2020
NY8917 : The valley of the Balder above Balderhead
taken 3 years ago, 4 km SE of Grains o' Th' Beck, County Durham, England
The valley of the Balder above Balderhead
There remains one and a half kilometres of free-running River Balder upstream of the series of dams above Teesdale and downstream from its formation by the confluence of Balder Beck and Black Beck, the former giving the name, but the latter having the larger catchment area. The headwaters drain a large proportion of Stainmore Common which is open moorland sloping gently to the east, with a much steeper descent to the south and west. Much of the drainage, as seen here, is grasses, sedges and soft rush, but as the ground rises to the moor, particularly on the southern side, heather becomes dominant, with much evidence of burning as part of the management for grouse. October is the burning season, but there's not much evidence of it happening this year, perhaps in anticipation of a ban which was promised but has not yet been made law.
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