For newcomers

At the bottom of each post there is the word "comments". If you click on it you will see comments made by followers, and if you follow the instructions you may also comment and I always welcome that. I have found many people overlook this part of the blog which is often more interesting than the original post!

My blog nick-name is SIR HUGH. I'm not from the aristocracy - my middle name is Hugh which relates to the list of 282 hills in Scotland compiled by Sir Hugh Munro in 1891. I climbed my last one (Sgurr Mor) on 28th June 2009

****************************

Thursday, 30 January 2025

Ellerside and How Barrow north of Cartmel

 Wednesday 29th January 2025

A real gem of a walk today.

But, from Grange-over-Sands the way to Cartmel had a "Road closed" sign. I have seen so many of these over the years and my estimate is that on more than fifty percent you find you can get through, so I carried on for nearly a mile only to find the road was blocked. So the return to Grange and a long detour on narrow roads and no passing places provided much suspense. I eventually approached Beck Side from the north.

This was one of those rare good single day forecasts in the midst of doom and gloom. The blue skies and sunshine lived up to the prediction. The whole of this fringe of the Lake District area is superb limestone walking country and it was so good to be out there. Tarmac uphill and then good tracks had me up to the Ellerside ridge. You approach a distant wall and a well constructed stile. As you gain the top of the stile you have a dramatic surprise view of the estuary below and the whole Coniston range dotted with snow in the distance - brilliant!

Walking on the ridge is of the best with cropped turf and good paths with rocky limestone outcrops and continuing views in all directions - classic ridge walking.

The map showed that How Barrow trig was on the other side of a wall from the public footpath and I was concerned it may not be accessible, but there was an open gateway leading to the summit - I have not shown that short diversion on the map below. The summit provided the perfect location and timing for my sandwich and coffee. I took in this ambiance and valued being  privileged at the age of 85 to still get out and be reasonably "on high" in such best of surroundings.

I descended and took paths back on good paths through fields. At one point I chatted with a guy working for the land owner on improving the land drainage and  similar after neglect by a previous owner. This chap was driving a Kubota tracked digger which he said the new owner had bought for him without hesitation to enable reaching into  deeper water courses. His young Labrador came at me barking as we met but I could tell it was all show and we became instant friends through obligatory stick throwing.

On the way in I had bought a  pork pie from the legendary Higginsons butchers in Grange and back home after a hot bath, and the pie making the base of an enjoyable meal, followed by some benign tele. watching, and a drop red rounded off as good a day as I have had for a while.

There is much satisfaction from those sybaritic pleasures after they have been earned by some  good quality exertion. 

 Blogger would not let me delete the underlining on some captions despite "Clear Formatting" etc.
Worth clicking photos to enlarge.

Quiet tarmac to start with but with expansive views


Over Ridge, and "Lonesome Pine"

My trig point was on the lefthand end of the skyline ridge, 

Speel Bank, this more modern house and just up the hill the old farmhouse



Topping out on to the Ellerside Ridge with superb views of the Coniston range and from the stile the full surprise drama pf the Cartmel estuary

A genuine surpise view from standing on this stile. The photo below is a zoom to the crag on the skyline








The Old Man of Coniston

All the photos on this Ellerside ridge were looking back because I was walking directly into the sun





First view of How Barrow trig



The Coniston range from How Barrow trig


Still good walking on the way back





You don't have to listen to it al



2 comments:

  1. You certainly enjoyed that one.
    Déjà vu -
    https://conradwalks.blogspot.com/2023/10/five-miles-or-six-miles.html

    ReplyDelete
  2. BC - I thought there was something familiar about it!

    ReplyDelete