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Date & start time: Tuesday 14th April 2009. 1.20 pm start.

Location of Start : The Felldyke car park, Lamplugh, Cumbria, Uk ( NY 085 199 )

Places visited : Felldyke, Knock Murton, Leaps Beck then Fother Gill forest tracks, back via reservoir.

Walk details : 4.9 ml, 1425 ft of ascent, 3 hours 20 mins.

Highest point : Knock Murton 1410 ft ( 447m)

Walked with : Hilton, Jo, John, Ann and the dogs, Susie, Polly, Harry and Bethan.

Weather : Dry but a cold breeze and hazy.

Click on the poster for a larger version of the Cogra Moss re-generation plan.

 

Fine, dry weather is not always brilliant for walking, especially on days like today when there is a cool easterly breeze and a thick haze developing.

Still, with good company and plenty of local views to see, the walk is still enjoyable.

   
Jacob Sheep and two new, all-black lambs at Felldyke
The majority were a delightful shade of Dalmatian.

Doing what lambs do best.

The memorial seat at the gate to Cogra Moss plantation, much more visible now since they removed the trees around it.

Blake Fell above Cogra Moss Plantation.

Our route will hopefully complete a high level circumnavigation of the valley ahead.

The cleared land looks really rough but they have started a replanting scheme so it's just a matter of time before it improves.

Click here or on the first photo of the set for a larger version of the planning diagram.

A quick ascent takes us straight to the twin cairns on the top of Knock Murton.

we're looking north here but the haze is hiding Scotland from view.

Jo and Hilton on the summit . . . the breeze is giving one of them a bad hair day !

   
Harry and Bethan at the diminutive summit cairn . . .
. . . but it seems that Amundsen had reached the Pole first.

Rather than eat at home and walk staight away, we delayed lunch till we reached the top of the fell.

It was gone two by the time we reached the shelter where the attractions of sandwich boxes became obvious to one and all.

Mmmmm . . . Blackstick Blue today is it John ?

   
Just a crumb will do . . . please.
Did someone say lunch ?

Now to get down from this lofty height and onto the larger of the forest tracks below.

Our onward route can be seen rounding the local fellside then dropping down through the trees on the side of Blake Fell.

   
The problem is that there's a fence and forest in the way.
In the forest were a number of old mine workings too.

The easiest was to drop down the south eastern side and walk back up the forest track.

This brought us out at the top of the cleared section

and we could look down on the marsh ground and lakes within the Cogra Moss Valley.

The round, steep sided Knock Murton that we had climbed before lunch.

Ann and Jo decided at this point to walk besides the lake itself and so doubled back to take the direct path down to the valley.

We don't normally split up but time wasn't critical and the route wasn't difficult so the three lads, myself included,

decided to continue on the forest track to complete the full high level round.

   
No great views but easy walking . . .
. . . passing the new plantation near High Hows

Polly leads the way back down to the lake.

One of the causeways out to a fishing platform on the island.

Meanwhile . . . Ann and Jo had walked down the other side of the lake.

Close to them a fisherman was ignoring the islands and causeways and was immersed up to his waist, intent on pursuing his hobby.

We all met up at the end of the lake where the reservoir dam crosses the narrowest part of the valley.

   
The overflow - a study in symmetry - with just a little water added.
Back together at the end of the walk . . . perfect timing.

- - - o o o - - -

 

Technical note: Pictures taken with with my Cannon G7 or Ann's Ixus 75 Digital camera.

Resized in Photoshop, and built up on a Dreamweaver web builder.

This site best viewed with . . . a big box of sandwiches and a good shelter for lunch.

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Previous walk - 13th April 2009 A Grand Tour of the Northern Lakes

A previous time up here - 9th January 2007 Cogra Woods but Not-Murton

Next walk - 16th April 2009 Benn Man, Raven Crag and Shoulthwaite