Monday 22nd February
Devotees of obscure stone circle viewing would likely have Knipescar low on their list. This shy limestone plateau north of Shap boasts one such circle on the OS map, but from what I could only questionably observe, it exists mainly in the imagination of academic archaeologists.
However, on a crisp, blue sky, nip-in-the-air winter's morning it was sheer delight. I took a concocted route so that I could arrive at the northern end and walk back along the whole plateau to take in the highest point, and hopefully, the stone circle. The former turned out to be indeterminate, and the latter was unconvincing in its apparently natural appearance. BUT, the cropped turf, wide Land Rover track along the undulating fell top, which is not shown on the OS map, provided the perfect walking surface, even in the prevailing muddy conditions. There were splendid views to the larger Lake District hills, and a glimpse of Haweswater across the Lowther valley - spring was on the way.
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| Part of Knipescar Common plateau |
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| I've always thought farm gates were in themselves a design fault - too much weight to support, but here a wheel has been added. A good idea, but not perfect if conditions are muddy. I've never seen one like this before. Note the dead moles hanging on the gate. |
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| North west from approximate summit of Knipescar |
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| Big zoom to Haweswater |
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| Riggindale and High Street |
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| My car is just visible on side of road, top left - spring is here. |
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Thursday 18th February
A short walk with Pete a few days before the above gave us even earlier signs of spring.
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| We wondered what was sticking up on this summit so... |
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| ...a touch of zoom with the camera, and who needs binoculars? |
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| Ahhh! Yes I know... |
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| Ours was the pink route - location - from the A 509 Conston road, just up from Greenodd |
Those stone circles don't exist as far as I could see...
ReplyDeleteRound like a circle in a spiral, like a wheel within a wheel
Never ending or beginning on an ever-spinning reel
Like a snowball down a mountain, or a carnival balloon
Like a carousel that's turning running rings around the moon
Like a clock whose hands are sweeping past the minutes on its face
And the world is like an apple whirling silently in space
Like the circles that you find in the windmills of your mind.
Alan Bergman and Michel Jean Legrand. From the 1968 film The Thomas Crown Affair.
BC - I'm glad you concur about the non-apparent circle - I thought I might have missed something.
ReplyDeleteI regret not having taken more interest in popular music in my youth when I immersed myself exclusively in jazz. There are some great lyrics out there and although I have no knowledge of music technology, from what I have read there is some pretty sophisticated composition as well. The thing about the lyrics is that you need to research them because they are more often than not incomprehensible during the rendition of the song.