Map courtesy of Derek Denman and the NLS Map Archive

 

Photos from a short local walk to the woods behind Foulsyke.  Repeating just a few of our local views gives me chance

to go on and highlight some of the photos that you have sent to us during the last few days. 

Journey from Cumbria to Leeds, Captain Tom's home to London and then overseas . . . join us on a Loweswatercam world tour.

An old field barn stands idle, providing no more than shelter at present for a few inquisitive sheep.

Taking advantage of the field slope it has a large barn door at the back to make it easier to off-load and store the hay crop collected using a farm trailer,

and a lower floor at the front with access to several byres where animals were fed that hay over winter . . . minimum effort, maximum result.

Next to the road is an old single story barn, with two gabled side structures and a central courtyard.

It features (but is un-named) on the old 1863 map at the top of this report but more than that I don't know.

Inside is a lonely cast iron pillar, presumably an old roof support

and a mixture of building styles shows the ad-hoc nature of the building's use over a long period of time.

A lovely triangular ventilation window high in the gable, but did you notice that stone next to it ?

Those of a nervous disposition might see this as evidence of a witch on a broomstick, others who like history, a Roman soldier with spear or sword,

or a more modern interpretation could be of a cross-country skier looking for snow . . . the choice is yours.

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We've had so many emails in response to our enquiries about your time in self-isolation

that I've gathered some of them here, to give us and you chance to see how others are getting on around the UK and beyond at this time.

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Hello Hileys!

Seeing as how you appreciate receiving photos from loyal viewers,I thought I'd attach a few from my dog-walk around my village.

As you can see, Captain Tom lives just round the corner from me. The TV vans have left now but we enjoyed a spectacular air display on Thursday

when a Spitfire and a Hurricane flew over our house!  It was his 100th birthday and our village was briefly the most famous place in the UK.

Hi Roger, thanks for the info about the Kirkstile recently.

We have a squirrel, (grey I’m afraid) but we seem to have ‘lost’ our hedgehog (old photo attached - he/she was out early, but seemed fine.

I called her Tilly !     We’ve had others but they have not been seen for a few weeks now. Maybe they are self isolating!

Keep posting the pictures.

You and Tony, (Lakeland Cam), are the opening pages on both the Desktop & Laptop.   Regards, John.

Hi Roger and Ann,

Always a good start to the day when there is a new Loweswatercam to see. Loved the beautiful pictures of the rainbow.

Thought you might like to see the unexpected visitor we had to our bird table yesterday.

Unexpected as the squirrel baffle hadn't baffled this one, though you can probably see how he managed to leap onto the feeder.

There is plenty of food elsewhere for him or her, of course. I know there are mixed feelings about grey squirrels.

The squirrel shinned up the green capped garden cane, which had been supporting a hollyhock. The cane has now been removed!

I love the colour changes of the soil as it was disturbed by the tractor and then as the surface starts to dry out.

Love to you both, Hilary and David

Hi Roger I managed to sort out the logistic problem regarding the spare tomato plants by giving them to our next door neighbour! 'Enviromesh', covering lettuce and carrots in another bed, is very useful because not only does it protect crops from insect pests, but also against frost, birds and cats. You'll note that I've recycled a lot of plastic bottles too! On the George Fisher and Three Shires webcams earlier I noticed that it appeared to be raining quite heavily. We could do with some of the rain! Although it was forecast for today we've only had a very light fall which started about 30 minutes ago. (29th April). I'm hoping that there will be a slight relaxation in the rules applying to daily exercise to allow longer walks for the over 70s. Bluebells will soon be appearing in the woods a little further away from Malton and I could tweak my walk to allow a visit although I'd probably be out for a couple of hours. Happy gardening and walking. Cheers, Chris Howarth.   - - - o o o - - -

Dear Roger,

The first photo is of Mike Houston, retired secretary of Friends of the Lake District in the wood named in his honour, Mike's Wood.

I met him by chance there yesterday while I was out for my walk.

Mike's Wood at Staveley, South Lakes.	Bluebells through the aqueduct gate into Dorothy Farrah's Wood.

Recent coppicing in the woodland.	The Pitstead or charcoal fire found beneath Craggy Wood (Piked Howe)

This demonstration (the grass covered feature in the photo) showed a cross section through a traditional charcoal kiln. Timber was stacked around a central stake or motty peg. The stack was then covered with earth, the motty peg removed and embers dropped ito the central hole. Once alight, the kiln was sealed with more earth and allowed to burn for several days. The charcoal was used in the early iron making industry and in the manufacture of gunpowder. The pit-steads would have been used each time the surrounding woodland was coppiced, perhaps every 20-25 years. Timber from these woods was also used in the production of bobbins, swill baskets and hurdles.

The almost dry weir on the R.Kent at Wilf's Cafe, Staveley, only the water through the sluice is keeping the river flowing.

The water from the weir once provided water for Messrs Chadwick's bobbin mill. It later became Staveley Wood Turning Company.

Finally one from the archives from the time of building the Thirlmere Aqueduct.

The water in the aqueduct progressed like a roller coaster around here falling from the lower slopes of Reston Scar before crossing underneath the River Kent.  Utilising the kinetic energy gained it rises just short of 200 feet up the fell again behind the photographer. Water in the completed pipes now passes above Craggy Wood heading south under gravity alone towards Manchester.

Love to you both,  Peter (Burgess)

Hi,

The high ground is part of the Beaufort chain of mountains on Vancouver island which rise up to 4,000 ft. The photo is taken across the estuary at low tide just about where the River Puntledge enters the Salish Sea (formerly called the Strait of Georgia) between the Island and the British Columbia mainland.

The flat area of snow is the Comox Glacier which a very prominent feature of the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island and seen by many from their homes or as they move around the area. I see it as soon as I leave home on the way to the shops, to catch the bus and walking our dog - sometimes beautifully clear as this picture shows but sometimes blanketed in cloud.  However, as warmer weather arrives much of the snow around it goes and more is going each year (climate change ?) but there is always a part to be seen.

Being an island has helped us in this time of covid19 as movement between the Island and the mainland (Vancouver etc) has been very limited with few planes or ferries mostly restricted to carrying commercial items.

We continue to enjoy our Loweswatercam Calendar and I wonder what the houses shown in the April picture with the rainbow were ?

Many good wishes to you and Ann, Dylan and Dougal, from Robin and Ruth Giles and Lucy the dog.

The houses are the Grange Hotel and Askill Farm overlooking Loweswater. . . RmH

Queen’s Wood close to Leeds, (UK).	London (UK).

Dear Roger & Ann,

Love your photos, hate that we can’t be there. Just thought I’d send a picture to prove that even London has a beauty sometimes.

David Nicolls

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Hi Roger & Ann,

We just though we would send you pictures of our new sea wall under construction. All the sections are pre cast and then slotted together like lego. The new wall will be a meter wider and a meter higher. the second picture is a representation of how it will look when completed. When this section is finished, they are planning to carry on from the breakwater, Eastwards to protect the station.

We hope you are both keeping well and staying safe. We are looking forward to the day we can visit the lakes again.

Kind Regards,  Steve & Michelle (Dawlish)

Current photo of the wall that was damaged . . .	. . . artists impression of the finished sea wall.

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A big thank all of you who have kept in touch at this time . . . RmH