Echoes of the tin mining industry…

Eddie provides this update; our walk today took us on part of the Issac Tea trail we had traversed last year along the Allendale valley. We experienced echoes of the tin mining industry with the kilns and chimneys reminding us of Issac Holden born at a time of its demise. He traipsed over this trail selling teas to the farming and tin mining communities of the area. A peddler of tea in those days was considered only one step from the workhouse. He contributed to many charitable causes, not least the purchase of a horse drawn hearse for which he was one of the first to benefit as he died shortly after.
Our journey took us along the Whitfield estate where pheasants are bred, before we approached the open moorland. We ascended to 1500ft above sea level. While the views were stunning despite the gentle rain, the snow drifts had not melted and we kept treading on the soft white sheets before a gradual descent onto the metallic pathway. We were unable to find a suitable place on the moors to sit down for lunch, so had our picnic propped up against one of the many bridge-like structures along the route which were used as draft shafts to heat the lime kilns in former times. Our only wild life creatures were the rabbits, which looked like Easter bunnies, they were so tiny; and the sociable species of sheep called black face as they continued to follow us over a large area, maybe hoping we would feed them. However we did come across a lone alpaca as we finished the 10 1/2 walk.

This entry was posted on 22/03/2007 at 10:23 pm and is filed under Progress report. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.