Country diary: wildlife has invaded this fortified house

Sinderhope, Northumberland: The ruins of Rowantree Stob Bastle have been overcome with thistles, swarms of bees and nesting birdsThe Knockshield Burn gathers water from the moors of Allendale Common, where the heather is turning purple. A handful of stone-walled fields lie between the moors and the East Allen into which the burn feeds - hay fields where tractors are cutting, turning and baling, gathering up grasses, wildflowers and the emptying pods of yellow rattle.A narrow road crosses the stream at the head of a steep gully, its sandy banks eroded by weather and rabbits. It's a long drop from the footpath to the water, shining and rippling below as it loops in tight meanders. Young oaks and hawthorns have been planted to stabilise the banks - a suitable choice as "knock" means oak tree. Goldfinches bound between foxgloves whose seed-heavy stems bend and sway. Continue reading...