Friday/Saturday 23 and 24 March 2024 - RAMSOC weekend in Kirkby Stephen

Kirkby Stephen's Youth Hostel has now been sold and has become an independent hostel, but the same arrangements for 'Rentahostel' have been preserved, offering a cheap weekend for the exclusive use of our group of 25 or so members and hangers on from Sue's old university walking group (RAMSOC - presumably being the 'Rambling Society'.

On Saturday we split into two groups, one of which saw me leading about nine of us on an easy walk up the Mallerstang valley beside the River Eden, as far as the remains of Pendragon Castle, one of many such ruins in this area. I was reminded of Peter Goddard's memorial walk up nearby Tailbridge Hill in September 2021.

We started from the hostel, pictured above.

We soon reached Frank's Bridge.

A walk along the valley brought us through Nateby and up to an elevenses stop near the remains of Lammerside Castle, where Jo turned round for an easier day.

The rest of us continued to Pendragon Castle for lunch in the shelter (from a cool wind) of its walls.

The castle has a rich history, described in more detail here. According to legend, it was built in the 12th century by Uther Pendragon, King Arthur's father, and it is said that an abortive effort was made to tame the River Eden into forming a moat for the castle.

Click on any image for a better version/slideshow

A short stretch of tarmac took us up to Pudding Howe Hill and a good footpath heading north. By now there was a shallow, long lasting, rainbow. Curlew and lapwings were present, and the air seemed thick with skylarks. A white bird in the distance turned out not to be a seagull (we saw those as well) but a barn owl flapping around looking for food. And wherever there were trees there seemed to be a colony of rooks.

A pleasant descent back into the valley, via a convenient spot for afternoon tea, led us to an intricate arrangement of riverside paths, a disused railway, and a viaduct.

After most people had taken a direct route back to the hostel, four of us returned to our outward path, and Frank's Bridge. On the way, we passed some clumps of Common Toothwort, a parasitic plant in the Broomrape family.

 

Here's our route - 19.5 km with 400 metres ascent, taking the best part of 6 hours including breaks.

Once we had the cooker up to temperature, there was a fine display of cookery. Robin's black pudding and poached egg starter, which most of us had chosen, was a triumph!

Sunday morning, and 13 of us drove the short distance to Cotegill, where a friendly farmer pointed out where our three cars could be left without being a nuisance. Soon we were striding up a path in the Howgill Fells that led to the summit of West Fell (541 metres).

It was a lovely sunny day, very clear, with a cool but light breeze higher up.

On West Fell

Our onward route to The Calf followed the ridge on the left of the next picture.

I bypassed Hazelgill Knot by taking the good Dales High Way path, but everyone else went up to this minor summit. There's a pond beside the path shortly before it climbs past some remnants of snow up to the 676 metre summit of The Calf, where we enjoyed our lunch in the presence of a few other hikers.

The route ahead  stretched over Bush Howe and north to Simon's Seat.

Some of us took a contouring path that's just discernable on the right in the next picture. It looks deceptively easy, but there were a couple of steep gullies, and you wouldn't want to fall off the path!

Descending from The Calf

On the steep sided contouring path

I contoured again and rejoined the others near the summit of Simon's Seat, from where we headed down to a final minor summit, Middleton (490 metres).

After that, most people followed the path to a packhorse bridge over Langdale Beck, after which a very steep ascent led them over Cowbound Brow. My preference, and Julie and Richard followed, was to cross higher up, across a ford, and follow a much more gentle slope to the brow - our final climb of the day. This worked. We all had gaiters. Splish, splash, splosh and we were across the beck with dry feet.

Before the final descent to Cotegill

Today's outing was about 19 km with 700 metres ascent, taking around 7 hours. A day to be savoured in the fine conditions.

I went home to welcome some fencers on Monday morning (our garden fences blew down in gales in late 2023 and need replacing; they lasted 11 years.), whilst Sue stayed for a short Monday morning walk before returning home.

A Flashback to Timperley's Railway History

 When Reg visited us last Sunday to go through the pictures for his autobiography, he reminisced about living in Timperley many years ago, and more recently, in 2014, leading a walk for the Railway Ramblers.

He recalls the bridge pictured above (photo taken on my way to BT Photographic to get his pictures scanned) because the walks leader on that occasion was taken ill and at very short notice Reg had to lead the walk. He has sent me the walk description he had to follow to what is described as the 'Black Bridge'.

That's very interesting. We live near a multitude of sites of old railway lines. Here's the current 1:25,000 scale map of the area. I've marked (if you can spot it) our house as 'Home', and the Black Bridge is just next to a long footway tunnel where the disused railways mentioned above diverged.

All very interesting... (to residents of Timperley, probably none of whom read this blog!)

Saturday 16 March 2024 - TGO Challengers Reunion at Monyash

Twenty or so 'Challengers', many being 'former' TGO Challengers, turned up for this reunion. About 14 of them joined Graham Brookes on a 20 km Lathkill Dale > Youlgreave > Limestone Way circuit - a classic day out from Monyash.

There was lots of water emerging from the cave near Ricklow.

A sunny spot was found for elevenses, where due to supply issues, Sue had to ration the shortbread distribution to a surreptitious few!

One of the first flowering plants of the year beside the Bridgewater Canal in Manchester, Butterbur is rampant at the moment in Lathkill Dale.

Elf Cups were also found beside the path.

Lesser Celandine

Beyond Youlgreave

The Limestone Way footpath was muddy and boggy in places. Those not wearing boots will have got wet feet.

One Ash Grange Farm was a particularly muddy zone, but not without the attraction of a handsome peacock.

There's not a lot more to say. After the enjoyable walk during which a 'pub contingent' got separated from the 'butty contingent' and needed to take a short cut along the road from Youlgreave to catch up / overtake the rest of us, Sue and I enjoyed afternoon tea with Ali, Adrian, Gayle and Mick in their hired cottage, before adjourning to the Bull's Head for beers and a good meal.

It was good to see those who turned up, in particular Alistair P and John Woolston and his little dog that migrated to his rucksack after lunch.

Here's the route of the 'butty' brigade - 20 km, 350 metres ascent, taking around 6 hours.

Friday 15 March 2024 - A Visit to Castlefield Viaduct

Sue and I found time for a short tram ride to Castlefield Viaduct, where the National Trust and some of its partners have created a green space where a railway used to run until 1969. I arrived a few metres away at Central Station on my first visit to Manchester in 1967 when I had to visit UMIST for an interview to study biochemistry.

I have no recollection of the Manchester Bee from those days, but beer was less than one and six a pint (7.5p).

There's quite a bit flowering in the garden - the staff have lost count of the species, "which must be a good thing", suggested Sacha as she guided a dozen or so visitors around the site.

The viaduct opened in 1892/3, very close to where in 79AD a Roman fort, Mamucium, was constructed at the meeting point of two rivers, the Medlock and the Irwell. The nearby Bridgewater Canal was built in C18, and that remains in use nearby, despite the railways becoming dominant for the transport of goods in the late 1800s, when this would have been a very busy place.

These days it's a busy spot for trams heading in and out of Manchester in a variety of directions, including Altrincham, on which tram we returned home.

The visit to the viaduct doesn't take long, so it could be combined with one or more of the walks suggested in the National Trust's flier, replicated below (click on the images for more readable versions).