Trigs OS Sheet 103 - from Immanuel Church Nr. Oswaldwistle

Friday 4th June 2021:

Delf Hill - 308m SD 764 249.

Green Haworth 257m SD 752 264.
Duckworth Hall (near) 217m - SD 728 263.

I had persuaded Bowland Climber to accompany me on what some may see as a pointless exercise in bagging all the trig points on OS sheet 103.

The start was in a village with no name but with the substantial Immanuel church. and a large free carpark next door. We were the only two cars using this and so it was on our return several hours later.

A path lead down to a huge graveyard. Here a volunteer chap was mowing the grass. We chatted and he was keen to have us go and visit a nature reserve and waterfall just off our route. If we had let him go on I think he would have re-organised he whole of our walk - I have often met such folk who can be quite insistent on persuading you to follow variations and attractions on or off your route. He indicated a large patch that was marginally less mowed with the observation "I'm leaving that till later, they'll be dropping a few in there next week," a turn of phrase that amused me despite its sombre allusion.

Within another hundred yards we had managed to turn the wrong way on a track, but that was soon rectified. We then found the entrance to the nature reserve where Graveyard Man had informed us of the lake and waterfall. We found the waterfall, but despite assurances there was a path round the bottom of the lake to get us back onto our route we ended up in thick wooded terrain with bramble underfoot  before emerging onto a proper path.

Navigation was tricky amongst a network of paths and tracks leading through various farms. At one of these the owner was sunbathing on her lawn and offered direction - "You go up there to those trees" - the whole of visible land ahead was covered with trees, but with our vast experience we found our way through.

Just before climbing up to the road at Mattbridge there was a pretty house by a stream. In an adjacent field we spotted an object like a squat trig pillar with a plaque. We couldn't approach because of fencing, Internet search gave the place the local name of Cock-o-Lumb where in times gone by there was a tea shop and a popular picnic venue, but now, according to an Accrington community website, visitors are not welcomed. At the top of the lane a sign indicated this as Benjamin row, Ramsclough Lane. We were both much intrigued as to the purpose of the monument or memorial and any information would be welcome.

Our first trig was visited after a  short diversion from the hazardous  B6236.

We passed along the top side of Accrington golf course with no players visible on this idyllic sunny day. Or next trig point was in a field surrounded by barbed wire fencing and we diverted up a lane to approach from another path and more barbed wire. Just as we saw the trig ahead, thinking we had overcome all barriers we saw that the trig itself had been surrounded by yet another fence encircling a mini mountain of manure.

Pleasant walking took us back to our cars. A short drive to park on a road a mile away gave us access to an unfenced footpath from which a two hundred yards diversion would take us to the trig which was plainly visible. Two thirds of the way to the trig we were stopped by angry shouts from  the gate at the road. We were of course off the footpath and in the wrong. We were told we could not go to the trig so we went back to the gate. Tempers subsided and then BC found that the farmer had many associations with Longridge where BC has lived for over forty years and a lengthy reminisce followed naming most of the population of Longridge known to BC and the farmer, and so it was that we were then granted permission to return and bag our third trig of the day.

Immanuel Church yard, extensive, and meticulously maintained 

Mr Graveyard Man who wanted to re-route the whole of our walk. He was still there when we returned hours later and more chat followed.

We were briefly off route here. I still get lost after all these years but now seem at least to find out sooner

In the nature reserve - I seem to have lost the photo of the waterfall

Zoom. We thought that this was a kestrel but the photo says crow

Cock-o-Lumb where the trig-like monument was in an adjacent field, I tried to do zoom photos and forgot to take one of the item in its context - the zooms conveyed nothing.

Pendle Hill

l

Oswaldtwistle and/or Accrington

Our trig now surrounded by yet another fence

Looks like the Accrington Chapter of the Yellow Latch Gang are active around here.

These volunteers were pulling trash out of the local stream. They seemed to find something every couple of yards.

Just before we were stopped in our tracks

Not sure what the ancillary little stone was

Anti-clockwise from Church. The third trig to the west was driven to after we had done the others

                                        

Halfpenny with Pete

 Thursday(Friday) Walk with Pete -  28th May 2021 - Halfpenny lanes

After recent Lockdown easing my Thursday walks with Pete have resumed. We have explored two cul-de-sac lanes recently and here are a few photos. Pete is now 85 and we only walk short distances and then retire to Café Ambio again, the main aim being to get together and have a natter.

Scarecrow on horizon - see below

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

Yellow Fever and a lifeboat to the rescue

The Yellow Latch Campaign (YLC) seems to be gathering pace: extract from Postcard from Timperley blog.   CLICK HERE for full post.

Note, below, the yellow latch on a kissing gate. Under the initiative of Michael Gove, supervised by Dominic Cummings, the Tory government would appear to have required each Local Authority to appoint a 'latchperson' to paint all gate and stile latches yellow so that their voters, now released into the UK countryside instead of being allowed to stumble around the crowded beaches of Spain, can find their way from yellow latch to yellow latch across the countryside of their homeland where they've never previously set foot ...

I wonder if yellow latches discriminate against people who are colour-blind? Oh! and perhaps against Chinese? I think there should be an official enquiry launched, but that wouldn't start for eighteen months. The appointed judge leading it would then resign after six months. A new judge ( a cleric) then being appointed, the enquiry would report three years later with twenty-five recommendations for the Government, none of which would be implemented. During that period another one hundred official enquiries would have been set in motion, but none for such an important purpose as this one. It may even be that by the time the enquiry has reported, perhaps after the second judge ended up on the Sex Offenders List the yellow paint will have faded into obscurity with reports of vacant fields and many bewildered country ramblers switching to holidays in Benidorme.

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

LIFEBOAT UPDATE

PLEASE CLICK TO ENLARGE

Early morning shout for 17-26 Mallaig Severn class.

 Note the lights upstairs and downstairs - a modeller's triumph.

Bampton Grange, Haweswater again

Tuesday 25th May 2021 -  Bampton Grange -Bampton Common - Haweswater

After my debacle (debuckle?) a couple of days ago I had a strong feeling of unfinished business. When I plotted the original route I was pretty certain it was going to be a classic quality walk. Although it was a fine walk in its own right my pride had been dented  by my unplanned wanderings and I wanted to do something to retain a better memory of what I had hoped this would be.

I saw that I could continue from Buckle Bridge down to Haweswater and return to Bampton Grange, and apart from a bit of cul-de-sac tarmac out of Bampton the rest of the walk would be on footpaths.

The chance of a late finish was obviated by an earlier walking start at 9:30 am.

Sparse rain started within a few yards and opposite Bampton Grange church I donned a waterproof.  I also needed gloves - crazy for mid-May. I have a  light pair of gloves with touch screen finger tips which work pretty well.

I was looking for some variation from my previous visit and noticed a little tarn marked Littlewater on the map but the track from the road displayed a Private, no public right of way, farm only notice. I pressed on. Ahead as I crossed the sheep pastures and climbed the almost welcoming soundly constructed stiles with their massive flat slate through stones for steps, an enticing little hill with a pointed rocky summit was constantly in view. As I left cultivation and entered the access land I diverted to take in the little summit (spot height 342m.) That proved to give me a bonus with a view to the aforementioned Littlewater - pity, it did look an attractive venue nestling in its surroundings.

My previous route took me down to my nemesis bridge, but here I turned south-east and descended to the shores of Haweswater. This path drops about 300ft. in a third of a mile providing exciting glimpses of waterfalls and rushing water deep in the wooded ravine below: see video which shows the terrain I have descended to the bridge and then the start of the rushing beck before it drops more steeply. - see video :

The return along the shore of Haweswater to Burnbanks was on a good track and provided nostalgia from my Coast to Coast trek in the other direction back in 1990. I seem to remember the path being more basic and closer to the shoreline, but perhaps that was further up the water in the other direction?

Burnbanks provided a welcome bench cut from a tree trunk for my snacks and flask of coffee. Burnbank is now a pretty kind of model village with architect designed bungalows arising from the housing that was provided for the workers, now demolished, during the 1930s when the massive six year Haweswater construction programme was underway. The water flows for about seventy-five miles by gravity alone to supply Manchester with its drinking water.

A sneaky little path runs from there through bluebell woods to Naddle bridge. Classic country walking follows on paths taking me back to Bampton Grange after an enjoyable walk with a mix including  an iconic Lakeland village, sheep cropped turf, Lakeland fells, waterfalls, and attractive country walking. A classic little nine-miler in my opinion, and something thankfully resurrected from my previous mini-epic.

PLEASE CLICK PHOTOS TO ENLARGE

Bampton Grange church - here , only fifty yards from the car I donned my waterproof - no removed until after "The Bridge."

Littlewater. the track to it from the Bampton road was private, but from spot height 342m I got this view

Haweswater and the standing stones (again)

Turning left at the bridge - the beck on its way to Haweswater

Looking up towards Mardale Head...

... and the other way towards the dam

A look at one of the waterfalls - much is hidden by the trees

The first house on entering Burnbanks

My lunch spot. The path to Naddle Bridge goes off the road at right hand edge

This was a zoom from about thirty yards down into the river - this impressive bunch was on an isolated clump of grass with water flowing past on all sides - it was intense in colour and shouting out to be seen

Today's route in pink showing slight diversion from my previous routes and then the return by the lake

This photo included retrospectively for Gimmer - see comments below

An important forty minutes

 Monday 17th May 2021 - Bampton common (plus)

General Patton, The Six Ps: "Perfect Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance" - that wansn’t me today. On arising I had no intention of going for a walk then made an impulsive decision at 10:00am to go for this one I had plotted earlier. I knew it was realistically too late for more than an hour's drive and a longish walk to get back home in time for a bath, meal and a comfortable evening.

Showers were forecast but the sun was shining. I set off from Bampton Grange at 11:20 - too late. A footpath  had me at the old Wesleyan chapel, and an iconic Lake District bridge over Haweswater beck. More footpaths climbed steadily with newly erected signposts at sensible positions and excellent stone stiles with huge slate through stones for the steps, apparently also recently constructed. At the top of the pass a circular shelter marked as "Cairn" on the map,  and  an enchanting little tarn, a pair of standing stones, and a view of the bottom end of Haweswater far down below provided interest and character with the ambience of a typical spring day. A good track descended gently to the footbridge marked on the 1:25 map. All was going well.

I had a fixed concept in my head of a steep climb out and I could see that straight ahead. I crossed the bridge as it started to spit with rain. I stopped to don my waterproof. The rain came heavier as I raced to get the waterproof from my rucksack before getting soaked. Mission accomplished, but there was resistance to picking up my rucksack The plastic buckle had lodged between the wooden sleepers of the bridge and  because, now suspended, it opened out at one hundred and eighty degrees to the strap like one of those  fixings for plasterboard. The rain was coming heavier. I fiddled to no avail. I found a stick to poke but it broke - the rain was heavier. I would need to search again for a better tool. To work properly, because I can't kneel, I would need to lie flat on the wet planking. There was no easy way it was coming out. The top pocket of my rucksack - Swiss Army Knife - strap cut, and off I went up my steep ascent now relieved to be moving again. 

That was the hardest climb I've done for a long time and it went well but seemed to be taking too long. I had not consulted GPS/Memory Map on my phone since before the bridge and had been going for  forty minutes. As the path became easier I stopped - it was still raining. I consulted my GPS and found I was on the wrong path. I concluded that back-tracking was not an option, the solution being to yomp across pathless terrain crossing several steep valleys to get back on track. After ten minutes I stopped to re-navigate and found the rain was working like my finger on the screen activating the map continually increasing and decreasing the image making it difficult to navigate. Then the phone battery expired, I told myself to get a grip - things were getting serious. A further faff ensued getting the phone's waterproof cover from my sack along with my reserve battery pack desperately trying to protect everything from the rain. I carried on more methodically and although I knew it was going to be a tough haul to get back on track I seemed now to have more energy. The camera was stowed in the rucksack so no more photos taken.

Re-grouped I pressed on over much hard going of ups and downs. It seemed to take forever to get back to my original route to start the long descent on a wide track. Although I had made that mistake I had some satisfaction in knowing that I had been able to sort it and extricate myself from a tricky situation. Not far from the road the track forked. There was a wooden sign and I defy anybody to be certain about which fork its vital information was indicating: "Alternative path to avoid deep ford'" I tossed a coin and unknowingly chose the wrong path. Quarter of a mile further on I waded through, boots and all, water up to my knees and then another hundred yards and I was out onto tarmac. The last Liverpool game was won by the goalie scoring the winner, "The best goal I have ever scored" he said - Klopp said it was the best goal he had ever seen by a goalie. Well, the last two kilometres back to Bampton Grange were my longest two kilometres. 

The church clock struck seven as I walked into Bampton Grange - I had taken just short of eight hours to walk about ten miles.

When I tried to get out of the car back home at turned eight pm I could hardly move through stiffness in legs and knees.

This morning as I write, I am pleased to say I am more or less back to normal.

Crossing the River Lowther out of Bampton Grange

Old Wesleyean chapel - red sandstone evident

Scenic bridge crossing  Haweswater Beck

Looking back to Bampton Grange

Well marked path on good going and below, excellent stiles

Haweswater

Zoom to large rock seen on skyline - there is even a little bird sat on top

Stone circle ("Cairn" on the map) and nearby...

...this little tarn, and thirty yards away...

...these standing stones (and Haweswater)

The bridge and my, much steeper than It looks, erroneous ascent

Rucksack strap stuck. Swiss Army to the rescue

Red is intended route. Blue the addition