189 



YORKSHIRE NATURALISTS AT HACKFALL 



AND TANFIELD. 



B. M. SMITH, 



Hon. Secretary of the Ripon Naturalists' Club and Scientific Association. 



The opening excursion of 1896 was made to Hackfall, Tanfield, 

 and along the banks of the river Ure to Ripon. The excursion 

 was decidedly a very great success. 



Saturday morning, April 18th, found the quiet little railway 

 station at Ripon inundated by disciples of the hammer, vasculum, 

 net, and camera. Though comparatively early in the day, a very 

 good muster assembled. As the train steamed out of Ripon station 

 attention was directed to the most recent of the many curious circular 

 subsidences which abound for many miles on each side of the river 



Ure. Only a passing glance could be obtained of this * freak of 



nature/ and a mental note made to visit it upon the first opportunity. 



A more charming day could not have been chosen for seeing 

 this picturesque locality in the early spring. Though far too early 

 in the year to find many of the most interesting species which the 

 district possesses, yet enough was seen to tempt a closer acquaintance 

 with it later on in the year. Sycamores were resplendent in foliage ; 

 so also was mountain ash, while oaks and beech were just beginning 

 to bud. 



Upon arriving at Tan field some of the visitors, intent upon 

 seeing Hackfall, at once began the five-miles tramp, while the 

 remainder diverged to an old disused quarry north of the river, 

 where Ranunculus auricomus and Viola hirta, with a few more 

 botanical tit-bits, soon rewarded their industry. Returning from 

 this quarry, a move was made to the old church and churchyard of 

 Tanfield, in the walls of which could be seen Saxifraga tridadylites, 

 Linaria cymbalaria, and Sedum dasyphyllum, along with Aspknium 

 ruta-?nuraria. 



It was necessary to walk up the village, with the lovely tittle 

 gardens just beginning to show what they can do under the com- 

 bination of sunshine and shower, and the botanists were not slow 



Sedum 



Helleborus viridis and Vinca minor, 



a 



A little higher up the road and into the pastures, where was seen 

 sight such as many had never seen before. The hedge-bottom 

 » one mass of Helleborus viridis, strong healthy plants in full 



June 1896, 





