English Travels - Part 5 - From The Midlands to the Yorkshire Dales

Jackie in baby lamb feeding mode at Hurries Farm

The last blog finished with us still in Alvechurch, waiting to take mum to hospital so, to continuing with that. The hospital trip was odd, very odd, I wasn’t allowed in, but we’d got it all set up so I could join by phone, but that didn’t happen. Apparently he got all shirty that the referral letter from the GP was all wrong, so she should go away, there was no need for me to join as he’d write to her and the GP. All very depressing, however we’d just got home and poured a glass of wine when the phone rang. It was his secretary from Solihull hospital wanting to make an appointment for the tests he’d mentioned, and possibly laser surgery at the same time! So we went from very down to very up in a short space of time! We will be on a Housesit in Ashbourne at the time, but the homeowner is happy with Brian being there on his own for an overnight, so all is good.

Brian looking at one of the two Rhea that continually paced up and down looking under the fence, over it and pecking at the ground. They are very cute (but now old so no longer lay eggs)

And when they're asleep they are even cuter!

Feeling much more positive we set off bright and early, well 10.00 on the Tuesday heading for the Yorkshire Dales. Not a bad journey got us to Hurries Farm (location: 54°01'21.2"N 2°10'12.5"W) about 13.30. As we drove into the yard, we passed David, our host, carrying a feeding bottle of milk. “Is that for me?” I asked. That seemed to set the tone for our stay. “If you want” he said. We parked, not quite at the end so Brian wasn’t quite as close to the two Rhea, Chris and Di (think about it) as he would have liked. Slightly unusual to see Rhea in Yorkshire, but hey. I left Brian to plug us in and dashed back. One tiny little lamb, didn’t quite know what was going on, but I was passed the bottle, shown how to open it’s mouth, and put the teat in, and hold it there, gently holding its nose to encourage it to suck. It didn’t take much, but a ‘light lunch’ was a good start.

Two of the many recently born calves on the farm

The new born lamb that Jackie saved by alerting David

We didn’t go out, it had been a longish drive, and it poured down. It seemed to have cleared a bit around 7pm so we thought we might go for a post dinner amble. Walking through the yard though we bumped into David, with bottle of milk, so that was that, particularly as B hadn’t been there at lunchtime. He took a lot more this time, so the feeding tube that had been brought, just in case, wasn’t needed. We decided to call him Brolga, after a tall, leggy bird we met on a campsite in Australia (See blog post: west to mount surprise and forsayth). Just as we were walking away, David came out of the nearest paddock, where there were 4 mums and lambs, with a very limp lamb. I thought it was dead, but apparently not. The feeding tube was required after all!

She's definitely bigger than you Jackie. And she, along with all her other mates moo incessantly. Not unpleasantly, we're on a farm after all, but can they make a racket! I'd never really thought about it before, but it's a similar noise the film makers gave to the T-Rex's in the Jurassic Park movies. In Ted with all the blinds drawn at night you could just imagine we were surrounded by dinosaurs! Sleep well!

On our first walk, approaching the summit of Haw Crag

The plan the following morning was to drive up to Malham to then do a walk around Malham Cove, but I bumped into David carrying two milk bottles, so I had to go. Brolga was mine, and was definitely getting the hang of this feeding thing. Number two was looking so much better than the previous day and had a good go too. What was left, in both bottles, was given to two lambs who were in a pen with their mum, who had mastitis so didn’t really want them near her! By the time I got back to Ted, Brian had finished his breakfast, oops. I went to rinse out the coffee pot, and

At the trig point (Malham Cove is in the background)

bumped into Wendy, she can talk, I know all about her various ailments and all sorts, but she’s pretty good for 80 something! She did however say that Malham would probably be busy on a Wednesday, half day closing in Bolton, and time was getting on.... We changed our plan, we’ll do a local walk then, from the door. Feeling more relaxed we moved into the space recently vacated, so Brian could be by his birds, and set off. Walking past the pens we popped in just to say hello, and to the 4 sheep, yet to give birth, in the barn. “There’s a leg sticking out of that one, I’ll just pop and tell David”. In the couple of minutes it took as to get back, it was born, but before I’d even blinked, David was over the fence wiping the amniotic sac from its nose so it could breath. If we hadn’t been there at that moment it would probably have died! Did we feel fab as we set off on our walk?

Walking back on a section of the Pennine Way, one of Britain's longest and toughest trails

A bird! Awaiting identification from Helen Seymour! Update: Helen says it's a Wheatear - thank you!

8 miles took us from the campsite, almost to Airton. Down to Bell Busk, to a trig point and on to the Pennine Way. Back up, beyond Airton and we arrived at the Town End Farm Shop, our lunch stop, at the same time as the rain! It didn’t last long, but it might have slightly diluted my fabulous hot chocolate! Here's a short 'Relive' video of our route with more photos. Click on the following link then click the arrow to start: Yorkshire Dales near Malham walk  

Another bird! Helen will no doubt oblige again! Update: Helen says it's a Goldfinch - thank you!

And what about this one? Outside Ted one morning Update: Helen thinks possibly a grouse

It stopped as we did the last little bit back to site, so B got the chairs and table out for tea and the last of the scones that mum had made. I popped to the loo, and bumped into Wendy again. She can still talk! The heavens opened so we moved into the garage....I thought about Brian and his tea... It stopped and he appeared looking a little damp, my tea was getting cold, and where was the jam from mum? We didn’t bring it as you said we had some. It’s off. “I’ve got the bottom of a jar you can have” said Wendy. What a star.

Brolga lamb with his new mum

Up and breakfasted early on Thursday, I didn’t see David, but I did want to know what was going on, Number 2 was in the pen on his own, and what looked like Brolga, except it was covered in bloody smeg, was in a different pen with a sheep, one of the 4 from the barn I assumed.

Approaching Malham Cove. Many people from our climbing club climb here, but it's too difficult for us (even when we were climbing well)

Malham Cove up close

Anyway we drove up to Malham before 09.00 to ensure a space in the carpark. We followed the bin lorry and the school bus, happy that everyone would get out of our way on the single track road. We were walking by 09.10 up to Malham Cove (which isn’t by the sea!), round the bottom, up to the top, it’s stunning. Back onto the Pennine Way, past the ‘butty van’ which was shut (it’s only 10.45, keep everything crossed) to the entry to Gordale Scar, a very pretty little valley with a waterfall. Back out the way we came, to the refreshments. Hurrah, they opened at 11.00. Mmm bacon and egg roll. A short walk to Janet’s Foss, a very pretty waterfall, and back to Ted. The carpark was full, the road was full, glad we made the early effort then. Here's another short 'Relive' video of our route with more photos. Click on the following link then click the arrow to start: Malham Cove walk

Back to the farm, looking for David. It was sort of as I’d suspected, though sadly 3 lambs had died for Brolga to have a new mummy. Number 2 was put in with her too, and they seem to be doing ok, though Number 2 may be taking more than his fair share of the milk!

The river that appears running out beneath the huge cliffs. Apparently there used to be a huge waterfall flowing over Malham Cove at the end of the last Ice Age

Ascending a section of the Pennine Way to the top of Malham 

Friday, David had suggested we might like to come out on ‘the Mule’, his little utility vehicle, to feed the sheep and lambs out in the fields. We jumped at the chance, along with Tina, the cocker spaniel who follows David around all day, and the two sheep dogs, Lexy, and her mother. A lovely outing, we’ve never seen sheep running to be fed. A demo of Lexy with her sheep

Views from the top of Malham Cove

dog skills, just watching all three dogs running, and then little chats about the woodland planted here, the pond dug there, that house over there where I was born.... what a really lovely little trip (see our youtube video below of our fabulous sheep feeding outing). After that another walk from the farm, up to Kirkby Malham, and the Victoria pub. Very good pie and a pint for lunch. Back onto the Pennine Way, to Airton and back to the farm. Another 6 miles there then! Here's yet another short 'Relive' video of our route with more photos. Same again, click on the following link then click the arrow to start: Airton to Kirkby Malham walk

Don't look down! Oh, all right then

Looking casual on the edge

Were the lambing dramas over? Not quite. I saw David come to greet the new arrivals. “I’ve had a bit of a tussle” he said. He’d had to push it back in as it’s legs were all in the wrong place, then get his birthing loop in and round to pull it out. I went into the barn to see a very limp, bedraggled lamb with its swollen tongue sticking out. I don’t know if it was breathing or not, but I leapt in and moved mums heavy head off it and gave it a little shake, we’ve watched Countryfile, It was definitely breathing then. Mum was a ‘hog’ or hogget, only a year old herself, so apparently quite likely just to run off and ignore this thing that caused her pain, so David bundled her through into a pen while I carried the poor, bruised, sticky, smeggy little lamb. She couldn’t stand, and I didn’t know what to think. This morning however, she was standing and bleating, I think she recognised me. I made mum stand up, and was thrilled to see her suckling. She’d been tube fed last night apparently, but I hadn’t seen that.

The Limestone Pavement that covers the top of Malham Cove. Originally laid bare by the glacier that covered it, it has since been eroded by rain that found its way into cracks over many millennia. For climbers it's an ideal surface for placing gear for belays to protect climbing seconds or abseiling. Unfortunately it's a place where many folk have disposed of their empty drinks bottles and other rubbish. We carried some rubbish down with us, but we couldn't take it all! 

As you can tell I loved our four nights at Hurries Farm. We’ve now moved half an hour up the road to Ingleton, we’ve visited the farm shop between showers and are now snuggled in Ted after a ridiculous eclair.

At the waterfall in Gordale Scar, kindly taken by three guys who carried on up over the waterfall. 'Follow us' they said, 'it's easy'. They went up on the rock to the left of the first waterfall and it did look very easy. However we didn't follow them, tempted as we were, as they had to paddle through the river and had very wet feet and trousers. Looking at the OS map it would also have been a very long deviation to get back and we felt we'd gone as far as we wanted. Anyway, it was nearly lunchtime and the Gordale Refreshment wagon was the other way! Maybe another time

And here is the Gordale Refreshment wagon. When you're hungry there really is no contest!

Our third walk and, what's this? A ram that wants to be stroked

On we went into Kirkby Malham and a nice church (it might be a cathedral), but where's Jackie? Ah, the pub is next door, that's where she's gone

Nice looking pub, The Victoria Inn...

Oh yes, excellent beer - and the food we had was good too!

You don't see this every day, well, we don't. A cow paddling through a river

There's a nursery of calves here with their attentive mothers. Don't go between the calves and their mothers and, if all else fails, the river is close by, that's where we're going if they get angry!

We've had a lovely time here on Hurries Farm. Jackie's had the time of her life and our experience out with David on his 'Mule' to feed his sheep and see his sheepdogs in action was something we'll always remember. I did a little youtube video of moments I captured on film. It's not very good, but hopefully it shows a flavour of what we experienced. We particularly liked the sheep running for their breakfast, which we've never seen before and, slowed down and seeing some of them leap into the air is very amusing. Here's the youtube video: