Branching OutFor today's WFV visit we strayed over the border into Lancashire, although one could be forgiven for not realising that as the welcome sign on entering Earby proclaims that it is part of the ancient county of West Yorkshire - good on Earby!
The Yorkshire Dales Mining Museum was opened in 1971 by the Earby Mines Research Group to house a collection of relics of the Dales mining industry. The very interesting museum, run entirely by volunteers, is housed in the old grammar school, a listed building of 1594. We spent the morning looking round the museum and then lunched at the museum's cafe before undertaking a short walk along the disused ralway line. Joan & Brian had curtailed their planned walk due to the paths being turned muddy by recent rain which continued to fall as we started our walk. The rain soon bated (a Yorkshire dialect word not known to some of our members = abated) and most of the walk was enjoyed in dry overhead conditions. Despite the late Spring we were still able to find 11 plants in flower together with two ferns. Celandines and coltsfoot have been showing for a while, but for most of us it was the first sighting of primroses and butterburr. Chaffinches were by far the most vociferous of the singing birds and it was nice to hear the burbling of curlews once again - a total of 16 species of birds was recorded. Thirteen members made light of the somewhat inclement weather and enjoyed the day.
Stuart