Walking Forum

Regions - Trip reports, destination advice, recommended routes, etc. => Yorkshire Dales & Moors => Topic started by: Mel on 12:59:16, 21/08/19

Title: TR: In Search of Purple Loveliness
Post by: Mel on 12:59:16, 21/08/19
It's that time of year again where I go a bit gaga because the heather's in bloom and I have to make my annual pilgrimage up onto the North York Moors for my fix.


With one thing and another over the past couple of months I've only managed short, local walks, plus, I'm only just getting over a horrible summer cough/cold but I felt well enough to head "into the wilderness" for a little Mellie-Mooch.


What I didn't find was miles of heathery, purpleyfied loveliness to walk through but what I did have was a smashing little walk in the fresh air which ended up being not too strenuous and just perfect for my first "proper" walk in ages.


Full write up with piccies on my bloggy wotsit HERE (https://snailspacewalks.blogspot.com/2019/08/north-yorkshire-not-quite-blakey.html)


Thanks for looking  :)

Title: Re: TR: In Search of Purple Loveliness
Post by: vghikers on 15:46:22, 21/08/19
Nice walk and report  O0. It's great to get out after a layoff.
I thought we were the only ones with the idea of a heather walk in late summer. In previous years we did a few in the Hirnants and Berwyns in Wales, though the heather colours peak at somewhat different times from year to year.
Title: Re: TR: In Search of Purple Loveliness
Post by: Warbler on 18:40:50, 21/08/19
Nice blog Mel. Shame about the lack of purpleness.

It's good to get out and about again though. My general mood has lifted several notches over the past couple weeks after a lengthy lay up  O0.
Title: Re: TR: In Search of Purple Loveliness
Post by: Rob Goes Walking on 19:36:41, 21/08/19
Nice TR, woods at Crosscliff Brow and action shot Mel!

Re the fitness, it might drop off quick but it comes back quite quick too. Appreciate not everyone has 2 hours a day to dedicate to walking but if you do and go as fast as you can, especially up hill you should find in a couple of weeks big improvements, I did this on top of going to the gym it still made a big difference I was surprised how much.

Title: Re: TR: In Search of Purple Loveliness
Post by: April on 20:36:27, 21/08/19
Nice TR Mel, I knew it was your TR by the title  :)

Shame about the lack of heather. 5.3 miles is a fair distance for someone who isn't that well  O0
Title: Re: TR: In Search of Purple Loveliness
Post by: Rob Goes Walking on 20:42:33, 21/08/19

Shame about the lack of heather. 5.3 miles is a fair distance for someone who isn't that well  O0

Yes it is and I'm glad you're on the mend.
Title: Re: TR: In Search of Purple Loveliness
Post by: Ridge on 21:32:58, 21/08/19
Hopefully being able to get out and about again will have made you feel better.
Title: Re: TR: In Search of Purple Loveliness
Post by: Dovegirl on 22:06:01, 21/08/19
Enjoyed your TR Mel and glad you're getting better. Going a walk really is therapeutic.

Lovely photo of the butterfly     :)
Title: Re: TR: In Search of Purple Loveliness
Post by: pleb on 10:40:30, 22/08/19
Nice pics :) , theres some bug or other thats affecting the heather, I think. :-\
You've given the phlegm to me  :(
Title: Re: TR: In Search of Purple Loveliness
Post by: rural roamer on 12:39:04, 22/08/19
Nice report and glad you’re feeling better. We always head to Dunwich Heath (Suffolk) this time of year to see the heather (we’re only about a half hour drive away). We were there a couple of weeks ago and it was looking good (didn’t take any photos though as I‘ve taken so many in the past).
Title: Re: TR: In Search of Purple Loveliness
Post by: Mel on 22:15:32, 22/08/19
Vghikers - cheers and yes, it is a wonderful feeling to get out and about after a layoff.


Warbler - yes, getting out in the fresh air and greenery definitely lifts the spirits.  I never even realised how "fed up" I'd been feeling until afterwards.


Rob - cheers, it's not so much general fitness as hill fitness - my legs are still killing me today!  ... and if only I had some local hills to get out on - seriously, there aren't any where I live.  Draw a line from Hull to the east coast and that triangle of land between the sea and the Humber is my local stomping ground.  I'm not even sure there's a contour line  ;D


April - am I that predictable?  ;D   I'm happy with the 5 and a bit miles, all things considered.


Ridge - aye, it's definitely got me champing at the bit to get out and do a bit more again now.  I must make some time now I've officially started my part time hours.


Dovegirl - thanks.  I'm chuffed to bits with the butterfly pic - they don't usually pose like that for me  :)


Pleb - yes, I think it was harland that mentioned these beetles that are eating the heather.  I do think I was just that little bit too low to be on the heather moorland proper though as Levisham Moor was full of purple loveliness and so was Fylingdales and Goathland Moors - so it's there, just not where I was.  Re. the phlegm - you can look forward to sleepless nights coughing lungs up for about a week if that helps  :-\


Rural roamer - now I wouldn't have imagined Suffolk to have heather moorland so that's surprised me!


Thanks everyone for the comments and I'm definitely on the mend  :)




Title: Re: TR: In Search of Purple Loveliness
Post by: rural roamer on 12:32:05, 23/08/19
Mel, I don’t think it’s actually moorland in Suffolk, I’ve always thought of it as heathland- note to self to check that out!  I didn’t think we had any moors in this part of the country.
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/dunwich-heath-and-beach/trails/dunwich-heath-gorse-walk (https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/dunwich-heath-and-beach/trails/dunwich-heath-gorse-walk)

Title: Re: TR: In Search of Purple Loveliness
Post by: Mel on 18:12:42, 23/08/19
Ahh, rural roamer, well maybe I used the wrong terminology.  I associate the word "moors" with heather so (wrongly) assume that wherever heather grows it is classed as moors/moorland....even though when I actually think about it, that isn't true  ;D
Title: Re: TR: In Search of Purple Loveliness
Post by: richardh1905 on 10:49:13, 25/08/19
Nice pics, Mel - there's a unique quality to the North York Moors - despite missing the best of the heather!

Harebells are a gorgeous alternative, though.
Title: Re: TR: In Search of Purple Loveliness
Post by: Mel on 15:00:23, 26/08/19
Thanks Richard.  It is a walk I'd be happy to do again and there's plenty of scope for variations  :)
Title: Re: TR: In Search of Purple Loveliness
Post by: harland on 16:23:28, 26/08/19
I must read a bit slower in future I did wonder why there were a lot of Samaritans flying around until I reread it i.e. "There were a lot of Sandmartins flying around here"!
Title: Re: TR: In Search of Purple Loveliness
Post by: Mel on 18:04:55, 26/08/19
 ;D  harland.  That would have been a sight to see  :D



Title: Re: TR: In Search of Purple Loveliness
Post by: jimbob on 22:26:50, 26/08/19

Just for you, Mel. Taken on the moors last week somewhere between Falling Foss and Hawsker.


(https://tinyurl.com/y3o844h9)
Title: Re: TR: In Search of Purple Loveliness
Post by: Mel on 14:07:29, 27/08/19
luvverly    :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:


Cheers jimbob.  Hope you enjoyed Whitby folk week and the walking?
Title: Re: TR: In Search of Purple Loveliness
Post by: jimbob on 14:50:41, 27/08/19
luvverly    :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:


Cheers jimbob.  Hope you enjoyed Whitby folk week and the walking?
Great week, I was out walking every day. Am trying to work out how to do a TR with photos.

The music in the evenings was great. Love listening to the spontaneous session music, it's usually at a high skill level and usually from the heart.

Too many diet cheat days, though, back on the wagon.
Title: Re: TR: In Search of Purple Loveliness
Post by: Mel on 18:57:46, 27/08/19
That sounds fab.  You definitely got to see the Moors at the best time of year. 


I like the songs that tell a story with humour.  Something that sadly lacks in today's music which is more about technical wizardry rather than human talent (and now I sound really old  ;D  )



Title: Re: TR: In Search of Purple Loveliness
Post by: sunnydale on 15:51:48, 28/08/19
Nice pics & blog post Mel O0
Title: Re: TR: In Search of Purple Loveliness
Post by: Mel on 19:27:13, 28/08/19
Cheers sunnydale  :)
Title: Re: TR: In Search of Purple Loveliness
Post by: richardh1905 on 11:03:38, 11/09/19
Some lovely heather on Hoy yesterday. And scabious and yellow hawkweed. The last of the flowers before the long winter!