thankfully for the sanity of our two-leggers, are squeaky toys.

Posh gifts from Santa

Not one parcel contained a christmas cracker or pully-tuggy toy thing with a squeak.

A whole Christmas without the squeak, squeak of the shrill squeakers and mum reaching for the headache pills before lunch.

Highlight of the gifts has to a be a doggy breakfast and a packet of Scooby Snacks.

Thick rashers of bacon, hashbrowns and other breakfast lovelieness in a box and all for us, yummy.

Sprout stalk to clean our teeth

Dad says we can have one Scooby snack or rasher each per day.  Next he will be issuing a Ration Book like they had during the War.

Christmas sprout stalk

The seasonal Christmas lunch would not be complete without sprouts, and this year was no exception.

A fantastic raw sprout stalk, cut into sections will keep us going for quite a few days. Assuming mum doesn’t break the knife she uses to cut it with.

That is all for now as we need to lay down in front of the fire whilst the two leggers watch something on the magic window. They mentioned something about a lonely goat on a motorcycle in a chocolate factory I think.

Happy Christmas for us all

Buster and Charlie

Charlie is in sick bay again, this time with a broken foot.

Tuesday morning arrived and Charlie was only using three of his legs.  At first, mum and dad thought he had stood on something and had hurt his paw but he squealed when mum touched his leg…..so off to the vet.

Charlie feeling very sorry for himself

The vet has this brilliant machine that can take a picture right through our bodies called an x-ray and it was ideal for looking for a broken dog paw.

Broken Metatarsal

X-rays confirmed that Charlie had indeed broken a Metatarsal, which is a common injury among footballers.  Well Charlie certainly wasn’t playing football but he does run about like a lunatic and the vet thinks he must have slipped on the ice.

His leg will take about five or six weeks to heal but the vet gave him some medicine to take the pain away.  It tastes like honey and I think it makes him quite sleepy.

So while Charlie is feeling down in the dumps, with only three wheels on his wagon, I will take the opportunity to warn people to take extra care in the winter, as dogs and other animals suffer when it’s cold too.

Mum regularly removes snow from our paws to stop it turning into ice balls.

Ice hurts our paws

Dogs are especially at risk when we go for our walks, because snow piles up in our paws, especially if you are a woolly monster like Charlie.

This snow forms into balls of ice and really hurts when we walk.  It can even cut our paws quite badly.  Please make sure you keep clearing the snow from our paws or even get us some winter boots.

Dogs with lots of fur need to have it kept short around the feet, but not too short or we will get ice burn.

Dogs love playing in the snow but our mum and dad always keeps a close eye on us to make sure we don’t get too cold.

Although people think that dogs are like wild animals and can tolerate the cold, we have been bred specially for domestic living and our normal body temperature is actually a few degrees higher than a human, so we need to keep warm.

Dogs like me, who have very fine coats, should have a waterproof jacket when out and about in the winter. Please don’t put us in sweaters as the material gets wet and makes us colder.

If you want any further information about looking after animals in the winter, the RSPCA has some very useful advice on their website.

Here are some important tips for winter dog care.

• Make sure the snow and ice is removed from our feet, legs and tummy.
• Wash paws as soon as we get in with warm water to remove any salt, or chemicals used on the roads.  Antifreeze and de-icing products are extremely toxic to dogs but we find them very tasty.  If you wash our feet, we cannot get poisoned when licking our paws.  Licking salt from our paws will make us feel sick or even make us vomit.
• We must not be allowed to lick from puddles or eat snow from the road or pavement.
• Do not let us off our leads in snow or ice. We can lose our sense of smell in winter and easily get lost or run into danger.
• Make sure we are microchipped or have our identity tags on.  We don’t like snow storms, it makes us want to run away.
• Dogs can easily get frostbite in our paws, ears and noses and this is very painful.  Hypothermia is common and even a short time in sub zero temperatures can cause damage and make us sick.  Please do not leave us in cold cars, they soon turn into fridges!

Please look out for all animals this winter.

Must go and look after peg leg now!

Buster

Overnight our world has turned white as the snow has returned to Carlisle.

During the night, Charlie had ventured outside for a quick check around only to return covered in snow and eager to wake mum and dad.

Our 'Roman' hot spring re-emerges

Shall we say, it was a bit early when we started to get ready for our walk.  Getting the two leggers out of bed can really take some time especially at weekends.

‘Roman hot spring returns’

First thing to check on was to see if our ‘Roman hot spring’ has returned to the park.

Sure enough, steaming and unfrozen was our puddle.  During the summer it had vanished. However, all looked good today as it showed up clearly against the white snow.

Charlie powers ahead leaving his mark in the untouched snow

Given that the puddle has returned, it once again raises the question about what is warming the water.

Fresh clean snow

After our quick trip around the park to get our legs warmed up, we venture onto the path near to the River Eden.

The reasonable clear sky and calm conditions make today ideal for going for a walk.

Charlie runs ahead whilst mum and I plod gently along, looking at the trees and keeping an eye out for animals or other critters.

One of the first tracks we spot in the snow on this path, apart from Charlie’s massive pawprints, are those left by a hare.  At least this is what mum says they are.

Clearing the ice from between Busters paws

Three prints in a sort of triangular shape are the distinctive signs or this sort of beastie.  One large print is made by the two front paws close together whilst behind, two distinct paw prints are made by the hind legs.

Snow filled paws

One problem with fresh snow is that it soon melts together and bungs up my paws.

Every few hundred metres I would stop and let mum clean the ice out between my pads.

It was not really painful but just irritated, as I was not able to put my foot down properly.

Charlie enjoys the snow in a Carlisle park

Charlie did not seem to suffer from the problem with his massive paws, however his ears soon became ice covered and needed a bit of attention.

Looking back at our trails in the snow, it was clear to see who had the biggest paws.  In my trail you could make out my paws as I lifted them in and out of much of the fresh snow.

Charlie’s trail on the other hand, was about 30cm wide and almost clear of snow.  As you watch him walk, he shifts the snow in front of him like a snow plough.

Apples cling on in this tree as the snow gently chills them

Winter apples

Glistening in the late morning sunshine, we spotted some red and green apples clinging to an apple tree.

This sight was most unexpected after the recent windy conditions and given the time of the year.

Fresh fruit like this is a welcome food resource for blackbirds and other animals given that the ground is frozen.

It is too cold to sit and contemplate today

Please take a moment to refill your bird feeders with nuts and seeds.  It is also worth keeping an eye on the birdbath to ensure that fresh water is available for our feathered friends.

Bitts Park covered with snow

Taking a bit of a detour from our planned route we decided to take a look into Bitts Park, behind Carlisle Castle.

Two or three children were out with their sledges having loads of fun up and down the snow covered grass banks.

Quite a few people were also out with their cameras taking pictures of snowy scenes.  Interestingly, many snow pictures are blue and need tweaked before publication.

A slight mist hangs in the early morning sunshine

A few years back, dad came across this very helpful guide to taking pictures in the snow.  The blue colour it seems is created in the picture due to something called white balance.  Very technical  - but easily solved.

Snow machines in Carlisle

An interesting aside to our walk today, is the funny story that has emerged that Carlisle City Council and a number of partners have hired in snow machines this weekend.

Designed to create a ‘Winter Wonderland’ in the centre of Carlisle,  dad wondered  if they had maybe not read the instructions and accidentally pressed the ‘cover all’ button.  Now that most of the UK is covered with the white stuff.

No doubt at some point the Daily Mail, and other newspapers, will pick up on the story, and have a good laugh at the Council.  Now what would be the headline?

Here are our suggestions.

• Council is snow wrong!
• Council freezes budgets
• Snow entertainment
• Flaky council decision wastes money
• Council has snow balls
• Wrong kind on snow for City
• Council melts real snow then makes fake

Let us know your snow headlines via the comments section below.

Until next time

Buster and Charlie

This morning we returned to Finglandrigg Wood, a place we last visited during the early part of 2009.

A post box for the woodland folk?

Our quest was to find colourful leaves, fungi and general stock images of autumn for the various websites mum and dad maintain.

Following the recent rain, the paths were in remarkably good condition, with only the occasional puddle of water to cool our paws.

As we set off from the car, it became clear that we were ideally suited for today’s challenges, as everything required was at our level.

For the little people

After five minutes we found our first unusual object in the woods.  Standing fixed to a wooden post, about 1.5m from the ground, was a pair of wooden boxes.

Autumn leaves and seeds on the forest floor

No doorway could be seen or hinged lid,  so dad started to guess what they were for.

He concludes that they must be post boxes for the woodland folk.  As they possess secret forest powers they don’t need a slot to post letters, but can magically transfer mail into the collecting box.

Acorns and coloured leaves

Scattered all over the paths are the first signs of the autumn leaf drop.

As the weather turns cooler, some trees lose their leaves and turn dormant for the winter.   Dormant is like going to sleep.  These types of plants are called deciduous plants.

Mushroom, toadstool or just fungi?

Birch, rowan, willow, oak and beech trees can all be found within the woodland all providing some great habitat for animals, birds and insects wanting to set up home here.

Fungi

Basking in the late morning sun, we came across this fine fungal specimen.

We had strict orders not to go near any of the bright shiny objects littering the edges of the path, as they could be really bad for us.

Charlie takes a little rest

Having spotted our first fungus we knew what we were looking for and it wasn’t long before we found yellow ones, dark brown ones and even small white ones. Some were even bright red with white spots, just like in the cartoons.

Everyone was kept some distance from the fungi and ensured that they did not touch, lick or sniff.

Fungi hunting is tough work

With little running water, in the form of paddling streams, it was a good job dad had brought the drinks bottle.

Buster wraps his lead around a tree

What little moisture that was around, had somehow found Charlie and had started to make his fur a little sticky.

You can just imagine the number of leaves that started to stick to him as he took a little rest awaiting his turn for a drink.

Not wishing to be left out from all of the attention, I started my own game of wrap around the trees.

Orange foam on a tree stump

An 8m lead can wrap around a tree a number of times!

Orange tree foam

Among the dark coloured rotting tree stumps, dad spotted what appeared to be one stump sprayed with bright orange foam.

Close up, foam looks like tiny eggs...

Set against the dark woodland the bright orange substance looked totally out of place.

Zooming in with the camera lens the foam actually looks to be made up of thousands of tiny spheres.

Mum says she is not sure if this is a form of fungi. Do you know?

Have your say in the comments area below.

Finglandrigg Wood is managed by Natural England as a National Nature Reserve.

Until next time

Buster and Charlie

Gilsland straddles the county boundaries of Cumbria and Northumbria and features some of the best bits of Hadrian’s Wall we have seen so far on our expeditions.

Following our visit to the Cumbrian end of Hadrian’s Wall at Bowness on Solway, we thought we should travel up on to the fells and see what the wall actually looks like in a natural setting.

Willowford East Turret 48A, Gilsland

Travelling along the A69 towards Newcastle, we turned left into the village of Gilsland and found a free car park with about 25 spaces.  Dad commented that the parking area was maintained, according to a sign at the car park entrance,  by Carlisle City Council.  Carlisle is about 30km (18 miles) away.

Mum and dad put on their trampling boots and we were off across the road and into a big field.

To our right was the first glimpse of Hadrian’s Wall and a slightly shabby information panel, which turned out to be slightly out of date.

Willowford East Turret

Emperor Hadrian ordered the wall to be built between the west and east coasts of Britain following a visit to the area in AD122.

Built as a demarcation line between the Roman Empire and the rest of the world, it provided a physical symbol of power and control.

With the sun shining and the grass slightly damp from overnight dew, we soon came across our first structure, the ruin of the Willowford East Turret.

If I jump I can just see over the wall

At every mile along the wall are ‘Milecastles’ which housed approximately 60 men, and between each milecastle, two turrets at one third of a mile intervals.

These structures provided a lookout position and a relay station for messages to be passed along the fortifications using fire beacons and torches.

From the turret, the wall continues west following the contours of the land.

Previous parts of the wall we have visited have looked quite random in construction. However, in this area all the external stonework has been shaped and a block work construction can be made out.

Hadrian's Wall runs from Wallsend at Newcastle-on-Tyne on the east coast of England. to Bowness-on-Solway on the west coast

The internal cavity of the wall is filled with random stone and possibly it is the remains of this we have confused with the finished wall in other places.

Mum estimates that the wall is about 2.5 to 3m wide and appears to have a narrow strip of stonework, like a path at the base.

This narrow strip of stones seemed too narrow to walk along so seemed a bit unusual.  Maybe the wall was going to be wider but the engineers decided not to build on the already laid foundations.

Willowford Bridge

Our path dropped down past the Willowford B & B and on to the flat fields alongside the River Irthing.

A small, quite insignificant plaque cemented in to the wall of one of the farm buildings indicates a stone masons mark.

Stone engraved by the chief stonemason for this section of Hadrian's Wall, Philipus of the Fifth Cohort.

Two courses above and quite hard to read on the dark stone, is text engraved by the chief stonemason for this section of Hadrian’s Wall, Philipus of the Fifth Cohort.

Down the fifty or so stone steps and you enter a larger construction which form what remains of the Willowford bridge.

Due to natural changes in the flow of the River Irthing this structure is now quite a distance from the river of today.

The first crossing of the river at this point was made as part of the building of Hadrian’s Wall around AD122.  It is thought that this bridge was destroyed by flooding within 40 years of construction.

A second bridge was constructed on the same site and included flood sluices to try and remove the risk of damage during floods.

The sluices are just the right size for us to investigate and would be great as dens for boys to play in.

We inspect a tunnel built as part of the Willowford Bridge

Increasing trade and vehicle movements along the road known as the Military Way, required that the bridge be widened and a ramp installed and this became the third version of the bridge.

Modern Willowford Bridge

Built in 1999 the modern Willowford bridge or River Irthing footbridge, is made of steel with a wooden platform and crosses the River Irthing a few hundred metres from the site of the old stone bridge.

It was opened by the Chairman of the Countryside Agency, Ewen Cameron on the 13 July 1999 at a cost of £160,000

The bridge also won a Institute of British Architects regional architectural award in 1999.

A helicopter was used to fly in parts of the bridge to the remote location.  This was the first time the River Irthing had been bridged since the Roman Period.

The span is 42 metres and was designed by Christoph Rainford. The main contractor for the works was John Laing Construction.

For all those walkers entering this stretch of the Hadrian’s Wall Walk  - remember the information panel at the start of our walk indicated that you could not cross the river, well this bridge proves that you can, so don’t panic.

We have a paddle under the modern Willowford Bridge

The information board must have been installed pre 1999 and has not been updated.

After a quick paddle and a drink in the river, which had a dark peaty colour,  we returned along our path back to the car for a bite to eat.

Gilsland

An old Ministry of Works sign in Gilsland

Refreshed and watered, we start our second walk this time by heading towards the village, on the lookout for a toilet for the two leggers.

Following the road  into the village, we passed the Methodist church and then the sign indicating we were leaving Cumbria and entering Northumbria.

With no sign of any loo’s for mum and dad and not wishing to take advantage of the local cafe, House of Meg,  without buying anything, we continued our walk this time in a new county.

Opposite the Silver Jubilee seat in the centre of the village dad spots a wooden marker post and our second journey begins down the side of some houses.

Stepping Stones over the River Irthing

This path is a little muddy and seems to be one of those frequented by the locals. Our walk takes us alongside a few gates which appear to have wildlife habitats on the other side.  We are unsure if these are the backs to houses so don’t venture through in case we may be trespassing.

Stepping stones

After about 20 minutes we spot some stepping stones in the river below us.  This is our first experience of these so we are eager to try them out.  Charlie is the bravest, so he works out what needs to be done to cross over the river without getting wet.

Dad decides that we don’t need to cross the river but to continue our walk on this side.

Poltross Burn milecastle

Past fields of sheep and through many tight kissing gates we emerge into a farm yard called Irthing House.

After saying hello to the friendly dog sitting in the yard, we turn right on to the farm road and head down the hill, back towards the village.

Dad spots a sign indicating the Poltross Burn Milecastle is not far away and after passing over the Poltross Burn we climb the hill to the extensive remains.

Poltross Burn Milecastle – Milecastle 48

This is one of the best preserved Milecastles built by the the Sixth Legion.  It was occupied until the fourth Century AD.

An artists impression of how the fort would have looked, indicates that it straddled a path with the main gate house forming part of Hardian’s Wall.

Poltross includes an oven, a stair to the rampart walk, and the remains of its north gateway.

Buster finds the erosion matting hard work

Locally the fort is known as The King’s Stables – derived from an Arthurian legend.

Built in to the natural slope, it must have been a formidable defensive structure.

We exited the site following the line of the railway, along a path fitted with erosion matting.   I found this hard work as my feet got caught down the holes.  I soon worked out that if I stayed to the edge, in the grass, it was ok.

Not long to go now as we returned to the car following the path to the rear of  Gilsland School.

Gilsland Toilets

For information, Gilsland seemingly has some new toilets at the Village Hall. Opened in 2003 at a cost of £14,000.  We think they could do with some more notices indicating they are available and maybe details on the information board at the car park.

Until next time

Buster and Charlie