Farndale and Rudland rigg.

30/09/2017.

Fancied something a bit different this weekend, somewhere new..We don't visit the North York moors enough I thought, so with this in mind I found a lovely little walk of 6 miles in Farndale..Now I had heard of Farndale, as it is a place famous for Wild Daffodils..These Wild Daffodils have heralded spring in this valley for centuries. Known locally as Lenten Lillies since their flowering often coincides with Easter. Some say many were originally planted by the monks of Rievaulx abbey.Dont know how true that is but I knew that there will be no Daffodils in the valley today...maybe we can come back next spring to see them.

Didn't get up until 7.30, so we never had the early start that I like to have...never mind, we pulled into the car park at Low mill around 10ish..nice and quiet, just how I like it...I felt like a kid in a sweetshop, hills reared up in all directions. We headed north up the valley. The Horns ridge looked exceptionally attractive.

We couldn't help noticing how many Pheasants and Partridges there were in this valley, obviously reered for shooting..As we passed Horn End farm we witnessed the slaughter first hand as there was a shoot going on along the hillside..Beaters waving flags while the gunmen picked them off one by one..End of the road for a hundred or so beautiful creatures. That's life in the country....We climbed steadily up towards the moorland of Rudland rigg, looking back often...No more gunshots although we could see the murderers heading back down to their flashy 4x4s.

At The top we came to the wide track along the ridge of Rudland rigg. This is a popular place for off road motorbikes although we never saw any, we did however see a young farmer on his quad bike, Collie balanced on the back..he pulled over for a chat, I told him what a great life he has, working up here on the high moors. Not so good in winter he said when you often have to dig sheep out of the snow. Before he went on his way he told us to watch out for off roaders as they often shower walkers with stones as they rip past..i do believe he called them Bastards....I like him, could have chatted for hours.

We saw him again a bit later on, stood looking out across Farndale...yeah lucky man I thought again.

We were dropping down steeply now back towards the valley. We enjoyed the entertainment as we watched a small aeroplane doing stunts, looping the loop and twisting and turning like a lunatic [ don't try this at home kids]. Even the sheep were looking upward.

These bleak, windswept moors and isolated valleys emphasise the elemental forces of nature, and it is hardly surprising that beliefs in the supernatural and the other world have been strong in these tight-knit dale communities, stories of hobgoblins abound. There are many stories of farmers who have fled the valley to escape the mischief of these little tormentors...all the farms we passed seemed so quiet..I wondered if the little goblins were still up to no good.

Back down in the valley and all that was needed was to follow the path alongside the River Dove back to Low mill. Really beautiful finish to such a lovely walk..Cant belive we haven't visited before.

Derwent moors

24/09/17.

As I am working nights this week I found myself lucky enough to have a few free hours [ me time]. The best thing to do with "me time"is to go for a walk. We chose a lovely little short but scenic circuit from Cutthroat bridge in Derbyshire...This is the starting point for many a fine walk. A rather macabre title for a bridge, it is said to be named after an incident in 1635 when a traveller/ merchant was found here with his throat cut from ear to ear. He would have been travelling on an old pony route through the high ground between Sheffield and Manchester. All his goods and money was gone/stolen but amazingly he was still alive and was taken to nearby Bamford hall, where he died a few days later.

Weather wise it was turning into a beautiful day, early autumn tints of gold begin to take over as the bracken was on the turn up on the moors...This has always been a special time of year for me. We crossed the stream and set off in the direction of Moscar. Todays walk was taken from a little book called Short walks in the Peak District. Some nice little walks in this book, I hope to be making my way through them during the coming months.

At Moscar the route turned westward across the moors following an  ancient path towards Derwent edge. before crossing the moorland I popped over to have a word with a lovely friendly horse..he told me he was having a great day in his field with his friends the sheep.

Crossing the moor we came across this ancient standing stone/Menhir..it stands in a lonely spot looking out towards Stanage edge. Cant find out much about it, probably a guide stone across the moors. I read somewhere that it was once knocked over years ago by an irate landowner who dislike people crossing the moor.

Before long we found ourselves at the Moscar/Derwent/Derent edge crossroads...This is a popular place for walkers and rightly so. Everyone that walks in the Peak district finds themselves drawn here again and again. To our right lay the massive gritstone outcrop of the wheel stones sometimes called the coach and horses..Our route turned left towards Whinstone lee tor.

I like Whinstone lee tor...I always have, I consider it to have one of the finest views in the whole peak. A hazy view today. Heres the view looking down to Ashopton viaduct with Win hill in the background.

Downhill from here towards Ladybower where we skirted around the side of the hill, passing above the Ladybower inn...Nearly back to the car now, although we still had the beautiful Ladybower wood nature reserve to walk through. It is one of the few remaining examples of ancient sessile oak woodlands in the Peak district. A real joy today, woodland at its very best.

Marvellous Mardale...A walk up to High street.

September 16th 2017.

Todays route started from Mardale head at the end of the isolated Haweswater reservoir. It's quite a quiet area by lake district standards, although several walkers cars were already parked up when we arrived at about 8.30...The plan was to tackle the Rough crag ridge, so off we set. There are some great looking mountains here at Mardale head, the one that demanded the most attention being Harter fell, a tremendous wall of crags falling swiftly down into the head of Mardale amid wild and romantic surrounding...We pressed on along the northern shore of Haweswater. I looked back often, Harter fell I couldn't ignore.

We rounded a bend on The Rigg and were greeted with our first sight of the neighbouring valley of Riggindale, a quiet secluded valley. The valley holds a special place in the hearts of birdwatchers as this is Golden Eagle country...Or rather I should say was Golden Eagle country as the male Eagle that was resident here has not been seen for the last couple of years...such a shame, would have been amazing to have seen an eagle wheeling above the valley....I do hope they return one day.

As we climbed we began to get better views out across Haweswater, it amazed me how blue the water looked...

I enjoyed the walk along the Rough crag ridge. It has been referred to as the connoisseurs route to High street, the ascent is a classic. Ahead lay the rocky staircase of Long stile with the Whale-backed crest of High street beyond..With an excitable Spaniel on a lead I set off onwards and upwards, I would need a breather at the top.

Yep...a breather was need as I stumbled up onto the plateau...what a view though looking back along the ridge.

The small tarn of Blea water looked amazing from up there, cradled between rocky arms its said to be the deepest tarn in Lakeland,200 ft deep apparently, it certainly looked dark and mysterious.

Only a short walk now up to the 2718ft summit of High street. Many of the high places of Lakeland have no place in history books, this cannot be said of High street though, as a Roman road crosses the fell, a high level route between Ambleside and Penrith, I bet there are many ghosts of Roman centurions up there. The summit is also known as Racecourse hill and would have been the venue of huge gatherings of shepherds from all of the surrounding valleys who would meet up to exchange lost sheep. At these shepherd meets there would be much drinking, merriment and wrestling, pretty much the same that  go's on in other High streets up and down the country...Nowadays all is quiet here and only the rising larks disturb the stillness.

With another Wainwright ticked off my second round list I headed off to the next Mardale ill bell. Standing at 2496ft..Great views back to Haweswater from up there.

All that was needed now was to descend to the Nan bield pass then drop down the rocky staircase to Small water [another tarn].before following the path back to Haweswater...not that easy though when your old legs, knees, ankles are shot...I hobbled along, then suddenly found my self laying on my back as I slipped into a disgusting black bog...Just as a group of people passed me,[why does it always happen when people are passing]...Pointing at the dog I said "I'm in competition with him to see who can get the filthiest". Im sure it wont be the last time that happens...What a classic walk it has been.

The gorgeous Harter fell..

We were lucky enough to find ourselves with a couple of free days, "best not waste them" we said, so we drove up to the Lakes for a couple of days of walking and camping. We chose to camp in Eskdale, as its any area we rarely get around to visiting...The campsite was to be Fisherground situated mid way along the valley...It was ok, but not a site I would recommend [too many rules and too many kids running around causing havoc]. I suppose its my age but I much prefer the quiet life...The day of our walk dawned, overcast, never mind....We drove up the valley to the small car park at Wha house farm. A footpath sign at the car park pointed its way up to Scafell via Slightside and just for a second I was tempted. Across the valley the craggy and pyramidal summit of Harter fell looked fantastic...The long slog to Scafell or the beautiful climb up to Harter fell, there was no contest...We set off along the lane towards Harter fell.

We walked on to the bottom of the Hardknott pass, several cars were parked here,and i realised we could have saved nearly a mile of walking along tarmac to get here.Never mind the road was quiet so it really didn't matter. We crossed over Hardkott gill at Jubilee bridge to follow the lovely path that crosses the fells over to Dunnerdale.....Good views began to open up as we climbed across the valley towards the Scafells and Upper Eskdale.

The path to Harter fell leaves the main path, indicated by a small pile of stones and sets off much steeper now, through thick bracken at first but this is soon left behind to follow a sketchy path across the eastern flanks of the fell.I love to follow a path like this...patches of heather now added to the beauty of the walk.

Nowhere was the path too steep..The only sound we could here were the bees busying themselves with the Heather, Then suddenly from nowhere peace was shattered as two jets flew below us, the sound was startling almost deafening but within seconds they had disappeared, across Dunnerdale then over the Coniston fells...Peace returned....A short steep section and we were topping out on the summit,first we visited the Trig pillar.

There are three rocky tops on the summit and it is customary to visit all three, the first, where we find the pillar is not the actual top. Nearby is a far rockier little top, the true summit at first glance it looks an unassailable climb, but to the north of it there is a breach in rocks giving an easy scramble to the 2140ft summit...I think the views from Harter are as good as anywhere in the district, but everyone has there favorites...After scrambling the rocks we settled down for a bit of scran and a cheeky Vimto..We sat with our backs to rocks looking down across the Duddon valley towards Cockley beck and the Wrynose pass[pictured below].

After a leisurely break we retraced our steps back to Eskdale. Taking our time as the views were first class. We remembered the last time we walked up to Harter fell, many years ago in thick fog being led up by our daughter Emma who had recently climbed it on a school trip. Sadly on that day we had no views but today was a different Kettle of fish.To the south towards the glittering Irish sea sea we could see Black coombe, The Duddon estuary, Little Stickle pike, To the east the huge range of the Coniston fells, The the west we had Birker fell, Green crag, Devoke water and Muncaster fell and finally to the north stood mighty Pillar the Scafells and Bowfell..all in all a sight to stir the soul.

We more or less had the fell too ourselves which is just as I like it..However at times it is nice to meet fellow walkers... at Jubilee bridge we met up with a little Japanese man who had been up to the summit, we walked back with him along the road, a chatty little fellow from Crewe, I enjoyed his company, Its always nice to have a chat with kindred spirits.