Corrany

 

A Spring Walk?

Monday, 18th March 2013

 

On Sunday morning we got an email from Dorothy which said "Trevor has a plan.        A walk from the Waterworks near the Albert Tower and perhaps going to the mines." 

 

I replied "Message received!  Might be a good plan to come fully equipped with waterproofs.  Have you seen the latest forecast?   "Rain, some heavy, on Monday morning, turning to sleet on the hills with the risk of a few cm of snow over the higher parts. The wet weather will clear gradually during the afternoon. East to north-east winds, becoming moderate to fresh, will make it feel very cold, highest temperatures 5 or 6 Celsius."

 

So we were quite relieved when we met up near Ballure Reservoir on Monday morning.  It was cold and cloudy but at least it was dry.  It had crossed my mind that Trevor might be planning to return from the mines along the top of the North Barrule ridge but we were saved from that possible fate by a thick layer of fog up on the mountain.

 

The dry spell didn't last long and light rain started falling as we passed the Gooseneck.  After we passed the Hibernian the rain gradually changed into sleety snow.  As you can imagine, Alexander was not amused!

 

 

 

Tim took that photo of Alex and also the next two.  I didn't want to risk using my camera in the snow and rain.  The fog, which had been higher up when we started, descended into the Corrany Valley as we trudged on along the track towards Park Llewellyn and then on towards the sheepfold.

We couldn't see the mine workings in the valley through the fog so we kept to the track until we reached the sheepfold and then turned downhill to the river and followed that until we came across the ruined mine buildings. "There are some very interesting remains of 18th - 19th century mine buildings in the lower valley, including wheel cases and supports for the pump rods they drove." **Quotes are from Rambling in the Isle of Man by Peter H Hulme.

 

 

I had discovered that my allegedly waterproof hiking boots are unfortunately not snow proof and my feet were getting wetter and colder by the minute.  So I sat down on a wet stone in front of one mine building and changed my socks.  I tried borrowing a couple of Alex's empty plastic bags, which I carry in case I need to clean up after a dog, and slipped those over my socks before replacing the sodden boots.  It helped a bit - but my feet were still unpleasantly cold and they didn't stay dry for long.  By the time I was ready to continue, the rain had almost stopped, the fog was lifting a bit and the others had finished taking photos and were waiting.  I got my camera out of its plastic bag and took this photo.  Dorothy was wearing a light plastic waterproof that she refers to as her "bin bag"!

 

 

This is the view back up the valley, as we started off down the track which leads to the main road near Corrany Bridge.

 

 

Trevor wanted to to return along a rough track up the hill towards Park Llewellyn so we turned up from the river near the mine chimneys.  We caught our first glimpses of the top of the North Barrule ridge through the last of the fog.

 

 

On the way we passed Keeill Woirrey (or Voirrey, or Moirrey - the spelling seems to vary).  Another shower of rain was threatening so I asked Tim to take this photo of the keeill.  " . . . further on we see . . . the low stone wall of Keeill Woirrey (St. Mary's Church) a very early place of Christian prayer and a graveyard.  'John the priest's stone, in the Maughold Cross House, came from this keeill." **

 

 

I had been worried about a rather high stone wall between the fields and the track back to Park Llewellyn and sure enough there was no sign of a friendly gate.  Trevor and Dorothy climbed over but the stones were wet and slippery and it wasn't easy.  Tim decided to walk along to see if he could find a gate.  I followed but on the way there was a lower section of wall.  I picked up Alexander, put him on top of the wall and then managed to climb over.  It wasn't an easy manoeuvre as I got cramp in my leg and then had to avoid getting caught up in some barbed wire.   After retrieving Alexander, I looked up to see where the others were . . . and saw Tim smugly standing on the track chatting to them!  He had found a gate just a short way ahead. His patience had paid off.

 

When we approached Park Llewellyn on the way up the valley, the old farmhouse was surrounded by snow and shrouded in light mist  . . .

 

 

By the time we returned and negotiated the wall, the mist and snow had vanished.  It was hard to believe that both photos were taken on the same morning. 

 

 

We were interested to see that an attempt has been made to clear the fields of gorse.  I wonder how they managed to burn the patches of gorse without setting fire to the surrounding grass.

 

In the distance, up on the fields past the farmhouse, Trevor noticed three hares and I stopped to watch them.  They were too far away to get a good photo but two were behaving like traditional mad March hares - standing on their hind legs "boxing" and leaping about.  I tried to focus on them but it was impossible.  Then one hare ran off up the hill and the other two sat and contemplated the unusual "spring" weather!

 

 

I wonder who was crazier . . . the Mad March Hares . . . or the Mad March Hikers.