Smardale Gill National Nature Reserve and SSSI lies just north east of the Howgill Hills. The Reserve occupies an 8km/5 mile section of the railway track that once ran from Tebay, Cumbria, to Darlington, County Durham. This line had linked the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway with the Stockton and Darlington Railway but was closed in stages between 1952 and 1962. The Reserve is managed by the Cumbria Wildlife Trust, though, due to the 2016 boundary extension, the reserve is within the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
After the quick group photo our group of 6 set off, walking at first through a thickly wooded section, with one side of the track sloping down steeply to Scandal Beck. Tall grasses such as Bearded Couch, Giant Fescue, and Hairy Brome, dominated the woodland edges. As the shade decreased we were a little puzzled by tiny groups of plump, bright red berries amongst the shorter vegetation. These proved to be the ripe druplets of Stone Bramble, which none of us had seen before.
The track became more open and sunny and the vegetation became more typical of grassland overlying Carboniferous limestone. Thin, dry spikes of Blue Moor-grass and tall stems of purple Melancholy Thistles were growing up through the thick covering of Devil’s Bit Scabious, not yet in flower. Colonizing the edge of the embankments were patches of Bloody Cranesbill, and Wood Cranesbill, with flowering spikes of Fragrant Orchids, growing through. Alongside the edge of path the yellow patches were mainly Common Bird’s-foot Trefoil, or Common Rock-Rose.
On reaching the Smardale Gill Old Viaduct we stopped for lunch. Currently maintenance work to make the viaduct watertight prevents the public walking over the viaduct. It is still possible to get an excellent view the impressive Victorian Viaduct, by taking the small footpath that gently slopes down to the Scandal Beck. Yes, it was a bit busy with workmen and trucks but we did benefit from fabulous views right across towards the Howgills.
Retracing our steps on our way home, we found at least another 8 species that we had missed earlier. Altogether we were really impressed by this reserve. We were lucky the sun came out, and we did not look like the cold group you see in the group photo at the start. The last highlightof the day was the drive home, with Jack at the wheel he drove via the B6259, allowing glorious views of Wild Boar Fell and beyond. Thank you to Jack, and to Muff for organizing this trip.
Kerry Morrison
