Day meet notes

A collection of comments about our activities during lockdown

Tuesday 30 Jun 2020, Outer Edge

There are seven members in Sheffield but for the chosen day their work and filial commitments, coupled with the wet forecast reduced them to a ripe old pair. They met in a cloud amidst the cloudberry strewn moor of Outer Edge. John had arrived from King’s Tree in the Derwent Valley in the south to slog up Broadhead Clough and turn left to reach the Outer Edge 541m trig point. Meanwhile, Michael arrived from Upper Midhope to the northwest, via Cut Gate and turning right to the trig point.

A quick catch up of news and it was off on a compass bearing about 300m to the east as the mists cleared. John soon spotted the low Labrador-Tea plant (SK1801997046). Apparently, these are now reclassified as rhododendrons. Though it was approaching time for lunch the cold damp wind made the moor top an unappealing place to stop.

(Your Meets Secretary remembers brewing a foul concoction from these leaves during RAF survival exercises in Newfoundland. Apparently they are full of vitamin C, although how we were supposed to survive North of the Arctic Circle without food or shelter long enough to get scurvy was never explained.)

Heading back along Outer Edge and down Broadhead Clough the valley bottom gave some shelter. Turning upstream Stainery Clough’s swollen stream was crossed with care and the infant River Derwent’s bank followed a short way to find the Bearberry draped over a crag’s lip (SK16089635). This is on the southern limit of the plants natural European range.

Though providing a well sheltered the riverside lunch site, the cloud of biting midges discouraged loitering. So, John soon set off back down the valley to explore the lower half of Cranberry Clough – quite tough with its many stream crossings – before crossing the Derwent at Slippery Stones to the King’s Tree.

Michael went off up Oaken Bank to head for Pike Lowe. On Oaken Bank, a young buzzard was disturbed to fly ineptly off. Later, approaching Cut Gate cairn, Michael spotted an adult buzzard struggling to fly with a mountain hare dangling from its talons, presumably to feed the youngster. On the moor top a couple of living hares, meadow pipits, wheatears, snipe, grouse and curlew had also been seen earlier.

Attending: John Middleton, Michael Smith.

Sunday 5 Jul 2020 A Bog Standard Round

The second outing for the Sheffield group was a more standard round being a 7 mile circumnavigation of two reservoirs but mostly keeping 30-50m above them.

From the popular starting point by the traditional village cricket field at Low Bradfield a westward rising route ended on the dam of a third reservoir, Strines. The return route roughly paralleled Mortimer Road, a 1770s turnpike most of the way. Initially this was above Dale Dyke reservoir whose dam collapsed on first filling resulting in the Great Sheffield Flood of 1864 which took over 240 lives and 600 houses, but that day stayed intact. Then by Agden reservoir where a diversion was made to investigate the orchids and butterflies of Agden Bog. A fruitless search was made for sundews. A final descent was made to Bradfield with its two pubs re-opened following an enforced 16-week closure.

Attending; Christine and Jim Harrison, Michael Smith.