Warninglid and Stonedelf
Parking
We drove to the Half Moon pub in Warningly quite early in the morning. There is no carpark in this little country village, so we risked leaving the car outside the pub. There were a few little lay-bys but they were thick with mud and we worried we would get stuck.
The Walk
Warninglid – the slope belonging to Weardel’s people. From Old English Weardelinga hlip.
From the Half Moon, we trudged carefully in the incessant downpour along the relatively busy Warninglid Lane until we realised there is a off-road track parallel to the road. The tracks themselves involve lots of ups and downs in and around the valley. Originally we planned a 5 mile route – there are numerous tracks around Bishops Wood and Williams Wood – but since the weather was treacherous, we shortened our route to the one you see on the map.
On checking the map, I realised the magical and picturesque little valley we found ourselves in was called Stonedelf. Instantly it made me imagine a Tolkienesque creature sitting on a rock smoking a spliff. Stoned Elf. However, further research made me realise it is just an old english term meaning a place for digging stone. Stone + delf or stānġedelf. Indeed, the local area has a history of medieval iron-industry connections which may be related.
Summary
It was quite slippery in places due to the mud. Many of the tracks were in the process of becoming rivers due to massive amounts of run-off. Overall, a stunning walk despite the weather but then, I love bad weather. The waterfalls and streams criss-crossing this landscape under the shade of the woodland make it quite a magical place. I would love to visit it again in the Summer but will miss some of the amazing water features.