HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



M5 



HOLIDAY RAMBLES. 



IN TEESDALE. 



By G. CLARIDGE DRUCE, F.L.S. 



FTER revelling in 

 the sylvan recesses 

 of the New Forest 

 (where the crim- 

 son spikes of 

 gladiolus glistened 

 among the fern 

 fronds, or the 

 handsome flowers 

 of Melittis grew 

 under the Sibylla- 

 haunted brambles), 

 and gathering the 

 fragrant Dianthus 

 on the steep cliffs 

 of Cheddar, I 

 started northwards 

 for the rich clas- 

 sical ground of 

 Clova ; but Tees- 

 dale and its 

 singular geological formation, the beauties of High 

 Force, and the varieties of Cronkley and Widdy 

 bank tempted me to break the journey at Penrith, 

 in order to gather the special plants of Teesdale. 

 From Penrith a short journey by the Castle Eden 

 line brought me to Barnard Castle, and thence 

 to Middleton in Teesdale. From Middleton it is 

 about six miles to the comfortable hostelry of the 

 High Force, and the walk is very agreeable, the 

 hedges being full of the splendid Campanula latifolia, 

 while the dark-coloured roses, mollis, tomentosa, 

 carulea, &c, and the pretty willow, S. Phylicifolia, 

 var. Weigeliana and nitens, with an abundance of 

 Trifolium medium and Crepis paludosa, makes the 

 distance to Winch Bridge seem short. Here, on the 

 steep banks overhanging the Tees, grow Pyrus 

 rupicola, Thlaspi sylvestre, Crepis succisccfolia, Viola 

 lutea, Equisetum variegatum ; about the wood of 

 the High Force, Poa Parnellii, Myosotis sylvatka, 

 Sesleria carulea, and other plants were gathered, and 

 No. 223.— July 1883. 



then coming in sight of the High Force some time 

 was spent in viewing this fine waterfall, seen under 

 favourable circumstances, the previous heavy rain 

 having well filled up the river which now tumbled in 

 grand confusion its dark peat-coloured water over 

 the rough basaltic rocks, great masses of foam being 

 carried down a long distance from the fall^ the water 

 in the pool below being perceptibly warmer than the 

 river above the fall. Then the surroundings are 

 fine, the Durham side covered with larch, while the 

 opposite is bleak moor, studded with juniper bushes, 

 breaking suddenly off into the cliff overhanging the 

 river, with here and there a bush of the local 

 Potent ilia fruticosa in fine flower. 



Keeping by the river side above the fall, Viola 

 lutea, both yellow and blue, were plentiful, and then 

 came Alsine verna, Primula farinosa, and the sweet- 

 scented Gymnadcnia conopsea, while the Potentilla 

 fruticosa was very plentiful. Reaching the base of 

 some rocky cliffs, Hieracmm iricum, Rosa Doniana, 

 Lastrea Borreri were gathered ; following the river 

 to its junction with the Langdon beck, and wading 

 over that, the boggy pastures opposite Cronkley Scar 

 were soon reached. Here Botrychium occurred, and 

 then on a sloping bank by the river side came a great 

 gathering of varieties, Tqfieldia, Primula farinosa, 

 Gentiana verna, Equisetum variegatum, Carex capil- 

 lars, Bartsia alpina very abundant, and Kobresia 

 caricina ; Polygonum viviparum and Saxifraga 

 aizoides being, as elsewhere in Teesdale, common. 

 From here a short walk brings one to Widdy bank 

 house, and then it is only a mile or so to the top of 

 Widdy bank itself, 1660 feet ; here, on this peculiar 

 sugar limestone, occurred Juncus triglumis, T/ialic- 

 trum alpinum, Kobresia, Arenaria verna, Scirpus 

 pauciflorus, &c. 



We were much troubled by the persistent attacks 

 of a green-eyed fly, Chrysops, which rendered the 

 search for Alsine stricta and Viola arenaria some- 

 what less pleasant than it might have been, but 

 lengthy though the search was, it was at last succe;s- 



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