The best long distance path in England, and Lake District Marilyns

  THURSDAY  13th March

Previous posts have praised the Dalesway, (Ilkley to Bowness-on-Windermere - 84 miles). This must contend for the best long distance path in the country. It follows attractive rivers, Yorkshire Dales limestone country, and higher moorland in a sequence of ever varying scenery, nearly always on good paths and tracks and almost no Tarmac

I reckon I have now walked maybe three quarters of the route in sections, and last Thursday with two Petes this time, I filled in another gap, following the River Rawthey from Milthrop, south of Sedbergh, four kilometres to the west to where the Rawthey joins the Lune. The Rawthey is surprisingly large to say it only sources a few kilometres north of Sedbergh, but it does drain the whole of the eastern side of the Howgills, and forges vigorously through interesting, contorted limestone outcrops in its riverbed. Just before joining the Lune the Rawthey is supplemented by the River Dee which the Dalesway has already encountered further upstream as river and footpath travel downstream in Dentdale. 

Thursday’s outing served to reinforce my vote for England’s best ldp.

Surveying the Rawthey at the start

They don't make 'em like that these days

I like the purply orangey colours of the rusted iron

One for my Relics collection. It is almost too far gone to qualify

Take your choice, the stile to the left or...

The Rawthey about 100 metres before it joins the Lune

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FRIDAY 14th March

My last post enthused about Marilyn bagging associated with a true, highly rated hill walking day, but ticking the Ms list is not always like that.

Yesterday (Friday) I climbed another three of the 55 Lake District (Area 34) Marilyns leaving me a further 7 to climb for completion of that area.

The difference was that I drove between the three making for a more fragmented day without the enjoyment of a prolonged period at height. The new spoiler, after all the wetness is now fog or mist or whatever it is, and this persisted for most of the day, but the photos were better than I expected. Despite the different format it was an enjoyable and satisfying day, but I had had my fill of driving by the time I arrived back home.

Pink for driving, green for walking

Marilyns:

Binsey            NY225 355

Watch Hill     NY 158 318

Low Fell        NY 137 226

The head of Bassenthwaite Lake from the summit of Binsey

Binsey summit. I bagged a geocache at the secondary summit in the background - nearer than it looks

I was held up ten minutes while this guy tried to get through. He gave up and diappeared to the left of the pic.

The uninspring summit of Watch Hill. Not even a cairn.

Low Fell. Very steep

Crummock Water from halfway up Low Fell. Note the steepness

Low Fell summit