Cranedale Day 4
North Yorkshire Moors
The weather forecaster said rain would begin at 7.00am and continue throughout the day. How often do they get it right? Unfortunately, very often.
It rained, then it rained and then it rained some more. Would this put us off having a good time? Maybe a little but it was very difficult to tell.
After a 45 minute journey we arrived at the North Yorkshire Moors. We knew we were there because there was a sign post telling us where we were. It was a good job the sign post was there because it was so misty, we could barely see anything else.
The initial part of the visit involves walking down a “dry” river bank known locally as a Griff. The Griff at the top of the hill is quite shallow. To measure the height of the Griff our guide, Chris, used Georgia as a measuring stick. The first measurement was 4 Georgias. As we continued down the Griff, the depth became greater. When we were 15 Georgias deep we stopped for refreshment.
A plant which grows in the banks of the Griff is called sorrel. It is a pleasant looking, green plant with heart shaped leaves. Chris waxed lyrically about is refreshing qualities and pleasant taste. Each child tucked in and described the sorrel using words such as bitter, sour, apple flavoured and lettuce like. Still, it was better than nothing and after consuming a handful we continued our journey down the valley.
The rain continued to fall and some of us found out about the waterproof qualities of our clothing. Mr Britten, wearing a Cranedale centre purple “waterproof”, had so much water in his pockets that he was considering offering a hand washing station for all the children who discovered the delights of the “outdoor toilet” Soon, the dry Griff became full with the sound of running water – thank you boys. Francesca and Isobel complained about the boys’ natural advantage in the toilet department. However, James P informed the group that he had the same problem as the girls due to his fly-less trousers. On hearing this, the cry of “Too much information James!” could be heard for miles around. Fortunately, this was only heard by Salterford Children. No one else was mad enough to be on the moors on a day like today.
Once we reached the bottom of the Griff we found a stream. It was just after twelve and Chris decided that this was the perfect location for lunch. Idyllic on a summer’s day – cold, wet, sitting on plastic sheeting, eating soggy sandwiches for us! Despite all the rain, no one complained!
After lunch the weather changed. It was no longer just raining; it was absolutely throwing it down. It was obviously the perfect time to study wildlife in the stream. The children manfully collected, identified and recorded a variety of nymphs, shrimps and flies. Who would crack first?
Some quotes from the afternoon
James S “I’m cold, wet, miserable and “this close” to crying!
Georgia “I’ve got Granny hands!”
Rosie “I like most things but this is ridiculous!”
Anna “Do you think my denim rucksack will keep my sandwiches dry?”
James P “Can’t we go back the long way?”
Everyone else “Shut up James!”
With no obvious signs of improvement; a decision had to be made. Would we continue with the fieldwork or would we cut the activity short and head back to the centre, like a pack of wimps, for hot chocolate and classroom based study. I have to report that the hot chocolate was delicious.
Tonight is our last evening at the centre. The children have a lesson in the classroom with microscopes followed by moth catching. It is still raining at the moment so I’m not sure how many moths we will catch.
