Neil Telfer’s memories of the Dipper Bank
27th March 2019
“Before lorries came to Uswayford, where I shepherded for my father, I would take our horse, Prince to Barrowburn with the cart to collect provisions and sometimes sea coals for the kitchen fire. These coals helped to supplement the peats we dug every summer from Outer Hare Cleugh.
“I could only take half a normal load at a time back from Barrowburn. There were three steep, difficult banks to climb on our return journey to the farm and the Dipper Bank was the worst of all. Having passed the hazardous Huzel Bank near The Trows, Prince would stop at the Hepden Burn at the foot of the Dipper Bank to prepare himself for the climb ahead. When ready he would set off at a pace to climb the steep track stopping just before the hairpin bend where I quickly applied the hub handbrake to take the load off him. Having regained his strength, Prince would set off again to round the hairpin and climb to the bank top.
“For lighter goods, my sister Nancy would ride Archie the farm pony, taking the shorter, more direct route to Barrowburn. Archie had cloth panniers either side into which Nancy would put some two dozen large loaves and whatever else was waiting to be brought the four miles home.
“Today the Dipper Bank, with its hairpin bend halfway down and a sharp right angle to cross the Hepden Burn looks impossible for any vehicle larger than a quad bike to negotiate. However, lorries used to climb this tortuous path successfully to continue their journey right up to Uswayford. There was a Thornycroft lorry who’s driver, Doddy, would stop at the bottom of the bank and lean over the engine to open the engine cover which was inside the driver’s cabin. He would then rev up the engine to full power and place pennies and washers on the valves to hold them open. With full revs, he would shoot up the narrow, steep bank to somehow negotiate the 180° hairpin bend. He stopped when at the top beside the old Guide Post, retrieved his pennies and washers, replaced the engine cover and continued his journey.
“From the Guide Post to the Uswayford ford is a fairly easy but uneven track for horses and carts. However, lorries would have to cross the Usway Burn at the ford below the farm house. When loaded, they would often grind to a stop before getting all the way up the slope. I would then attach our winch cable to the lorry and hand crank the winch, just enough to get them over the worst part before they could continue to climb to the farmyard. Our winch was only a fencing tensioner attached to one of the large sycamore trees standing at the top of the bank, but it did the job.
“There was another chap, Freddy, who drove a Canadian Ford truck. One day, he was returning from Uswayford with a full load of wool stacked over the rear wheels. As he started to descend the Dipper Bank, his front wheel touched the embankment causing a jolt which broke the steering column bolts causing the steering column to slip down and pin Freddy by his legs. He managed to stop on the hairpin bend and eventually we succeeded in engaging reverse gear, free the steering column and rebolt it back in place. He just managed to negotiate the hairpin bend and return to Rothbury.”
Recorded by John Tribe, February 2016, and contributed to the OOT project