Scout Hill with BC

 Sunday 8th October 2023

Let somebody else plot a route on your patch and even though you think you have walked every footpath in that domain you may be surprised, Bowland Climber plotted this one and had me on various paths and lanes new to me, although there were places I had visited before but forgotten about until I recognised certain features. 

The cil-de-sac lane just off the A65 out of Crooklands provided parking just beyond majestic beech trees lining the lane. Our walk started here. There were extensive excavations for new mains water pipes but thankfully all was peace: "Never on a Sunday?

"We crossed the A65 to the Hideaway café, a venue I have used in the past on walks with Pete - they have now made a well equipped children's playground to the rear. Footpaths leading from the café across fields, surprisingly not waterlogged, gave us views  back to Café Ambio and the livestock auction where my Thursday walks with Pete have finished over the last few years. Farleton Fell dominated ahead. The flanks of that fell are cloaked in bracken snd gorse intermingled with white limestone outcrops and with the sun shining it provides a remarkable contrasting view against the surrounding countryside. Unfortunately that was not the case on this dingy day when we have not quite transitioned into autumn proper.

At Nook Bridge we crossed the River Bela, a good trout stream, the rights being held by a limited membership angling club. Paths from here followed the river for a while before swinging south to Aikbamk Farm. Here extensive renovation is afoot with classy stonework incorporating a courtyard with stone built barbecue and fireplace enclosed by what will be holiday cottages. The old farmhouse was visible in the background covered in that glowing, orangy red Virginia Creeper, an early sign of the vibrant colours of autumn to come.

Over recent years we have noticed many more isolated country farm properties being converted to holiday lets, a sign of the times with more people holidaying here because of climate change, Brexit complications, disrupted air travel, pandemic fears and more.

We crossed the River Bela again by a well constructed wooden bridge alongside an old ford and an idyllic picnic spot. As far as we could tell the main bridge construction was based on two very long continuous lengths of timber, they could have provided masts for HMS Victory in times past. A short climb took us to the A65 again between Dorothy Witghtman's and the Plough Inn. At the former I guess you could spend plenty on exclusive interior design for your luxury Grand Design or your second home in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales. You could then walk ia few yards to the Plough Inn where I understand fine dining would have you part with more of your well heeled income, and then you may round off the day with an overnight in one of their individual pamper rooms:

"Choose from one of our six individually designed rooms. Each one is kitted out with Aslotel toiletries, fluffy towels and lush dressing gowns and as for our bathtubs…"

Dorothy Wightman 

The Plough

We crossed the A65  with some peril leaving behind that oasis of luxury and climbed humbly up steep tarmac. A broken gate was spotted with its break tied up with the ubiquitous hairy orange string I am always ranting about - I reckon the farmer must have been somewhat challenged in the skills of knotting - see the photo below. Before the tarmac morphed into bridleway we came across yet another diversified farm albeit they have been running Crabtree Clay Shoot for many years. Now they seemed to be active in building infrastructure for holiday cabins. They have a good website and it may be an idea to circulate all those murdering bird killers with details. Surely this kind of shooting would provide as good a pass-time as the bird genocide with the advantage of more or less social acceptance. 

"Crabtree Clay Shoot is a family run shooting ground (father and sons; Edward, Derek and Jonty) and we’ve been running the Crabtree Clay Shoot for over 20 years. When we first made the move to diversify our scenic farmland in the southern Lake District, we began a friendly shoot with only one automatic trap, 2 traditional manual traps and a whole lot of enthusiasm. Now, Crabtree Clay Shoot has over 60 automatic traps over 18 English Sporting stands, as well as undercover Compac and DTL/ABT ranges. We welcome shooters on Wednesdays and Saturdays to join us at the shoot."

Crabtree Clay Shoot 

BC told me, in consideration of my possible breathless disintegration, it had crossed his mind to pop up to the summit on his own while I waited, a quick fifteen minutes there and back (he thought.) As it turned out I was ok, although I did take that ascent so slowly with many rests. We have both done our share of walking and know all about hill summits that are guarded by endless false horizons but this was something else largely because the distance on the map looking so trivial, and also the terrain was an endless series of dips, hollows and climbs which the contours on the OS map gave mo indiction of whatsoever. It was as though a giant had come from above and used that two finger scrolling method to enlarge your phone photo expanding the land into a massive enlarged area like an all encompassing monster popadom. I think it took us about three-quarters of an hour to get to the trig from the bridleway. BC had gleaned the existence of a standing stone not shown on the OS map but it was visible across another series of troughs and lumps. "A stone is a stone is a stone" I thought. OK, it was standing but there there was no indication of it having been sculpted or inscribed. From here it was downhill most of the way back on a track and then narrow grass-in-the-midle tarmac lanes. At one point I was taken by surprise as I recognised the spot where I had parked my car on my original ascent of Scout Hill a couple of years ago.

BC's car parked and we two ready for off down that lane dodging the silent roadworks.

The mature beech trees that welcomed us down the lane

Farleton Fell. No yellow gorse or golden brown bracken today but worth a revisit when weather obliges

Junction 36 Livestock auction mart incorporating Café Ambio

Distant Scout Hill, our objective

Aikbank Farm - yet more diversification into holiday cottages.
Impressive stonework here.

Modern refurbishment with the old farmhouse keeping an eye on proceedings

Bridge over the Bela. A heck of a long span for one piece of timber

The Plough Inn on the A65

BC about to launch himself across the A65 at the same time as taking a photo 

More holiday accommodation being constructed here, and below

Now on open land on the long ascent to Scout Hill

The trig is off to the right across more troughs, humps and bumps

The "standing stone"
Endmoor in the distance

Tarnhouse Tarn and unusual sort of parkland

My son Will said he liked the more distant horse "frolicking" in the background