Feature Days out — with a difference Whether you’re looking for rolling landscape or somewhere |
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COLLEGE VALLEY is in Northumbria National Park and a single track road winds through it six miles deep into the Cheviot Hills. It gives access to numerous working farms in what is one of the most tranquil and beautiful, yet dramatic areas in the UK. Here you can go for a drive, admire the views from the car, or perhaps walk a small section alongside a meandering stream. However, if you want a challenge, you can attempt The Hen Hole or The Bizzle (right), both of which access the summit of The Cheviot Hill at 2676 ft. The walks up both these valleys are steep but well worth the effort. Wildlife abounds and on the day of my visit I caught sight of a fox, a pair of buzzards and numerous kestrels. The odd adder (no pun intended) can usually be seen basking in the sun by the side of a stone dyke. Leaving my car I set off following a stream of crystal clear water upwards to the summit of The Bizzle. I possess the balancing skills of Bambi on ice so my feet were soaked within half a mile — the stepping-stones that were so inviting also proved to be very slippy! I stopped many times to admire and photograph the view but (not being as fit as I once was) it was with great relief that I reached the summit to eat my picnic. The Hen Hole, with its enchanting waterfalls, is my favourite walk. It is a magical place where the colours seem to change by the day. At the top a wooden walkway and huge stone slabs have been laid by helicopter to help walkers and to protect the area from erosion. Nearby you can see the remains of a Flying Fortress B17G that crashed in 1944 killing two of its crew and injuring seven others. The survivors owed their lives to a sheepdog who was instrumental in their rescue. (She won the canine equivalent of the Victoria Cross.) The mountain rescue hut located near to the summit of The Hen Hole is worth a look, to read the visitors’ book and to marvel at the goods left behind by fellow hill walkers. Being the last stop on the Pennine Way, unwanted food and drink is often left to lighten the traveller’s load, or help out those in need of refreshment. Dried food, pasta, crisps and juice are usual but I was lucky enough to find four cans of Guinness! A bit of a climb for a makeshift pub perhaps, but the views, the walks and the wildlife make the valley a must-visit. For more information tel. 01668 281611. |
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How can you possibly spend a day out at a factory? Believe me, I had reservations. But these were quickly dispelled after my visit to the Cumberland Pencil Factory in Keswick. The visitor centre is beside a building that looks like it’s from a bygone era, but is actually the production centre of one of the world’s best-known pencil brands. Graphite was first found in Borrowdale in the early 1500s and it soon became a versatile and precious commodity. The farming community used it to mark sheep and various early forms of marker were produced. It was from these beginnings that the Cumberland Pencil Company was formed in 1832. It now produces a huge range, comprising everything from artists’ pencils through to watercolour, pastel, drawing, graphic, sketching, water soluble and charcoal products. The tour of the museum starts with a replica of the mine where graphite was first discovered. Then it’s on to a room filled with everything from carefully restored machinery and colourful displays to video shows, drawing areas and antique exhibits, all telling the tale of pencil evolution. Children will love the record-breaking pencil at 25 ft tall and weighing in at 984 lbs! They can also enjoy clips from one of the most famous children’s films ever made — the animated scenes of The Snowman by Raymond Briggs were all created using Cumberland’s products. Another of the factory’s star turns is the wartime secret service pencil. At the request of Charles Fraser-Smith (the real-life version of ‘Q’ from James Bond movies) who supplied the secret services with spy gadgets, the pencils were produced under cover of darkness by a team of senior employees for the British government. Hidden inside each pencil was a tiny rolled up map of Germany together with a mini compass. No official records were kept but it is thought lives were saved and POWs and fighter pilots were reunited with family due to the maps in those secret pencils. Today, museum staff are proud and enthusiastic about the factory and make it a pleasure to visit. As I left, I was presented with a Rexel Cumberland Five Star pencil Grade F. Its demise was recently (wrongly) recorded in the press but I’m delighted to report that it is still in full production. |
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The Museum of Flight at East Fortune near Edinburgh is one of the most famous sites in aviation history. It was from here on July 2, 1919 that a Scottish-built R34 airship took off and, 108 hours 12 minutes later, touched down in Long Island, USA in the first ever transatlantic airship crossing. The Museum itself occupies one of the best preserved bomber type second world war airfields still in existence, housing everything from pioneer aircraft to the recently-acquired Concorde. It is a wonderful day out for all the family with four main hangar areas to visit, a shop and a good café. Hangar 1 covers naval and military aviation — highlights include a 1953 Armstrong Whitworth Meteor, which transported the RAF into the jet age, the RAF’s first supersonic fighter, plus one of the most famous planes ever built, a 1945 Spitfire. The world’s first passenger jet, a Comet 4C, is outside Hangar 2. Boarding the plane to view its metal-framed, spotted seats, orange curtains and narrow body, is a wonderfully nostalgic journey back in time to the fashionable 1960s. The hangar is home to a collection of commercial passenger aircraft, together with fascinating facts and figures about how they spent their working lives. Hangar 3 contains the reserve collection store, with civil, military and pleasure aircraft, and dotted all around the airfield are aviation items ranging from missiles to a complete 1963 Vulcan (pictured). Concorde — ‘Golf Bravo Oscar Alpha Alpha’ to give her full title — is in Hangar 4. The Museum of Flight fought off bids from all over the world to ensure that this famous aircraft remained in the UK for future generations, and she’s an awe-inspiring sight. ‘Alpha Alpha’ was the first UK Concorde in service, taking off on January 21, 1976 carrying passengers to Bahrain. Included in the exhibition is a film of her last journey, by land and sea, to East Fortune. She was partially dismantled for the epic journey and travelled across temporary tracks for part of the route. Ironic that a plane used to supersonic speeds ended up taking a snail’s pace through the Scottish countryside. There is an extra charge for taking the on-board tour of Concorde and pre-booking is essential, but it’s worth it to view where celebrities once sat sipping champagne, whilst being transported at such speeds. There are numerous Big Days Out at the museum throughout the year. Events range from classic cars to haunted hangars and dates can be checked out on the website www.nms.ac.uk or by calling 01620 880 308. |
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WOOPLAW WOODS, situated on the hill road that connects Galashiels and Lauder, were the first community woods to be created in Scotland. They have since proved to be an inspiration on a national scale, demonstrating what can be achieved through community land ownership.
They were the brainchild of Tim Stead, a furniture maker and artist, who launched an ‘Axes for trees’ project making wooden axe heads for every day of the year and selling them to raise money for trees. The publicity from Tim’s project led to Borders Community Woodland group being formed and they bought the 23 hectares of mixed woodland in 1987 for the community. Over the years, with the help of volunteers, ponds have been excavated, thousands of native trees planted and a network of wheelchair-friendly paths have been developed through the woods. It is also a wildlife haven. On the day I visited, an owl could be heard hooting and chiffchaff, willow warblers, spotted flycatchers and woodpeckers were all around. Wooplaw comprises four main areas, split into Big Wood, Axe Head Wood, Easter Park Wood and Gullet Wood, although the heart of the woodland is based around a large log cabin with picnic area in Big Wood. The cabin features a log-burning stove which is wonderful on a cold winter’s day or for those staying overnight. Axe Head and Gullet Woods both have ponds full of wildlife while Easter Park Wood is home to totem poles. A wooden statue of Tim Stead, who died in 2000, looks proudly over his beloved woodland, and there is a feeling that Tim’s spirit is still very much part of the place. Visitors are free to enjoy any part of the woods. All that is asked is that they respect the natural peace and tranquillity of the place, and clear up any litter. An activities programme featuring events such as green woodworking and clay oven building, plus a regular kids’ nature crafts club runs throughout the year. Details on the website — www.wooplaw.freeuk.com Photography by Nigel Young, NYPD Scotland. |
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