Far Eastern Fells Part 6

Ullswater 

27,7,19 and this mission was going to be different from the rest where its useley me and Sam the dog,  This mission is going to be a family holiday with my daughter and her two girls, with base camp being a campsite on the shore of the Ullswater lake.   

Ullswater is the second largest lake in the Lake District, being about nine miles long,  

Dummallard and Askham Fell

The first full day after are first night camping was to walk to Pooley Bridge village along the shore line of Ullswater, this was going to be the first part of a circular walk, the weather was good with plenty of sunny spells.

Dummallard 

 We made it into the village and stopped for a break, then checked the shops out and then headed over the bridge to Dummallard for a short exploration of this small hill that is covered in trees, we climbed to the top, hear at the top is the remains of an Iron Age hill fort, where it uses the steep slopes of the hill as part of its deffence and adding a deep ditch and rampart on the top. The hillfort sits at the end of Ullswater lake, guarding access to it, and the mountain passes as well.

We made are way back down to the village to continue are walk, so we passed through the village to the crossroads just outside the village and a road then a track uphill onto Askham Fell and the open moorland to another crossroads, its hear where the Roman comes up from Penrith heading for Load Pot Fell and then on to High Street Fell. It was busy with many walkers around on this sunny afternoon.

But what we came to find was a stone circle known as the Cockpit. It did not take long to find the large impressive stone circle. 

The Bronze Age in Britain lasted almost  1500 years, and it is hard to date the Cockpit stone circle because it has features of both the early and the late Bronze Age.It has stones set within a low embankment suggesting a late date. Its 20m in diameter and has more than 20 stones standing about 1m high. The Cockpit would have been a meeting place for the local people and used for religious purposes.

The Cockpit

From the Cockpit it was down hill to finish walk off, as you come off the moor you get great views of Ullswater and the fells.

  

And that was it for this family walk.

Loadpot Hill, Bonscale Pike and Arthur's Pike 

Today I left my daughter behind and the girls for a solo walk with Sam the dog and  took the van to the starting point for this walk Martindale Hause a beautiful place.

The word hause is used many times in the Lake District, what it means is a narrow passage between hills. This place even had a church next to the car park.

I left the car park on this 10 mile circular walk and headed over to a valley known as the Fusedale Beck, where I started the walk through this quiet valley on this sunny morning, As I follow this valley to its head I start to climbing with the valley and more views open up around me and as  I leave the the valley with one hard climb up to the top for Loadpot Hill. 

The views change as I make it to the summit of Loadpot with good long distant views but for the surround area I was walking through was just mile up mile of grassland.

Loadpot Hill.

From the summit I went to look for a stone circle, only to find a semi circle of thin flat stones laying flat, it was hard to make out, very poor. So I moved on making my way across the grassland looking for a path to Bonscale Pike, I found some type of path, could be just a sheep track but it was heading in the right direction.

I came to the edge of the fell with the views opening up again, just fantastic they where with Ullswater in view and then the pillars  of Bonscale Pike, so I found a place to sit and rest and have some food and enjoy the views.

Ullswater

    The pillars

After my long break it was time to move on to Arthur's Pike, path finding was not easy as I came across  Swarth Beck where it was down over the beck and climb up the other side to Arthur's Pike.

Arthur's Pike provided more great views as I passed it, now it was time to come off Barton Fell and head down hill to the last part of my walk, the bridleway what I used yesterday back to the campsite but this time to walk the full length of it back to Howtown and the car park. 

Back down in the valley now on the bridleway enjoying this walk with its lush summer vegetation of bracken and trees and the odd foxglove flower and the sound of birdsong on this sunny afternoon, what a joy.  

And the end to another good walk.

Eamont Bridge walk

After a night of heavy rain we waited around in the morning for the weather to clear up, before heading out with the family for a mission to Penrith town. After a couple of hours in the town, we moved onto Earmont Bridge just south of the town and found a parking spot near Brougham Castle for this small walk.  

This area has a long history and all centered around the rivers of Eamont and Lowther. And we was going to visit many sites today as we time travel from one site to another, we set off across a field to meet the river Eaamont to follow it to the village of Eamont Bridge.

The walk to the village was good for the dogs to have a run and the two girls while I walked with my daughter. 

We crossed the river bridge into the village , many historic houses and inns used by drovers and travelers, for whom the village was the crossing point of the river and the intersection of many roads. 

We left the village behind and walked to Mayburgh Henge 

As you go through the entrance into the henge, the central area is 325 feet and is surrounded by an enormous bank, composed of river pebbles.

This henge dates from the end of the Neolithic period and the start of the Bronze Age about 4,500 years ago. And at the center is a single large standing stone standing  10 feet.

  

Mayburgh Henge

The henge thought to have  been used for social or ritual activities like trading goods, Mayburgh's alignment to the equinox sun also suggests a cosmological use. Thousands of tons of stone were moved from the riverbed to raise the banks, it must have needed a large community to construct it. This indicates a large residential population living on the land between the two rivers using them as natural defenses and the area was fertile and easy to cultivate.

We left the site to walk down the road to King Arthur's Round Table, this site has nothing whatever to do with the legendary king. But it is a  Neolithic henge dating from about 2000 BC, the henge is around 90 meters in diameter. The enclosed area is about 50 meters across, the ditch, it had two entrances but one was destroyed by the modem road.

King Arthur's Round Table

We left the site and went back into the village and picked up the road leaving the village and several roads and junctions later we was on the Roman Road to the fort. But we stopped off at  Brougham Hall to go and explore and have a break.

The last part of the walk took us past the earthworks of Brocavum a Roman fort and then pass the medieval Brougham Castle and the end of the walk.

Hallin Fell

This evening walk was only going to take an hour to do my daughter stayed with the van while me and the girls and the dogs went for the short steep climb. It was not a sunny evening but a moody overcast sky that was getting bigger as we neared the top. 

At the summit we was greeted by a large stone man made pillar. 

Place Fell

Beda Fell

And that was it for this fell and it was down to the van and the end to this family mission 

Far Eastern Fells part 5

Mardale

Another bank holiday and a sunny one and it's the end of May 2018 and my new destination in the Lake District National Park is Haweswater Reservoir in Mardale, its 4 miles long with one road to the head of the valley and the car park I intended to use for the next couple of nights.
And with me to keep me company was Sam the dog

Mardale Horseshoe.  

I have done this fell once  as part of the Kentmere horseshoe walk so I am not going into much detail about the walk only that on this sunny morning starting from Mardale Head we climbed the Gatescarth track to the pass and from there to the summit with good all round views and a nice long break on the summit.

Mardale Ill Bell 

 and then it was down to the Nan Bield Pass and onto my next fell Mardale Ill Bell and then onto to the high point of the day High Street for my lunch spot I was not on my own but it was not busy, as usual I sat there there taking in the view, naming the fells while enjoying the sunshine.

High Street

The Roman Road from Penrith came this way heading for Ambleside over the summit of High Street, this being the highest summit in the Far Western Fells, Next was Rampsgill Head so  I took to the Roman road and started following a broken stone wall to the Straits of Riggindale where we left the wall and followed another path to Rampsgill Head and another rest point to take in the views especially Ramps Gill.

Rampsgill Head

I reached Kidsty Pike summit stopped to take some photos then went to find the path down to the shores of Haweswater Reservoir a steady decent.

 Kidsty Pike

It was a nice walk along the shore and back to the car park and the end of the walk.

High Street

Another  night in the car park and another lovely sunny morning  on the banks of Haweswater Reservoir while having my breakfast and planning my day. Today's mission was going to be much more a relaxed mission looking at the geology and flora'
As I walked the shoreline path to Riggindale I thought about the Haweswater Reservoir what was built to supply water to Manchester, pre 1929 this valley of Mardale was like all the other ribbon lakes in the Lake District a natural lake divided into almost two by land containing the villages of Mardale Green and Measand.
I started the climb of Riggindale a narrow ridge that ends at the shores of Haweswater, I get my first views of the Haweswater Reservoir as the views open out more the higher I climb.

Haweswater

My understanding of the Lake District geography in glaciated landforms of corries and there armchair  features as Blea Water comes into view, a large tarn or corrie, 200ft (61m) deep that was glacially excavated and is the deepest tarn in the Lake District. Blea Water was not the only tarn coming into view there was Small Water Tarn.

Small Water

Blea Water Tarn 

I came to the end of Riggindale and made my way to High Street summit again I stopped for short break then on I went passing over Mardale Ill Bell to Nan Bield Pass and my lunch break spot.

Riggindale

Small Water Tarn 

After lunch it was downhill to Small Water Tarn and on the way I found a plant to add to my list of Arctic-alpine plants Crytogramma crispa is it's latin name of the Parsley fern a rare plant.

Parsley fern

I passed Small Water Tarn and carried on to finish my walk.

High Raise and Rampsgill Head. 

This was my last day at  Mardale Head and another sunny day as I set out along a track near the shoreline of Haweswater to Bowderthwaite Bridge, I was aiming for  Castle Crag so had to leave the main path and start to climb with no path to follow it was not easy to reach Castle Crag and site of the Iron Age hillfort and a short break I had.

Castle Crag

Next was the steep climb up of climbing over different shelves and  lumpy tussocky grass made it difficult to reach Low Raise and I was ready for a rest when we reached the large cairn of Low Raise.

Sam

Low Raise

It was easy going now from Low Raise to High Raise with a good path to follow and then onto Rampsgill Head and another rest to take in the views of where the three ridges meet at Rampsgill Head.

High Raise

Rampsgill Head

From Rampsgill Head I headed for the summit of High Street but just before the summit I turned off and headed down Riggindale to finish my walk off on the shore of Haweswater.

Four Stones Hill

Having finished my exploration of the head Mardale I moved to the other end of Haweswater. to where they built the dam wall and the village of Burnbanks and started my 5 mile walk from there and I had good weather again. 

I followed a path just above the Haweswater for some distance and then pulled away  to start my climb following a stream uphill to a footbridge while enjoying the sites and sounds of nature on my way.

From the footbridge I followed a indistinct path to the Four Stones Hill and has you come to the hill and see only two remaining stones left of this Bronze Age settlement I stopped for a rest and to explore the area, I found a large pile of stones,Archaeologists believe to be a funeral cairn.

Funeral cairn

 At the top of the there is great views along the length of Haweswater with no rush this morning I sat and soaked in the atmosphere of the place on this sunny day.

This was also near the end of this small walk and it was all down hill back to Burnbanks and the end of this mornings walk.

 Knipescar Common 

This short walk in the afternoon was to finish my day off and then it was the drive home to Derbyshire, but for now this walk takes me to the outer edge of the Lake District to the limestone area just outside the village of Bampton where I found a parking spot on the side of the road. 

I could see Knipscar Common as I started my walk, I was looking up to it seeing an limestone escarpment and that was where I was heading. The hill side was covered in gorse shrubs with bright yellow flowers. 

This walk took from Wainwrights Outer Fells book, and this walk like so many others from the book gives you the chance to look back to fells in the distance to where I have been walking all week.

My first point of interest on this walk was a erratic in a grass field, this is a glacial-deposited rock differing from the type of rock native to the area in which it rests. 

I carried on with my walk and took a detour to look at some ruined lime kilns, these are small farm kilns which were used intermittently to  produce sufficient lime for the farmer's own needs. They were all based on the simple draw type kiln in which the fuel and limestone are placed in the kiln in alternate layers. As the fire moves up the kiln burnt lime is drawn out at the bottom. Most kilns in Cumbria date from the late eighteenth to mid nineteenth century.

I made it up onto the escarpment with wide open views to the west and limestone pavement in front of me, the landscape was covered in grasslands and large areas of bracken up hear somewhere is a stone circle dating back to the Bronze Age, so I went on my search for it.

Limestone pavement

What a disappointment   it was, what few stones there was broken and laid in the ground and I could not make out a circle. I left the circle and made my way to the edge of the escarpment and sat down to take in the views.

After my rest it was back down hill off the escarpment and back to the road and my car and end of this walk and the end to another Lake District mission and what great weather I have had all week, I was pleased with myself. .  

Far Eastern Fells part 4

Swindale

This mission has been put off twice once planned as a Christmas mission and then again in February, all because of life's complications like family and work, and it's only a short exploration of the Swindale valley this secretive beautiful and peaceful valley in the Far Eastern Fells. Now it's April and the way it is in my new job position I am only able to take annual leave in the school holidays, so now I have to hit the Lake District in the holiday period and with every other tourist intent on visiting this place.

So the 3rd of April 2018, I am off up the motorway to the Lake District for a night in the car park at Wet Sleddale. The next morning was a wet one I let Sam the dog out to do his business,  while I put the kettle on and made breakfast, This mission was to explore a new valley called Swindale. 

Seat Robert 6 ½ miles

The weather had improved by the time I had breakfast and took the van up to Swindale to a car parking spot and was ready for this walk took from Alfred Wainwright's book The Outlying Fells.
From the parking area I walked along the road droping down into Swindale valley to Truss Gap and the river crossing of the Swindale Beck, where there's been  a lot of work done on the river to provide a fish pass, by slowing the flow of the river.

I crossed the river and followed a track climbing out of the valley  with views opening up on this grey cold morning, the ground was covered in dead bracken and gorse with no sign of any spring growth.
I left the main track for a faint path still climbing across rough stoney ground looking for larger outcrops of rock like Langhowe Pike and then onto Rowantree Crag all the time climbing crossing a stream and boggy ground and then passing over Great Ladstones to reach Seat Robert and a rest with food and drink while taking in the views.

Seat Robert

Seat Robert summit is crowned with a pile of stones these stones was once a Funerary cairn, It was during the fourth millennium BC in the Neolithic or earliest farming period that the first large religious monuments were built. It was only about the middle of the third millennium BC that a tradition became common of placing individual burials beneath round mounds, often with everyday objects such as pottery and personal items such as daggers, whetstones and flint tools.
Next to Seat Robert summit is another curious object is the Ordnance Survey "trig detector ring.

Trig detector ring.

After leaving Seat Roberts it was the return journey passing a few outcrops of rock slowly descending into the valley crossing many boggy areas and then a steep decent back down to the footbridge crossing the river and a repeat walk back along the road to the van and the end to this walk.

Branstree and Selside Pike Walk 12 miles

The funny thing when sleeping in a van is that night I stopped in a parking area with all round views of the countryside, When I woke this morning I usually after wipe condensation of the glass windows to see out but this morning what was stopping me seeing out this morning was a lare of snow over the glass, was not expecting that when I looked at the weather forecast last night it said wintry showers.
So I put the heaters on to warm up and melt the snow while I had breakfast.
That morning I stepped out of the van into a winter wonderland on a cold blue sky with the surrounding hills covered  in snow and the valley bottoms still green.
Todays walk was a long one and I was excited to get going . But first the 2  ½ mile road walk along the valley bottom.

Swindale Head 

Where the road ends is at the head of the valley and you follow a track and start to climb out of the valley leaving Swindale Head and leaving the main track for a small path to the ravine and the series of waterfalls just beautiful.

 It was very wet and slippery underfoot but as I climbed up enjoying the ravine and waterfalls and the sound of birdsong the ground starts to level out and you come to the main track again.

Along the very wet track I thinking of a place to stop and rest at, I new Mosedale Cottage was coming into view.
Mosedale Cottage is looked after by the Mountain Bothies Association that exists  to maintain remote buildings for which the owner has no use for, yet remain important to walkers and others who make use of the shelter they provide.
The perfect place to rest and have a coffee break as I made it to the cottage.

Mosedale Cottage

While resting at the cottage I noticed Sam was watching something outside on the hill side I strained my eyes to see in the distance was a heard of deer he was watching.
Time to move on back on the main track and climbing up to meet another track at Gatescarth Pass only for a short section before turning off for a path to follow the fence line to the top of the flat top fell known as Branstree near the summit was another Ordnance Survey "trig detector ring.

Trig detector ring.

But what took my attention was the views, and the best view was from the summit was Artlecrag Pike.

Artlecrag Pike.

Looking towards Selside Pike

A bit of snow and clear skies made this joy to be out on the fells so on I went to my next fell Selside Pike but on the way I made a detour to see the survey post, the last time I seen one of these was on the walk to Tarn Crag, that one and this one was served for a time in the construction of the Longsleddale tunnel conveying the  Haweswater Aqueduct south.

The survey post

Its hear I stopped for lunch and rested till I got cold and then started on my way to Selside Pike getting my body temperature back up.

Selside Pike summit and another big pile of stones for the summit and this where I sat to take in the great expanse of a view I had on such a clear day, The Pennines to the east was the farthest I  could see, but with the snow it was like icing on a cake.
It was the cold that got me moving again or I could have stayed longer. It was down hill from hear to the Old Corpses Road corpse roads provided a practical means for transporting corpses often from remote communities to cemeteries that had burial rights such as parish churches.

Selside Pike summit 

And the view from Selside Pike summit 

The last part of this walk was repeat of walking back along the road from Swindale Head back to the van and both me and Sam was ready for a rest but what a great walk thanks to the weather.

The Naddle Horseshoe Walk 8.5 miles  

This morning the weather was back to a normal overcast grey day ahead of me on this last walk of this mission, I was starting from the car park where I have been for last few days, this walk was explore a group of hills.
The first part to Scalebarrow Knott following a track then miner path along side a wall climbing up to the knott and my first open views, but with low cloud covering the maor fells. I carried on following the faint path and wall passing a pumping station head away from the wall to summit of Hare Shaw and then back to this very long wall to have a short coffee break.
Leaving the wall behind and following a faint path through heather and grass to Naddle Forest, not easy to follow and trying to find Hugh's Laithes Pike and another break but longer one while getting my first view of Haweswater Reservoir.

Hugh's Laithes Pike

The last leg of the walk with trees about now as I pass Naddle Farm and then the Naddle Brook and climb back up and bring me full circle back to the long wall and the finish of this walk and also the finish of this mission.