Botanists' historic dale trek of discovery retold in new book

Teesdale’s significance in the early history of botany has been unveiled in a new book Reporter Alex Metcalfe found out more by speaking to one of the district’s experts

WHEN artist Janet Leyland found copperplate writings in her late husband’s ancient family home detailing a journey of five trailblazing botanists, it set her own her own adventure.
The 85-year-old, from Wensleydale, carefully compiled and integrated the works of Silvanus Thompson, who joined four others in a walk from Crook to Settle in the 1840s.
Along the way, the quintet recorded all manner of flora and fauna in the dale on Widdybank Fell, Cronkley Fell, High Force and a host of other upper dale landmarks.
Dr Margaret Bradshaw is something of an oracle when it comes to wildlife across the upper dale.
The 90-year-old told me Mrs Leyland’s book offered remarkable insight.
“This is marvellous – they wrote down all their journeys, how much they cost and I was reading one out to a botany group the other night,” she said.
“They list all the plants on the way and just looking at this list written out – you can pick things out.”
The rare plants of Teesdale were beginning to be discovered and recorded at the end of the 18th century.
Dr Bradshaw said the Backhouse family, two of whom were in the party of five, were particularly notable.
“They were the family that gave rise to Barclays Bank,” she said.
“They were involved in lots of business branches in the family. One of the Backhouses was not well – he was sent to work. You did not get medicines back then and botanists made medicines.
“A person would go as far as Middleton to find their own plants and herbs.”
The Backhouse empire was built on the back of railways, banking and horticulture – they joined Mr Thompson, John Tatham, from Settle, and George Stacey Gibson, from Saffron Walden on the excursion. But the party was not the first to have taken on journeys of discovery up the dale.
“There was quite a lot of discovery in the first part of the 19th century,” Dr Bradshaw explained.
“In Victorian times, all things natural were important to everyone. There was a big build up of Quakers interested in these places.
“The Quakers were prevented from going into professions so they did lots of other things.”
In the summer of 1844 the five set off by train from Darlington to Bishop Auckland before a coach to Crook took them to their starting line.
In the days before the combustion engine, walking long distances was much more common.
The Mercury archives are full of tales of stallholders walking from Middleton to Barnard Castle to ply their wares.
At the height of the “age of discovery”, the five botanists were very much part of this walking school.
Dr Bradshaw added: “Teesdale was a great magnet because people had got to know it was an interesting place to look for plants.
“Walking from Crook to High Force in one day is about 25 to 30 miles – it was nothing to them.
“I know the two Backhouses were staying at High Force and went onto Cronkley Fell via White Force, making a couple of very important discoveries.
“Then they thought it was a nice fine day with time in hand so they went up the Mickle Fell and around the top. Mind you, I do know modern botanists who’d do that.”
Dr Bradshaw is a fan of Ms Leyland’s work and recalled another of her books on Wensleydale’s wild flowers.
“I have been in touch with her. The botanic world is quite small in many respects,” said Dr Bradshaw.
“She does her own illustrations and beautiful flowers. Her drawings are so life like.”
Ms Leyland was born in Leeds and moved up to the Northern reaches of the white rose county in the 1970s.
After opening her own gallery in Bainbridge, she moved to Askrigg with her second husband, Peter Leyland, in 1982. 
Accounts of the 172-year-old journey were stored away in the attic of their old home for decades before they were rediscovered.
Ms Leyland said: “It’s years since it got put away. We were talking about sending it to a museum but then we moved house and it got forgotten.
“There was a small book by about the rock garden at Aysgarth built by the Backhouse family and in this account the two Backhouses are introduced.
“I thought the name rang a bell and there it was.”
Among the illustrations and copperplate listings are names of all the plants seen and recorded on their epic trail.
Dr Bradshaw lights up at the mentions of roseroot at High Cup Nick, giant bellflower and horseshoe vetch in the book’s lists.
Increased access and landscape shift have led to some of these species becoming ever more elusive.
Dr Bradshaw tells me how some species were completely lost to the upper dale from the plants being picked.
She added: “Fortunately, we do not get botanists doing that nowadays but unfortunately there are not that many people interested in this kind of botany.
“If there aren’t these people, we’re going to lose these plants.”
Landscape pressures from tourists have also led Dr Bradshaw to worry.
“The situation near Low Force drives me to despair,” she added. “A large number of people are wearing out the vegetation. You cannot go pouring tourists into certain areas because you destroy what they are coming to see.”
To order An 1844 Pennine Way from Tees to Ribble, forms can be obtained from The Teesdale Mercury on request, or send a form with payment £12 with £2.50 postage and packaging to Janet Leyland, Unicorn House, Bainbridge, Leyburn, DL8 3EH.