Stories & Poems written at the Arches

From the cold by Tilly aged 7 1/2
The Trees are cold in the Winter
From the cold the animals watch
The snow falling from the sky

Exploring the Wood (A True Story) by Daisy aged 8
I was exploring the wood
With my dog
I saw a fox lying in a bed of clovers
I went near the fox, i relised it was a baby
Then I realised it was dead

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The Sky by Amaaya aged 8
The sky grows far far from me
The trees grow high high as can be
The animals come out to see the meadow field

The Owl by Eleanor aged 10
I woke one night when I had heard the sound
of boney feet hit the ground
I ran straight to my window ledge
to find an owl on the edge
A branch I saw, its feathery bum.

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Old Grannies by Charlotte aged 8
There was once an old granny and one day she found a motorbike. So she climbed on and drove away to a park so she had room to drive it. She didn’t have very good eye sight, so she drove into a tree and it fell over!

Endless Truge by Morrin aged 12
The night had engulfed us. The comforting grunt from the pony in front of me woke me from my plodding trance. A rushing sound grew steadily louder. Ponies were heard sliding down the rocky bank and splashing into the river. I followed suit. The water grabbed at my legs; rocks slipped beneath the waves. Then the slow walk went on.
Shortly we reached the hammering cold place. The tiny ponies whinnied at us as we passed. I reached a glance up ahead; the heavy packs stood waiting. Our troop dragged to a halt. Suddenly an almighty heaviness got heaved on my back. Our person clicked his tongue and the trudge went on.
It took a while, but eventually we got to the smokey placec. People call it Dukesfield. Two huge arches rose before us. The heaving weight on my back slid off, which I was more than glad of. Our person gave me a tickle on my whithers and pulled a knot out of my mane. I liked his hand. It tasted of the smelly rocks that we lumbered around with all day. He did his weird grunt-whinney, which I find disturbing but happy in some way. We would rest in these stables for a night; the trudge would begin in the morning again. But this tme without the smelly load.

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At the Arches by Aaron and Dad
We went to the Arches to hear a lady sing,
We had marshmallows and pineapple on a stick out the bin.
Next we had stories and got really cold;
Then we had to write a poem or so we were told.

Little lamb. by Lara aged 9
I just love lambing time. It is a time when lots of new babies are born into the world. I was 4, I was eating my tea as fast as I could. I was just about to do something very special. I was about to lamb a
ewe. I just finished my tea in time. I ran up the yard and got some orange gloves on and stuck my hand right in there! I’ve wanted to be a farmer ever since.

The Dukesfield Smelters and Carriers Project aimed to celebrate and discover the heritage of the Dukesfield Arches & lead carriers' routes between Blaydon and the lead mines of Allendale and Weardale. A two year community project, it was led by the Friends of the North Pennines in partnership with Hexhamshire and Slaley Parish Councils and the active support of Allendale Estates. It was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the generous support of other sponsors. Friends of the North Pennines: Charity No:1137467