We walked most of this route on 22nd June last year. For such an insignificant venue it promoted a disproportionate amount of discussion: nineteen interesting and varied comments. I don't often refer readers back to previous posts but reckon this one is worth another glance:
Paradise Lane - June 2018
At my age I am ambitious to mop as many new sights and unvisited curiosities as possible. Although previous outings have been rewarding I feel I am wasting valuable time by revisiting. I remember being criticised somewhere for this stance and wonder if I am in some minority, or if I am suffering from some kind of blind spot?
There were discoveries last time that I will not repeat. Pete is laid-back about covering old ground again saying it is more about getting together, having some exercise and a natter, and a pot of tea at Café Ambio afterwards. I wholeheartedly agree, but when I walk alone, which I strongly favour, that is not the case. By saying that I don't mean that I am demeaning walking with friends - it is just a different kind of enjoyment. Pete also points out that if you walk a route in reverse you benefit from the new views, often quite surprisingly.
Some old tractors were largely hidden on a track amongst ramshackle wooden sheds. I photographed three having no recollection from the last visit, and then found I had photographed one of them last time.
A massive tree had fallen across the road recently requiring what I suspect must have been monumental effort to clear. The newly exposed cross cutting of the trunk had a warm glowing colour unusual in nature and the tree rings were exposed in fine detail. It was sad to see that such a giant had fallen, but for some perhaps atavistic reason I found the sight fascinating and interesting.
After Paradise Lane we crossed to use the footpath alongside this busy road. On one's own territory significant sights are taken for granted. I have driven and walked past Billerudkorsnas paper mill hundreds of times over the years. They claim to be a world leading manufacturer of specialised papers for medical, foodstuffs and many other applications. There has been a paper mill there from 1788 at one time converted to a flour mill then back again to paper. The old corn mill is worth a visit (for free), but the modern paper production plant has now been taken over by Swedish owners. We walked alongside what I presume is a water filtration process with channels of gushing water, today a sort of pale turquoise colour. The works are situated on the River Bela snd I guess that is their water source.
We continued along Hangbridge Lane to emerge on the B6384 at Hang Bridge, a fine 1890s double arch spanning our second meeting of the River Bela, now in a more countrified setting. I note Ordnance Survey use one word for the lane and two for the bridge. A short stretch on this busier road took us back to the car.
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This and below - the two that got away last time.
I seem to be finding tractors for Alan's identification that are more and more obscured by rubbish and the like, and only at a zoomable distance - I must have had the shakes here for these blurry images
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| Water filtration at the paper mill alongside the A6 walked and driven past many times before without bothering to comment. |
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| River Bela from Hang Bridge |
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| Hang Bridge (courtesy of the Westmorland Gazette) |
That was certainly worthy of a repeat journey. 'Parish Dyke' spoils the illusion.
ReplyDeleteIs the cut tree the same as your giant oak in the 2018 post? I suspect it could be from the sequence of pictures. Unintentionally you may have captured something unique.
I won't be driving down that narrow lane to investigate but you may have retrace your steps once again.
BC - I am pretty sure you are correct about the tree although it hadn't occurred to me.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the pics. I had to really look at that tractor with the 21 number on it. My first thought was a Ford but the Ford's were built in Japan and this one was too big. So it's a Leyland 2100 two wheel drive with 5.6litre engine. The small tractor is covered in a kind of patina is actually a Fordson, most likely a Major.
ReplyDeleteThose trees which I am guessing are Chestnut must have been huge. Not sure they fell over though.
Alan R - Well done - you have risen to the occasion again.
ReplyDeletei'm with AR's last sentence - i suspect the dead hand of elfnsafety 'ere: a trip down the side of Ullswater yesterday revealed mass culling of fine healthy trees and stout young hedging shrubs well behind the verges and walls along both sides of the road and along the shore - obviously so nutcases could race along the road with less chance of coming into contact with them when misjudging a bend at 90mph - but ruining the scene for the whole length of the lake for everyone else.
ReplyDeletegimmer - sounds like the National Trust.
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