County Durham's MAGical Meadows

[shelagh]

At last years Ponteland Show a wonderful display of photographs was accompanied by a booklet called MAGical Meadows and the Durham Magnesian Limestone.  A wonderful mine of information which included 10 sites to visit.

Brian thought that since we go all over Europe looking for wild flowers we really ought to spend some time looking for our own. Taking advantage of half-term (no grandparent duties) we headed off to Bishop Auckland booklet in hand.  In our 2 day visit we managed 4 sites, so I thought I would show you what we saw.

I have not named the orchids 'cos I'm hopeless at identification.

First site Bishop Middleham Quarry

[shelagh]

Last of Bishop Middleham Quarry.

[shelagh]

Our next stop was Blackhall Rocks just north of Hartlepool.  I was surprised to find orchids right down on the beach.  In fact there was more of interest on the beach than on the extensive meadow area on top of the clifffs.

[shelagh]

Blackhall Rocks.

Just glad that isn't the Equisetum that grows in our garden

This was the only place we got wet, just 500 yards from the car coming back along the cliff path it absolutely swept down with no warning. Too heavy to stop and get out the waterproof trousers just had to run for it and dry off in the car afterwards.

[annew]

That looks like an interesting trip, Shelagh. I'll put that quarry into my list of places to go when we are up there again.

[shelagh]

Our third site after we had dried out was Castle Eden Dene a very ancient woodland.  It turned out to be a beautiful sunny afternoon but we only got glimpses of it because we we walking in deep shade for most of the time quite interesting but a little disappointing.  The picture in the brochure show the Dene where it meets the sea a fairly wide shallow valley but the walking paths are right up the other end in the trees. Still it made a change.

Could do with some help in identifying 2 of the shrubs please.  We think the first is a Rubus but not sure which one it was about 4 feet high.

The second has a semi-double flower and a leaf shape I can't find anywhere only about 2 feet high.

Oh we also found one Primula vulgaris the last one tucked under the trees.

[shelagh]

The last 2 pictures from Castle Eden Dene.  The sculptures are at the entrance to the car park.

[shelagh]

On our final morning we went to Cassop Vale which is in the middle of a mining village the site was busy we saw 5 other people

[shelagh]

Last few at Cassop Vale then back down the A1M and a very busy and slow M62.

[Maggi Young]

You saw a good selection on your travels, Shelagh.  Seems incredible that you very nearly managed the whole trip in the dry, too.

The orchids grow right down to the sea here as well - it's a real delight to see them in that situation.

[daveyp1970]

Stunning selection of pics from different habitats Shelagh.

[peter hood]

Shelagh,

If you had said you were coming you could have called in for tea! Castle Eden Dene is only about 10 miles from where we live!

Anyone thinking of going to Bishop Middleham Quarry from this recomendation - In July it is probably the best site in the country forEpipactis atrorubens, the Dark Red Helleborine.

Until about twenty years ago they used to tip coal mining waste into the sea all along that coast, but they have done a splendid job in cleaning it up.

There are lots of good things in Castle Eden Dene too, but they take a lot of looking for. Your description is good, an ancient woodland in a limestone gorge, often very deep shade, and some large mature trees -some planted when it was treated a the Garden of the local Hall.
Some of the better things are Paris quadrifolia, Daphne laureola, Epipactis helleborine, Neottia nidus-avis, Campanula latifolia. I understand that the fly orchid Ophrys insectifera is still to be found there, at its most northerly point in the country.

I have been advertising the same Durham Magnesian Limestone on my South Shields Thread.

[peter hood]

I have just got round to sorting out some of my pictures of Durham's Magnesian Limestone Meadows, and as there are good plants, and fine places, and a few interesting people, I thought I might add them to this thread.
I have put my best pictures of Anacamptis pyramidalis elsewhere, on a pyramidal orchid thread. Someone clever could probably do a link.
http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=9332.msg251435#msg251435
Many of these pictures come from two walks on the Durham Coast (or as it calls itself "The Durham Heritage Coast Path".
Retirement and a Bus Pass have their advantages - you don't have to plan round walks.
Nearly four weeks ago, I walked from Seaham Harbour to Castle Eden Dene, then waited until this week for a walk from Castle Eden Dene to the Edge of Hartlepool.
Some pictures of the Durham Coast.
The first picture (Nose's Point) is where Dawdon Colliery used to pour colliery waste into the beach to be washed away! I passed three other similar colliery sites, but all well landscaped now.
Along the Coast are also a number of Denes, deep valleys with steep sides, often cliffs, cut into the Limestone, Usually filled with fairly dense woods.

[peter hood]

The most common plants to catch the eye on the coast, and indeed anywhere suitable on the Limestone are Dactylorrhizas; esp. D. fuchsii, D. purpurella, and hybrids.
All these pictures are I believe D. fuchsii; on the whole I have limited myself to plants that are a bit special.

[peter hood]

Ophrys apifera is not uncommon along the coast, and in suitable sites inland. It's not the easiest to photo with my little hand held camera, but here are a few. In the last two years I have visited nine different sites in the area, many on the coast. Some had only one or two plants (there might have been more if I had had time to explore.); a couple had about a hundred.

 When we were at Bishop Middleham last week, the Learned Professor told us that that Gymnadenia conopsea has now been split into three species on DNA evidence; and tried to convince us that the first of these pictures (007) might be Gymnadenia densiflora. Further checking left me unconvinced, but I did wonder if the   picture 009 might be that species. Anyone know more?