Welcome to Durham

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Weather report

Overcast and cool to begin with. Eventually rather humid with the sun gradually breaking through.

Decided to abandon Yorkshire for the time being and planned to wander through north west Durham in the direction of Alston.
Set off soon after 7 and within a few minutes was peering over the bridge at Mickleton where I saw a family of otters playing in the river (they of course may have called it work ....). This rare site I cannot prove because I had xited the car without the telephoto lens and by the time I had raced back to the car and thence returned to the bridge the otters had continued on their way. Perhaps it was a trick of the light - will never know.

As it was overcast saw little point in rushing off to higher places (in a geographical not biblical sense) so drove the short distance to Selset Reservoir. On the track down to the res I spid a Sitka (deer !) which immediately reversed direction. I have a good photo of its rear end. Wandered briefly around the dam and then hit the road again.

Next stop was the Bowless Visitor Centre which was an interesting small area of woodland with the usual picnic facilities. Brief pause and then on again. As the sky was clearing I headed for Alston through very attractive countryside. The town is famed for being the highest market town in England, its cobbled streets and the terminus of a narrow gauge steam railway. Arrived in time to phot one of the trains departing.

Left Alstone and headed into Weardale which runs roughly north west to south east following a line roughly parallel to the Tees and therefore the direction I had taken in the morning. Between the two valleys is remote beautiful moorland. Made my way back to the campsite by criss-crossing the moors with hardly any traffic to be seen - and that on a hot Sunday in June.

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