Walk starting and ending at Bolam Lake, taking in Shaftoe Crags and the Piper's Chair. We were aware from the outset that the route seemed busier than usual - a surprising number of cars & people - and soon found out why. Within the first mile we found ourselves in the middle of a hunt. We heard it before we saw it, particularly the distinctive sound of the hunting horn. Before we knew it we were surrounded by sprinting dogs and the thundering of horses hooves.
A memorable experience for me, having never seen a hunt before, which I'm sure will continue to colour my memory of that place for a long time to come.
The walk took in Shaftoe Crags, which Robin explained to me had connections with the local Shafto family (there is possibly a connection here to the song Bobby Shaftoe).
The walk took in Shaftoe Crags, which Robin explained to me had connections with the local Shafto family (there is possibly a connection here to the song Bobby Shaftoe).
Archeological explorations around Shaftoe Crags show signs of occupation from Mesolithic times, with tools found dating from both the Bronze and Iron ages. There are a number of rock shelters which show evidence of historical use, and it is thought that prior to quarrying in the late 18th century there would have been a substantial amount of rock art. An interesting description of the place was given by John Marius Wilson in his Imperial Gazeteer of England and Wales (1870-72): S. Crags are a wildly picturesque range of rocks; are supposed, by some writers, to have been a haunt of Druids; and are now a favourite resort of picnic parties. An ancient chapel stood on a spot to the S of the crags; and a curious incised tombstone was found there in 1831.
Past Shaftoe Crags, there's a fantastic view of the rock known as the Piper's Chair. The rock itself is made of a hard quartzy stone, with evidence of veins of Quartz pebbles running through it, and sits atop a bed of softer sandstone rock, which has eroded away to leave this protusion. The people sitting on the top of the rock give an idea of the size. The rock is clearly visible from the nearest main road, the A696, and so is a well-known landmark. On this walk we didn't get particularly close to the rock, as instead we went to view the nearby Trig Point, a navigational post placed on a hill-top that can be seen from miles around (on a clear day!!). Having researched more about both Shaftoe Crags and the Piper's Chair, I plan to go back to the site a couple of times, with my fiddle and some recording equipment, to investigate this place further.
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