We had chosen to use the train for today’s travel to the Dales, with the thought that this not only reduced the walking to our destination, but also gave scope for varying return times. I’d like to think that the highlight of the day wasn’t that the trains ran on time, but it came a close second!
The aim of our visit was to enjoy the Bird’s-eye Primroses which have proliferated since the grazing regime on the Ingleborough National Nature Reserve was changed from sheep to cattle. To get to the area where the Bird’s-eye Primrose grow we needed to walk about one and a half miles up the Ingleborough path. There was a strict ‘no botanising’ instruction whilst we crossed the agricultural fields! There would be time on the way back, and better to save energy at this point.
Once through the gate into the nature reserve, it was eyes down for the first identifications of Field Wood-rush and Glaucous Sedge. A string of Early Purple Orchids enticed us off the path, and to our first violet. A couple of years ago Steve and I had had a brief conversation with a NE volunteer who was surveying Teesdale Violets on the Ingleborough grasslands. To my surprise he said he had counted nearly 40,000 (read his blog here), so it seemed rude not to give our best attention to see what species we had found. The leaf shape gave us cause to belief this, and most of the violets we found were the Teesdale species, though we are warned by text books and NE staff that there is a lot of variability. (Perhaps we need a Teesdale visit next year to compare notes?).
After this stop, which included peering into a few small grykes and finding Green Spleenwort and other ferns, we continued upwards. Just after the footpath to Crummackdale and Austwick we were on a lumpy plateau. Again, a lot of Early Purple Orchids on the slopes and Cuckoo Flower in the wetter in the areas. Many species of flower were still in leaf, but the Bird’s-foot Trefoil was just emerging, and we saw a single Water Avens flower.
One more gate, and one more short ascent, and we were at our lunch spot, chosen to be in the area where the Bird’s-eye Primrose started to show itself. You can’t miss them, they grow all over, but the most advanced patches were on the sunny slope on the left of the path (maybe another week until the field on the right catches up). During a leisurely lunch in the sun, we enjoyed views of Mossy Saxifrage and, yes more, Early Purple Orchids, and watched a couple of Skylarks dust bathing. How often can they do that in May, shouldn’t the ground and paths be wetter and muddier at this time of year?
From here we split into a couple of groups. Some people returned back towards the village and the 16.20 train, others continued towards Thieves Moss and round to Brae Pasture and had a later return home.
Brae Pasture was full of spring flowers – Wood Anemone, Primroses, Bluebells. We only spotted a couple of Cowslips but there presence was sufficient to have resulted in a False Oxlip plant (a hybrid of Primrose and Cowslip). The Hawthorn trees are ancient, weatherworn and captivating. There was a small patch of Marsh Valerian on a slope in the pasture, and on our our route back to Sulber Nick we spotted a small group of Mountain Pansies.
We had enjoyed the Skylarks and Wheatears on our circuit and paused to watch the Lapwings before we left the nature reserve, hastened by a heavy shower. The sun was shining again by the time we reached the station so we decided on a quick refreshment at The Crown. As we looked over the bridge a heron flew under the arches, disturbing the Grey Wagtails. A quick drink and then back up to the station for an effortless journey home. Here are a few pictures, but they don't really do do the display of flowers justice.
Julia