The early morning rain had ceased as we drove towards St Cuthbert’s Church, Beltingham. This Northumbrian church is of historical importance, but the reason for our visit was primarily to view the Ancient Yews in the grounds. There are three Yews of considerable age and it was the Yew on the north side of the church that most drew our attention, an estimate of age most often given as 900-950 years, with other mind-boggling estimates of around 1,500 years and even 2,000+ years. Even if the lower estimate is nearer the truth, this would make the Yew the oldest in Northumberland. The younger Yews south of the church, whilst magnificent specimens in themselves, are thought to be about 500 – 600 years old. I understand that in the recent past there were plans to examine scientifically all three Yews to attempt to prove or disprove a relationship between the three.
We entered the grounds via the Lych-Gate after having noted numbers of Swifts and listening to the song of Song Thrush. Lych stemming from the Old English or Saxon word lic, meaning corpse. Prior to mortuaries existing and when most people died at home, the body would be taken to the Lych-gate and would be guarded by vigil watchers so that body snatchers were unable to approach and interfere before burial. In more recent times the funeral possession would await at the lych-gate until the arrival of the priest. We made for the most ancient of the Yews, passing on the way a Commonwealth War Grave and several sandstone tombstones which had been heavily eroded over many years.
I must
confess that Calaminarian Grassland is something I had no knowledge of until
Sam mentioned it recently and I have since read quite a lot about this unusual
and rare habitat and have learnt much about it.
Calaminarian grassland is named after Viola calaminaria which
grows on such metal rich soils in Europe although the plant is not found in the
UK. However about 30 percent of this
European grassland is found here. This
type of grassland in Northumberland has developed on nutrient poor soils with
high levels of toxic heavy metals associated with mine workings and where
metals from mine wash have accumulated on river beaches and terraces.
Although the vegetation is usually sparse in these areas there are specialist plants that have adapted and thrive here. Plants we found in the two area we visited included Mountain Pansy, Thrift (thought to be a type adapted to the metals), Alpine Pennycress and Pyrenean Scurvy- grass all able to tolerate the conditions and are known as metallophytes. Now that mining in the area has ceased the habitat is very much at risk and is shrinking due to leaching of the metals and changes in land use. Some of the areas are now managed and often rely on grazing by rabbits and sheep to prevent scrub taking over.
By now bright light lit the wild countryside
and a Skylark was in full song and ascending as I stepped out of the car
at the Lough. After so much rain this
month I was surprised to see the water level of the Lough so low. The most interesting bird finds here were
calling Dunlin and Little Ringed Plover.
We also stopped at the old, renovated Lime Kiln
to take some landscape images. We found
another interesting area for plants and have noted this for a later visit. Water Avens grew nicely near the road and
young Jackdaws called from a nest in the Lime Kiln wall. We noticed the adult bird anxious to return
to the hungry chicks so we did not hang around too long. As soon as we were back in the car the adult Jackdaw
came to the nest. A Kestrel was
seen close by in the trees.
We drove home along on what was a wonderful
spring evening, clear light showing the area at its best and with the distant
verdant fields occasionally broken by the brilliant yellow of Oil Seed Rape and
the roadside also yellow with the flowering Gorse.
On arrival home we realised we had been out for
nine and a half hours on what had been a most interesting and informative trip
taken at a leisurely pace in great habitat.
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