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| Date & start time: Sunday 9th November 2008. 9.40 am start. Location of Event : Rosthwaite Village car park, Borrowdale, Cumbria, Uk ( NY 258 148 ) Places visited : New Bridge, Castle Crag, Millican Dalton's Cave, and back to the Flock Inn tearooms. Walk details : 3.5 ml, 850 ft of ascent, 4 hours 25 mins (including stops). Highest point : Castle Crag summit 951ft ( 290m ) Walked with : Jo, John, Dave D., John and Dee, Ann and the dogs, Jodie, Polly, Amber, Harry and Bethan, plus many other walkers. Weather : Blustery with wintery showers. Strong winds. Cold. The Borrowdale War Memorial, Castle Crag. |
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(Make sure your PC speakers are switched on. Cancel the background sound here if not required now.) - - - o o o - - - Last year we walked up to the summit of Great Gable to join the Fell & Rock Club in their Act of Remembrance. The weather forecast this year was very poor so today we opt for an alternative walk to Castle Crag.
The head of Buttermere as we drive up the valley. There's a wintery sky up there and a heavy shower has just roared through, matching the winter forecast.
Honister Hause and the Slate Mines at 9.15 am. That hail storm has left a slippery layer of slush on the road.
In these conditions we were happy with our decision on a lower level walk and continue on our way over to Rosthwaite in Borrowdale.
9.30am and we meet up with friends around the edge of the car park. We often see interesting reflections across the lakes but today's reflected image of the cars and trees was not predicted.
Borrowdale was heavily flooded in recent weeks and the after effects still show.
The flood protection bank has failed alongside the path to New Bridge. A lot of the stonework has been washed away downstream or across the fields.
The bridge is unaffected however and allows us access to the start of the Castle Crag path.
The path fairies have been repairing the route up the fell and parked their mini loader by one of the mine entrances.
The hole in the wall - Borrowdale style - I remember a gate here a few years ago but only the posts remain. However the view of Rosthwaite and Eagle Crag remain unchanged, apart from the weather !
Our path through the quarry tailings of the Castle Crag workings, once we negotiate a steep ladder stile over the wall.
We're not going to be alone on the top today. Remembrance Sunday is one of the days that you don't mind seeing a lot of other people on the same path as yourselves.
Taking care on the zig zag path. No . . . Harry is not standing on Ann's head !
A slight diversion into the quarry workings as we are ahead of time.
This gentleman was a survivor of the conflicts and walks up each year to remember his fallen colleagues.
Castle Crag summit and the memorial plaque to the fallen of Borrowdale, the focus of today's ceremony.
There was a large crowd of nearly two hundred gathering on the summit, more than usual today due to the poorer weather.
The gentleman leading today's Act of Remembrance will be Mr Miles Jessop, Church Warden and owner of the local Scafell Hotel in Rosthwaite. A poem was read afterwards by Margaret Braithwaite of Lamplugh. - - - o o o - - - Click here or on the photo for a short video The video should open and play in your Windows Media Player. [ It may take a while to download on slower connection speeds - please be patient] [ In which case you may prefer to right click the link above and open in another window ] - - - o o o - - -
The short but meaningful celebration over, there's no rush to leave.
John, David and myself (behind) taking time out for a chat before leaving the top.
The weather has been kind and the views down Borrowdale towards Derwent Water and Skiddaw are worth a closer look.
Time to go.
The high fells are still topped in cloud but the weather is clearer than predicted. Today's visit to Castle Crag was equally as meaningful as our previous Remembrance walks and by choosing this location, compared to Great Gable summit, we have had the advantage of less severe weather.
We return by the only path . . . back down the slate workings.
A temporary delay as we cross the ladder stile. Its a shame there's no simple dog gate alongside it.
Not a problem for dogs with long legs.
Millican Dalton's Cave is in fact an old quarry working high on the side of Castle Crag. The cave has two openings with a central pillar left by the slate miners. It is famous as the occasional summer residence of one of the Lake Districts historic characters. The link above should provide more information. Late Extra : Keswick Canoe Company are now offering "Millican days out" where you can experience life in the outdoors for a day. ( Sample his techniques of self sufficiency - selecting
and gathering natural edibles, collecting fire lighting materials, cooking
one of his staple campfire meals, and paddling down his local highway!
. . . your local guides Paul and Claire Weller.)
The lower cave would make a fine spot to shelter today in order to enjoy some late morning refreshments.
John and Dee search for a dry spot to sit down.
Getting wet we did though, as another wintery offering presents itself as we walk back along the valley path.
New Bridge on our return.
Group photo next to the welcoming Flock In Tearooms at Yew Tree Farm. Dave, Dee with Amber, John, John P with Polly, Jo with Jodie and Ann. Shall we stop a while before returning home ? - - - o o o - - - |
Technical note: Pictures taken with with my Cannon G7 or Ann's Ixus 75 Digital cameras. Resized in Photoshop, and built up on a Dreamweaver web builder. This site best viewed with . . . Hot soup and toasted cheese scones at the end of the walk. © RmH.2008 # Email me direct # My Guest book (front page) Previous walk - 4th November 2008 Grasmoor via Dove Crags Remembrance Last Year - 11th Nov 2007 Great Gable Remembrance Walk A previous time up here - 19th April 2005 Castle Crag and Millican Dalton's Cave A link to other photos from today - Dave Dimmock / Jo Hall / Andrew Leaney / The OFC 2008 report
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