Introduction


When we started walking the coast of England we had no intention that this would become a major lifetime project. Having to make a last-minute arrangement for our summer holiday in 1987, we said "Let's go to the nearest piece of coast and see how far we can walk along it." It turned out well and we started adding further stretches of coast, initially once every two years, but soon annually, or even twice a year.

We had always enjoyed the coast - there is something refreshingly "edgy" about having the sea always at our side, and one of us was into marine molluscs. We also enjoyed long-distance walking and had long been involved in general natural history recording. This project enabled us to combine all three interests.

You soon discover when embarking on a project like this that you need a few rules, which evolve from the first experiences. Our main rule was that we should walk as close to the coast as possible, which meant beach-walking whenever we could (unlike the official coast paths that largely remain above shore, recognising that at high tides the beach may be inaccessible). The route should also be capable of being a continuous walk, so that when we came to an unfordable river we walked inland along its banks to the first place at which we could cross, whether a bridge or a ferry.

We only carried light packs, so that at the end of each day's walk we had the problem of getting back to our car where we started. Initially we walked back, but soon realised we would be walking the coast twice this way! We used public transport whenever this was available - buses or trains, sometimes adjusting our start and finish points to make this easier. Failing this - and it was often not possible - we would phone for a taxi (an increasingly costly option over the years). Having our car with us gave us more freedom as to where we could stay at night - and after a day walking and only light food we were usually ready for being spoiled by a good meal and a comfortable bed! Even so, we stayed on the coast itself whenever there was a decent option.

Each walk was made for enjoyment, it was not a route-march to see how quickly we could get it finished. We therefore took it gently at times when passing through pleasant scenery or where there were many plants or creatures to record.

In terms of biological recording, we systematically noted every bird, butterfly, creature or sea-shell that we came across, sometimes spending time searching for the shells. We could not record every plant in the same way - there are too many common ones - so we were more selective, noting all coastal plants and any others that were not run-of-the-mill.

In our daily posts, edited from our original diaries, we include a star-rating from no star to **** according to our subjective estimate as to how special that day was from the point of view of natural history. This score (and our daily records) will, however, have been affected by the weather - it is difficult to appreciate the environment fully, for instance, in torrential rain, and there are many more butterflies and other insects to be seen in warm sunshine!

A summary of all our natural history records on the walk can be found using this link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1LLGD55lKRHYXd1SGU1QndrcUU/edit?usp=sharing





Friday, 24 January 2014

Cumbria: Grange to Cark 8/6/2005****


 

Promenade, Grange
 
Green-winged orchid
 
Spring sedge
We walked south from Grange station along the floral promenade above the saltmarsh.  The Civic Society was restoring the gardens and a group of volunteers were working as we passed.  Careful planting ensures that the flowers resonate with the local wild flowers, for example many types of rock-rose and Geranium.  At the end of the promenade we stayed seaward of the railway and walked along the head of the saltmarsh.  Intermittently limestone rocks made promontories that were often carpeted with flowers like rock-rose or long-stalked cranesbill,  and lichens.  Past Abbott Hall we were able to make our way up to the road at Wyke Farm, past Corsican hellebore and escaped turnip.  We climbed the steep entrance road to Humphrey Head National Nature Reserve and crossed the fields at the top of the steep cliffs.  In lines following the outcrops of limestone on top and down the cliffs, grew the more interesting specialities such as dropwort, rock and Lancaster whitebeams, limestone bedstraw, masses of rock-rose, and some green-winged orchids now mostly gone over.  Other records included Solomon's-seal, upright brome, blue moor grass, and spring sedge. Some areas were closed because of peregrines nesting.  We lunched at the end of this beautiful headland and made our way back, though without seeing other specialities like hoary rock-rose and spiked speedwell.  From the base of the Head we had to walk several miles of narrow roads around Cark Airport, past farmers harvesting hay dashing up and down the roads with tractors.  At West Plain Farm we reached saltmarsh again and followed the top of an embankment with a drainage ditch at the bottom containing fennel pondweed.  A curlew and lapwings were calling on Low Marsh.  At Cowpren Point the path turned north along the final stretch before Cark.  On Cartmel Sands we saw two large crèches of eider, two drakes, several ducks and many ducklings.  There were also oystercatcher and shelduck.  The final stage was along an old walled trackway where we saw lots of wall butterflies.  At Cark we intended to take the train back but two in succession failed to arrive and we had to resort to a taxi.
Humphrey Head from rocks at top of saltmarsh
 
Rock-rose
 
Lichen Caloplaca favescens on limestone rock
 
Solomon's-seal

 
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