Abstract

In Temperley’s Tread - the Birdlife of Durham's Moor and Vale comprised a series of five guided walks over four weekends along a 45-mile route through one of the north east’s most beautiful but least appreciated landscapes. The project explored the wildlife of Durham’s upland areas during July 2012. For the participants, these walks attempted to create an interface between the North Pennines’ outstanding birdlife, its wider natural heritage and aspects of art, culture and history, as experienced through the process of walking through an ‘interpreted’ landscape. The inspiration for the walks was renowned naturalist and author of The History of the Birds of Durham (1951), George W. Temperley (1875-1967) who suggested a route ‘from Edmundbyers on the Derwent through Stanhope in Weardale to Middleton in Teesdale, returning by Langdon Beck, St. John’s Chapel, Boltsburn, Hunstanworth and Blanchland, a circuit of some 45 miles.” to experience the true majesty of the Durham uplands. During this walk, over 120 wildlife records were uploaded to the WildWatch North Pennine's database (www.northpennines.org.uk/WildWatch) and over 40 images of species to The Open University’s iSpot system. Along the route, 84 bird species and over 210 species of plant were recorded, many being upland heath or bog specialities.