A few years ago, before I was fully tuned into GPS, I had spotted "Three Brothers" at SD 494 734. Memory is distant now but I recall investigating unsuccessfully on two occasions. Unfortunately I was relying on my less than precise skills, and also, I think on those occasions the Three had only been a secondary objective, and the terrain was challenging: quite thick old deciduous woodland, mini hills, dense bracken and no paths (marked on the map) and I was running out of time.
I can't remember now if I set off from home before, but it is six miles out (and six miles back), and today, as I am still not driving I had no option, so this would be my record distance walk since the accident. I experimentally tried on my daysack-rucksack and pleasingly found it was no problem, and a welcome improvement on the satchel I have been using.
Previously I had used the 1:50 map, but today, with the 1:25 I saw that there was a lane leading off the Tarmac road in the appropriate direction to within two hundred yards of the Three. That may not sound much, but it was pathless, up and down hills, and wading through thigh high bracken whilst consulting the GPS on Memory Map on my iPhone, and using my compass. Those two hundred yards from the lane took me fifteen minutes or so. GPS was telling me I was there, but stood in the bracken I was looking up to my right at a twenty foot high banking covered in brambles and shrubbery, and I was on the point of concluding the Three Brothers, whatever they were, had succumbed beneath that lot, but a few yards further a well defined path lead round the back of that banking, and there was number one, a limestone rock, roughly cuboid and the size of a small car - not all that spectacular, and then twenty yards further another similar one. The third was smaller and another twenty yards further, but the alignment made it impossible to get them all in one photo together. All in all, some may say, a pretty disappointing result for a twelve mile round walk, no pot of gold, but I was well satisfied. There were paths all over and I bashed on with my circular route.
Wolf House Gallery, teashop and painting gallery (RR once bought a painting there!), completed my pleasures with a thirst quenching pot of tea on this hot day along and a unique pecan nut flavoured sponge.
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| Hawes Water (Arnside/Silverdale AONB) |
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| Leighton Hall |
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| Two of Three Brothers (the third was behind the camera) |
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| Clockwise. Red star indicates Wolf House Gallery |
That walk and persistence shown shows that that at least is fully up to speed - amazing what one can find on one's doorstep if one but looks around !
ReplyDeleteBodes well.
Any information on their origin, or another set of erratics ?
gimmer - walking is ok and daytime activities ok but nighttime is not so good. I am going to do a post wth more detail.
ReplyDeleteif you Google "The Three Brothers, Warton Crag" there are many links. Erratics? I'm not sure, I thought erratics were boulders left by the glacier out of context with their surrounding geology. I think thrse are naturally deposited by the ice but do conform to the surrounding limestone geology.
Since giving up work I've become an enthusiastic advocate for walks from my front door (our curry walks for example), I've discovered all manner of interesting things on these little jaunts.
ReplyDeleteWell done for getting out Conrad, I'm delighted to see that you're getting the miles in once again.
JJ - Yes, I nearly always come back with something to Google.
ReplyDeleteNot exactly a painting, an example of the art of frottage. My immediate reaction to this odd word was that might be one of those services provided by ladies who used to stick their visiting cards in phone boxes. The work of art proved to be mute about this supposition and my knowledge of recherché sex remains unexpanded to this day.
ReplyDeleteRR - With regard to the secondary definition of frottage in my dictionary I can assure I didn't rub myself up and down on any of the Three Brothers - my pleasure, as I wrote, came later with tea and cake at Wolf house.
ReplyDeleteThat's a fair walk for a hot day. I have to admit that it took me a while to find the Three Brothers too. The kids like climbing on them (and jumping off them - I try not to look). I believe that the cafe at the Wolfhouse has new proprietors - it sounds like they have your seal of approval?
ReplyDeleteBeating the bounds -The Wolf House website says they are closed Monday and Tuesday so I was surprised to find them open. Business seemed quiet, I was the only customer during the twenty minutes or so I was there. I had a pot of tea and an original pecan, caramel flavoured spongy cake in the shape of a muffin - £4.80, so middle of the road to high price these days which was ok because the quality was there. I would certainly call again, but I'm not raving about it so far.
ReplyDeleteGreat shot of the Owl. Very lucky to capture it.
ReplyDelete