Helton Askham circular

Wednesday 23rd. April 2025 

Continuation of my exploration of the northern foothills and minor dales  of High Street.

Car parking had been identified using Google Earth. A steep cul-de-sac road leads from Helton which in less than quarter of a mile arrives at a cattle grid and then unfenced road where parking is possible. My walking route continued on that road, but I knew that the steep climb from Helton may be my nemesis at the end of a fairly strenuous six miler, something that wouldn't have even entered my mind before I was afflicted with my breathing problem.

The road continued climbing until I could branch off on a track on now extensive undulating moorland stretching away to the northern slopes of High Street. Here there is a network of well defined tacks and paths to connect with High Street and Pooley Bridge and Heughsacr Hill. I realized that this is a fairly popular walking area and I met quite a few others on and off. The walking on perfect turf and tracks was the very best of Lakeland terrain. At the northern end of the moorland the land drops away down to Ullswater and I was rewarded by a surprise view down to our second largest lake with Blencathra (Saddleback) in a haze in the background. My route skirted Heughscar Hill which I have ascended in the past, and it was quite steep climb from the moorland to skirt high up underneath Heugh Scar. My affliction really rules out climbing the major peaks of the Lakes but I still strive to get on high if possible and today's route enabled that by having a relatively  high starting point  at about 260m. Long may I continue to find such ways and means to have the pleasure of being on high.

Descent and a stretch of road walking was pleasant enough to arrive at the pretty village of Askham. Here a footpath cuts out some of the road walking back down to Helton. A one point a lamb had its head stuck through that six inch square fencing wire. There was no way it was going to escape and I managed to extract it, but ripping my cherished Berghaus Hollowfill jacket that has accompanied me on many trips including my Land's End John 'o Groats walk. 

I had been having some unreasonable foreboding about climbing that steep little stretch back to the car, I took it steadily and arrived back at the start in good form. That was  an exceptionally good walk . I have one more planned not far way which I think will exhaust possibilities in that area.

Worth clicking photos to enlarge.

Just above the cattle grid, and looking to the start of my walking. It was uphill for a while until I was able to branch off onto the moorland

Off onto perfect turf and tracks

It is difficult to envisage what went on so long ago at these stone circles. We can only glean a bit from the imaginations of some of our more fanciful archaeologists. 

Approaching the surprise view of Ullswaster

Heugh Scar. Quite a climb (for me) to get up there but well worth it

Looks a bit like a Heaton Cooper painting?

Not sure what this is. I guess something to do with water supply. It is not likely to be one of those nuclear bunkers - digging anything out into the underlying rock here would be above and beyond. Anybody know any more ?

Walking out of Askham to pick up the path back to Helton. 1696 is going back a long wsy. This building had various patched up doorways and windows, but good to see that these and the inscription stone have been preserved in the recent restoration.

Looking back down to Helton village from halfway up the short steep ascent back to my car.

Clockwise from cattle grid just south west of Helton

Low Kop from Cawdale

 Tuesday 8th April 2025

My previous post covered my discovery of, and delight in Cawdale. So much so that I had a compulsive desire to go beyond that tempting peek round the corner looking up to the head of the dale. From the previous visit I knew I could park at the end of the Tarmac and walk directly into Cawdale, but could I climb out of the end of the dale to summit Low Kop and return by The Hause making for a desirable circular? That would be only just over four miles, but the ascent to Low Kop would be a challenge for my breathlessness affliction. There is a very rude quip originating from a medieval version about "...winning a fair lady" I can't repeat my version here but it borrows the same starting words, "faint heart never..."

We are in thé midst of an exceptional weather window and blue skies and warm sunshine prevailed.  One has to be ruthless and dismiss other pressing matters: putting on the washing, mowing the lawn grass, attending to the recycling et al, and seize the opportunity.

I launched into the now familiar march up Cawdale, I was now thinking of this as my own private and secret dale. All was tranquil and a tonic to the soul. After an hour or so I was back at my last furthest point.  From there the gorge steepened and the stream down below was more active with mini waterfalls gurgling, glinting and splashing as it tackles the steeper drops. At the head of the dale there are remains of old sheep enclosures. Here I sat and soaked up the atmosphere and supped a coffee from my flask. That flask is a good old friend of over twenty years. It visited  most of my Munros and cheered me on  countless other day outings. I was perhaps procrastinating about the now steep ascent to Low Kop, but in a pleasant kind of way.

That climb was particularly demanding in view of my, breathlessness but the medics have encouraged me to continue with my walking and I still have the urge to take on more serious fell walking with its remoteness and challenge rather than plod round the edge of farmers' fields. There was no path but the tussocky grass terrain made for reasonably easy going, but with the steepness I was stopping to catch breath every twenty steps or so. I took a long time.

Eventually the slope eased leading to a more gentle approach to the summit. I had looked st Hill Bagging and noted that Low Kop is a "Birkett," not that I am ticking them off and I have no recollection of other hills I have climbed having that distinction. The summit was marked by a white quartz rock nestling in the grass about the size of a teapot.

The three kilometres return followed a wide grassy path with an uninterrupted descent of  330m, as much as one would likely encounter on a good Munro. Not far from that track a wooden sign post lay flat on the ground, thus eliminating its intended purpose to direct, but informing me that one of the two path options ahead was a diversion to "avoid a deep ford." My iPhone Memory Map has both OS 1:25 and 1:50 but I was using the 1:50 and the ford was not marked and I hadn't thought to  look at the 1:25 where it is clearly marked. So It was fifty-fifty. I chose the wrong one. However the stream was easily crossed a few metres upstream from the ford and I was back at my car looking up at that long distinctive descent. It had taken me five hours to cover four miles. My achievement of climbing a reasonably respectable Lakeland  summit with according to Memory Map, 930 ft. of ascent, in no way indicates that my physical ability has improved, but I was well heartened to have done so and thankful that it is till possible at my advanced years. What a good day.

Note the long line of Pennines on the horizon. That is only a small part of the exceptional length of our Pennine hills seen from many parts of this and my previous walk here. 

Welcoming committee? They were quite docile

Path goes past end of second white cottage, then skirts hillside above to enter and descend into Cawdale at the top of the stand of trees top left of photo

Looking back down to that second white cottage

Cawdale. My route and track skirt below the lefthand trees round the corner of the spur

Looking back down the dale. My entry into the dale is from the top of the distant trees

Cawdale Beck. Now more lively in the steeper gorge

Old sheep folds. Here I rested with a coffee before ascending steeply above out of left of photo

Looking back down to the sheepfolds. By no means anywhere near the top of my climb!

The modest but proud marker of Low Kop summit

A small section of the long descent of The Hause. The track provided excellent walking

The non-doing signpost

Looking back at the ford. I easily crossed the stream just to the right

Back at the car. A little weary and looking back at that long descent of the Hause.

Cawdale, west of Shap

 Tuesday 1st. April 2025

The best walk (on my own) for a long time.

Cloudless blue sky. Warmish, best for walking temperature. Remote location. Top of the world ambience. Exploration of an area new to me. 

The first photo is of my Kia Sportage. I have had this for about five months. One feature is the electric sliding sunroof. Today,  just before I joined the M6, I decided to welcome this year's first warm weather by opening that gadget for the first time. Within seconds on the M6 I felt "stuff" raining on my head. A mixture of insects and small bits of black, unidentifiable debris and goodness knows what else. There is a complex of buttons in the roof controlling the sunroof and some interior lighting and I couldn't find the sunroof one while driving. I had to put up with that until I left the M6 at Shap. I don't normally do Spring Cleaning, but for the car that is now a job awaiting.

Winding narrow lanes from Shap took me to just about as remote a location as one can get by road in England. Anticipation of vehicles approaching from the opposite direction gave cause for apprehension akin to playing Russian Roulette. Fortunately, both going snd returning I only met a couple of other vehicles with no great problem.

My objective was to explore Cawdale, at least as far as the path ending shown on the OS map. Inital road walking was pure joy. An indication of the remoteness was underlined by gated roads, something that is rare these days, most having been replaced by cattle grids. This is certainly the land of exemplary dry stone walls. We all know that they are constructed from irregular, random stones, but here the shapes were particularly challenging. Suffice to say their clever construction, not immediately apparent, has stood the test of time going back hundreds of years. I found a well written article with much information I was unaware of which is worth a look:

CLICK IF YOU WANT TO READ

To the east I had the longest continuous stretch of the Pennines in view for most of the day. I can't recall  such an extensive, day long aspect from any other location in the past, and it conveyed an impressive impression of the scale of this valuable icon of our heritage.

Despite the remoteness of the area my route passed several old farms now mostly converted to holiday accommodation. I wondered if the owners give fair warming to potential customers of the hazardous road approaches with large SUVs and the like.

Eventually after passing the last of those complexes I was rewarded with a surprise first view into Cawdale from an elevated position. A well engineered wide green path lead down to  the floor of the dale.   The atmosphere of silence, wilderness and  overall beauty of this kind of environment is something that does wonders for my soul.

When I arrived at the end of the OS marked path I could see a spur dropping into the left of the dale perhaps half a mile further on. That would give me access to a view round into the head of the valley. A bit  beyond what I had anticipated being able to achieve. A lesser path continued and I saw my view round the corner into the head of Cawdale. I was looking down to my right to Cawdale Beck below and an entrancing waterfall with ancient dilapidated sheepfolds on the bank. I could see there was an advantageous path on the other side of the beck to improve my return. I descended and managed to cross the stream and sat for my snack and coffee with a view of the waterfall and the head of the valley beyond. Perfect.

The return journey coincided for a while before I picked up the end of the tarmac road where my car was parked half a mile further down. I noticed there was potential parking at the end of that tarmac which could lead to a circuit out of the head of Cawdale snd return by The Hause. We will see.

My route climbed the road behind my car

I turned right near the stand of trees in the distance

Challenging stone shapes for the drystone wall

Architect's website reveals high end property conversion. My research failed to find a translation for the name

Steil, Bampton

Howe Farm. I branched off through a gate before the farm

My route through the gate.

Our restoration of a remote 17th C. farmhouse with the integration of renewable technologies and conversion of a bank barn and byre hemp lime insulation within an air-tight envelope quickly became an archetype for the rejuvenation of traditional Lakeland buildings.  This project won two RIBA Awards, including the Regional Award for 

Vaugh Stei

Moorahill Farm, and below. 

Note Rookery behind

Unusual sort of alleyway path between fields

Lower Callhullan Farm - holiday cottages...

...and Upper Calhullan. Footpath goes between end of white building and one to its left

I saw lots of fell ponies

First view of Cawdale and the engineered path leading down.

I part ascended the spur between the trees until I could see into the head of Cawdale

Looking up towards the head of the Dale. My furthest point.
Next photo looking down right from there to...

...Cawdale Beck with waterfall and old sheepfolds. I descended and crossed the stream

My lunch spot looking up to the head of the dale

Anti-clockwise from Hullockhowe

I tried to copy and paste info. from the estate agent's blurb mentioned above. It must have been copywriten or whatever and it played havoc with my positioning of the photos. I spent ages but gave it up as a bad job.