Flowers of The Dales 8
A traditional whitewashed barn in Upper Teesdale with Cronkley Fell in the background, the best time of year for flower hunting is from June onwards, here we are at semi apline country so the flowers are totally unique to this kind of terrain, I was lucky to have met up with the then warden Mr Ian Findlay at the time who took me around the best parts to see the rarest flowers
One of these was the common Twayblade with its man like characters, this can be seen in Bowlees Quarry in Teesdale.
The very rare Teesdale Violet, the greater colonies of this rare species was drowned when they flooded upper slopes of sugar limestone with Cow Green reservoir, only a scattered few places are left today, sadly off the beaten track and not open to the public, and will remain a secret with me.
However the jewel in the Teesdale crown is available for view along the nature trail their without having to leave the main footpath, look for them in the small enclosed pens along the way, please do not pick the flowers and leave them for everyone to enjoy, the sheep don't understand English and help themselves.
Another speciality is the Spring Sandwort, this can be seen adorning the many old lead mine workings and why the locals dubbed it leadwort.
Taken on the upper slopes of Pen y ghent in Ribblesdale, the Purple Mountain Saxifrage is a fantastic plant often found right by the footpath on the way down from the summit growing out of the thick cover that surrounds its hardy roots, this is a great colour which you can easily miss in amongst the hardy purple rooted grasses.
This is another unknown to myself, found in Teesdale, if anyone knows what it is please let me know.
Water Avens, known locally as soldiers buttons, seen along the meadows of Saur Hill bank on the banks of the Langdon Beck, a tributary of the river Tees.
Primroses, Wood Anenome and Dog Violets growing in the woods next to the river Tees at Low Force swing bridge, one of my faviorite walks in early summer.
Mountain Avens these are growing here in Teesdale at their lowest range in England, can be found on top of Cronkley Fell.
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