Friday 14th July 2023
Just trying to find some unwalked paths not far from home.
This little excursion took me unexpectedly up the side of a previously unseen limestone quarry on a scree path: the sort of thing I keep telling myself I should avoid these days. I huffed and puffed until the scree path joined a better but still steep path through old woodland with an air of mystery.
After levelling out for a while a gate lead onto open level ground, a summit plateau giving easy walking on cropped turf. Sheep normally run off as though they expect immediate harm from any passer by, but more irritating is their inborn tendency to being herded so they just follow on in front of you instead of moving off to one side to let you pass. But the sheep were here were strangely tame and one even came to sniff my hand as would do a friendly dog.
At my furthest north I had a glimpse through the trees of Witherslack Hall School where my daughter used to "try" to teach delinquent kids found uncontrollable in conventional schools and boarded out to this old mansion.
This is not a particularly old building but it has a commanding presence nestling under the steep limestone slopes of Whitbarrow Scar, a venue I have eulogised about here and visited often.
From the link below I gleaned the skimpy bit of history shown below the link, there is little more information on that site for those who may be interested.
The scree path can be seen leading off steeply from the foot of the quarry. The path zig-zags to come out on the plateau of the skyline
 |
| Much steeper than it looks. Why do photos always disguise steepness? |
 |
| Out onto the open plateau and the friendly sheep |
 |
| Witherslack Hall School below the slopes of Whitbarrow Scar |
 |
| Start finish at the 22 spot height |
You know that corner of the world very well so it was good to find some new paths. You weren't far from the summit of Yewbarrow, 128m.
ReplyDeleteOne wonders why a public footpath winds up the quarry screes.
We used to buy plants from nearby Halecat Gardens, but see it has now transformed itself into an 'events venue' as if we didn't have enough.
You were getting ahead of yourself with July 23rd
ReplyDeleteBC - There was an easier alternative to the scree path but at the fork I wasn't sure which would lead to where I wanted to go, so I chose the higher one. The two came together further up.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your proof-reading skills, correction made.
Whilst the fourth photo doesn't show the slope at all, you've managed to capture it effectively in the third photo.
ReplyDeleteIt seems that you're rebuilding fitness nicely, in spite of the lung limitations.