Causey Arch country walk

Trying not to look too much like an expeditionary force from The Last of the Summer Wine I set out on a country walk with my two friends, Tom and Terry, around Causey Arch in County Durham, England. This beautiful spring morning felt more like summer and the countryside looked delightful

The start of our country walk

We chatted happily as we followed the footpath but from time to time we stopped to observe more closely anything that took our interest. The first item was an excellent cluster of dung flies buzzing merrily over an enormous dark steaming cow cake.

Dungflies buzzing

While I lingered to photograph the cow pat, Tom and terry stepped on into the woods…

Tom and Terry stepping out

We followed a stream for quite some distance through the trees, pausing at one point for some coffee in a visitor centre close to the Beamish Museum.

The stream winds through the wood

Frequently, what was a cart track shrank to the narrowest of footpaths through the leafy green undergrowth.

The leafy green undergrowth

From time to time we could stop to admire bits of rusty farm machinery. To me they were tantamount to agri-sculptures; I loved them.

Agri-sculpture

The guidebook said that the walk was 4.5 miles but we felt it was a bit more than that. Still, it was an excellent trip and we shall no doubt do more of this later in the summer. Speak to you later, my dear blogophiles.