As a group of friends who regularly walk on Isaac’s Tea Trail, it was inevitable that we should become known as Isaac’s Tea Ladies. The five founder members meet in various permutations, but it’s quite rare for us all to be free at the same time, and even rarer for that time to coincide with a gap in the diary of the creator of the Tea Trail Roger Morris.
So it was fitting that the landscape was extra sparkly when the six of us met for a walk in the East Allen Valley in the North Pennines.
Parking at Allen Mill, we set off along the eastern bank of the river. A light fall of snow overnight had been embellished by a spiky frost, bringing new life to dead seedheads and grasses with the transformation of each tiny stalk. The ferns, however, had gone from living green to curved white fronds looking like bleached rib cages.
At this time of year the sun barely touches the valley floor, but as we walked up the valleyside the warmth was winning, turning surfaces from dazzling to damp. A modern-day stone circle spoke of the coming solstice.
After crossing Catton village green we followed a wide walled track, alternately focussing on the exquisite close-up beauty of the frost and the magnificent distant panorama of the valley. Dotty the dog was focussing on rabbits.
A short climb to the highest point of our walk in warm sunshine led to some talk of ‘too many layers’ as jackets were unzipped, but as we stopped for a rest the cold reasserted itself and we only lingered long enough for group photos, which gave Dotty an even better rabbit observation post.
We were not yet on Isaac’s Tea Trail but we could see its route on the other side of the valley. Just to add a bit of jeopardy to our walk, we had to cross a field which is used as golf driving range, where we’ve often found golf balls in the grass and wondered what the ground-nesting birds make of these random eggs on their territory.
We survived the field crossing and soon reached a steep lane which would return us to the valley floor. There was a home-made sign stuck into the bank beside a small coniferous plant with the words ‘Juniper bush. Please do not cut’. Hopefully the little shrub will survive and thrive. Juniper is one of only three conifers native to the UK (Scots Pine and Yew are the other two, in case it comes up in a pub quiz) and the Woodland Trust is concerned that is declining in range and abundance. Gin drinkers will also be concerned.
It was not gin but coffee we were craving by now, so we crossed the East Allen at Oakpool, knowing that our return path was a level walk beside the river.
Soon we joined Isaac’s Tea Trail and it delivered us directly into one of our favourite cafes, the wonderful Coffee & Kuriosities at Allen Mill. No kuriosities were partaken, but koffee and Kristmas kake were consumed amid sighs of kontentment.
There’s more information about Isaac’s Tea Trail at https://isaacs-tea-trail.co.uk/
and https://www.northpennines.org.uk/location/isaacs-tea-trail/
You can follow me on Twitter @isaacsfootsteps
walkingisaacsteatrail 
Lovely day to be out.
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