5 to 8 October 2020 - On Holiday in Bowness

This posting supplements last week's daily postings from Bowness, by way of a pictorial overview. There's also a Dropbox folder with 91 images for those on this trip. (Try clicking on these images for a slideshow.)

Monday's posting is here.

After parking up at the Ryebeck Hotel, we enjoyed a 10 km dawdle to a viewpoint above Bowness, via Barker Knott Farm.

Then we passed Ash Cottage, on the way to a puddle near Lindeth.

Here's the viewpoint above Bowness.

A sharp (for me, the day after running a marathon) descent led to the start/finish of the Dales Way route.

We strolled beside Windermere as far as the ferry, then found a novel way back to the hotel, avoiding the main road.

The afternoon sun lit up the leaves on the lakeside trees.

Here's our route - 10 km with 200 metres ascent. A pleasant afternoon stroll followed by an excellent meal in the hotel.

Tuesday's posting is here.

Sue and I drove to Troutbeck to meet Richard and Jenny, and Sue and Phil, for a walk up to the summits of Sour Howes and Sallow, returning via Kentmere.

Here's the view back to Troutbeck.

There were good views up the Troutbeck valley, and back to Windermere.

We met a chap on the summit of Sour Howes, who kindly took a photo of us all.

After contouring to Sallows for lunch, we descended to Kentmere, where Kentmere Hall is a 14th century tunnel-vaulted pele tower with five-foot thick walls. There's more information on the building here.

Soon afterwards, a sharp shower hit us, and as you can see below, the sun was shining despite the rain!

After a while, the rain moved on and we enjoyed a long break in the sunshine before rambling on back to Troutbeck.

En route we passed this magnificent display of mushrooms. They were large and they smelt gorgeous.

There was a good view across Windermere from Orrest.

Here's our route - 23 km with 750 metres ascent. Quite a long day for me, only two days after the exertion of running a marathon.

After this, Sue and I returned to the Ryebeck for a pleasant evening with good food and wine in the company of Paul and Jeanette.

Wednesday's posting is here.

Sue and I drove to Pooley Bridge. Whilst she went back to Troutbeck over High Street with S+P and R+J, I joined Paul and Jeanette for a very pleasant walk beside Ullswater, returning via a higher level path and the modest summit of Heughscar Hill.

The bridge that has been built to replace the one destroyed by floods in 2015 is nearly finished.

We weren't likely to get wet feet on the Park Foot path.

Whilst the alpacas were enjoying the views along Ullswater, we simply faced a post on which the camera was precariously perched.

We passed this magnificent specimen of Fly Agaric.

From Wainwright's Sitting Stone we got good views along Ullswater.

Then we passed a stone circle before heading up to the summit of Heughscar Hill (see the next two pictures), near where we enjoyed lunch in a more sheltered spot. 

Here's a final view along Ullswater before we returned to Pooley Bridge for welcome coffee and cake at a cafe, before P+J went home and I went back to do some shopping for the High Street team before locating them just in time for Sue and me to get back to the Ryebeck in time for dinner. (It was a shame to drive past Mike and Marian's house in Patterdale without having time to stop and say hello.)

Here's our route - 16 km with 400 metres ascent. A really pleasurable walk.

Thursday's posting is here.

Sue and I parked in the RSPB car park at Leighton Moss and took the path through the grounds to the causeway. We'd never before been asked to produce our membership cards, and despite the fact that we would remain outdoors, on our own, throughout our visit, we were made to register our visit for 'Track and Trace' purposes. Pointless. And who knows whether it works anyway. (Enough said, I'll avoid a rant.)

The robin seemed cheerful enough, but the Austin A40 Somerset at Leighton Hall looked as if it was just being used for storage. Rather sad. I remember my mum and dad selling their house in Wolverhampton and moving into a cottage that came with dad's new job in Ryton, when in 1954 they spent the proceeds from the house on a buff coloured A40 just like this one. MJW 770, I expect Dot remembers it well, and it lasted for many years in the Albrighton area after we had sold it.

Our route climbed high above Leighton Hall, with good views across Morecambe Bay and towards the Lake District, whose hills could be seen very clearly today.

There's an ancient 'cairn' nearby, and a good path leads past Hyning Scout Wood to a lime kiln.

We made our way to the shore, and the path to Silverdale, stopping for lunch near the chimney at Jenny Brown's Point.

Dappled sunlight through the trees illuminated our walk through Scout Wood, even if we did go wrong a couple of times.

Then it was back to Leighton Moss, past a series of back gardens, where we stopped for a long chat with a resident, and across Silverdale golf course on some handy paths.

Here's our route - 15 km with 300 metres ascent.

So that's it from this trip - I've just included a few of the photos here, having taken over 100 altogether.

Thursday 8 October 2020 - A 14km Circuit from Leighton Moss

Returning home from the Lake District on a fine day with sunny intervals, Sue and I couldn't resist a stroll in one of our favourite areas.

Conrad was self isolating, so sadly we were unable to visit him in Arnside, but we did enjoy a few brief encounters, and a long chat with a resident of Silverdale, the view from whose house was lovely.

I'll add more pictures and provide route information in due course, leaving you simply with a picture taken near our lunch spot at Jenny Brown's Point for now.

Wednesday 7 October 2020 - Heughscar Hill

All eight of us - me, Sue, Paul and Jeanette from the Ryebeck, and Sue, Phil, Richard and Jenny from Townfoot Farmhouse, assembled at the northern car park at Pooley Bridge at 10.30. This is the access point to Pooley Bridge that avoids going through Penrith, as the bridge over the River Eamont in Pooley Bridge was washed away five years ago. The opening of its replacement is fairly imminent.

Whilst the more energetic five zoomed off to walk back to Troutbeck via High Street (a hill with a Roman road), Paul and Jeanette joined me for the more leisurely ascent of Heughscar Hill, from where today's picture of Ullswater was taken.

We took the lakeside path from Pooley Bridge. It was soon adorned with 'Ullswater Way' signs, bordered by many 'Private, No Entry' signs. Those walking the Ullswater Way Must Not stray from the prescribed route!

After leaving the lakeside at a campsite, we continued in the same direction as far as Swarthbeck, where we turned sharply onto a track that rises gently to eventually reach a stone circle and the Roman Road known as High Street, along which the others would have passed earlier.

At one point Jeanette charged on whilst Paul and I admired the view along Ullswater from Wainwright's Sitting Stone.

Paul constantly scanned the scene for wildlife, with the aid of his binoculars. At one point he was thrilled to spot a sheep in the distance. Sadly, on closer inspection, it turned out to be a rock.

There were a fair number of people out walking or mountain biking today, despite a strong wind and few rain showers. We chatted with some of them. We did not envy the intrepid five, who were no doubt battling against the wind on High Street.

Lunch was taken on some rocks in the lee of the wind near the summit of Heughscar Hill, after which it was a fairly short walk back down to Pooley Bridge to complete this 15 km circuit by about 3 pm. So we enjoyed coffee and cake outside a café by the river. Then P and J went home to deal with a delivery of concrete slabs, and I went to Troutbeck to await the others, via a mercy mission to acquire some fish.

There were no rainbows today, but at times the light should have helped me get some reasonable images that I'll display in due course.

Later: after another good meal at the Ryebeck, we learn that pre dinner drinks are now being served at Townfoot Farmhouse.  We hope they enjoy their meal in due course...

Tuesday 6 October 2020 - Sour Howes and Sallows

Sue and I met up with Sue and Phil (not seen since March) and Richard and Jenny. They are staying at Town Foot farmhouse in Troutbeck, and we started today's walk from there.

The dual summits of Sour Howes were reached after a lengthy elevenses break. A kindly gent took the picture on the summit (if it transmits).

Sallows was a good lunchtime summit, though after the long break one of my knees rebelled and I had to continue by walking backwards down the hill.

A rough and rocky track that defeated four young mountain bikers who were pushing their steeds up the hill saw us to Kentmere Hall and the Kentmere valley.

A fairly long but scenic route got us back to Troutbeck at 6 pm after a 22 km outing. En route a shower of rain under a warm sun produced a stunning rainbow and two others walkers were seen.

Afternoon tea was then taken, under the flight path of several jets. This was a lengthy stop.

Today the light was wonderful. Lots of pictures were taken. I'll upload some when we get home.

Once we were back at the Ryebeck, we enjoyed a lovely evening with Paul and Jeanette. 

What a splendid day.

Monday 5 October 2020 - on Holiday in Bowness

Well, this will be my first night away from home since early March! Not exactly a typical year.We are familiar with the Ryebeck Hotel, and they seem to have taken precautions against visitors catching anything nasty.

After sorting out at home (Lisa is decorating whilst we are away), we came up the M6 and A6 in heavy traffic for coffee with one of Sue's colleagues in the lovely village of Crosthwaite, before leaving the car in the hotel car park and enjoying a 10 km anticlockwise walking circuit on a fine, bright afternoon.

The top picture was taken near Lindeth, and the bottom one from the stone bench that marks either the start or the finish of the 81 mile Dales Way walk between here and Ilkley. (Sending this entry with pictures has failed. Let's see whether this further attempt without them works.)

We have a view of Lake Windermere from our room. After a fine day it's looking a little damp outside. Dinner cooked by someone else will go down well.

PS Many thanks for ongoing donations to the Levana charity. They are much appreciated - thank you messages to those who have not remained anonymous will be sent when we get home.