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Once again my walking companion today
is Jane, my ex-colleague from George Fishers
who has driven the short distance from Cockermouth,
so that we could walk together in Loweswater
in the lovely sunshine on offer today.
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To minimise car use, the walk started from my
home and set off up Vicarage Hill . . . past the Vicarage.
Should you need parking for your walk then there's
room for four or five vehicles by the phone box of course.
Low Fell, or at lease the end of Low Fell, looking
resplendent in the sunshine.
Our route today . . . self explanatory.
I introduced Jane to the view of the Loweswater
Pheasant.
The colour scheme in the artistic woodland is
looking good in these early Spring colours.
The national Trust are going to have to remove
much of the larch from the woods because of disease
so we are hoping complimentary planting can
be done afterwards to maintain the integrity of the woodland
feature.
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Coloured Primroses grow wild on the roadside bank
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. . . on the approach
to Maggie's Bridge car park. |
Due to structural problems the old farm bridge
has been downgraded to pedestrian use only.
Contrary to popular though this is not actually
the "Maggie's Bridge".
That honour goes to the nearby packhorse bridge
which I understand was named
after a lady that lived at one of the old farms
in this part of the valley in the mid-nineteenth century.
Closer to High Nook Farm is a more modern bridge
that replaced one damaged in the flash floods
about five years ago.
The cattle are our in the yard today and enjoying
some winter feed in the sunshine.
On upland farms like this, putting the cattle
out onto the land too early can damage the potential upland
grazing for the summer months.
We close the gate and leave High Nook to itself,
as we continue on up the track.
Upward into the High Nook valley.
Looking back at Darling Fell and Low Fell.
We are not the only folk walking the route today
by the look of it.
Ahead is Black Crag on the left and the start
of the climb to Blake in the distance ahead.
High Nook Beck, which splits into two at the
far end of the valley, actually misses out on filling High Nook
Tarn
which is situated under Black Crag, out of sight
from here at present.
A slight climb up to the left brings us out
by the shallow tarn.
Dougal has turned out to be the keener water
dog.
With a little encouragement he climbed up onto
the island towards the back of the tarn.
It's been dry for a few days and the generally
dry spring weather allows us to we walk around the back of the
tarn,
encountering very little of the usual damp ground.
Crossing over to the track once again . . .
which we reach near the footbridge over the beck.
Climbing what is known as the Coffin Route above
the "beak" of the pheasant woodland.
It is now thought that the old coffin route
to St Bees traverses through the lower part of Holme Wood rather
than climbing this far up the fell side.
A conversational photo ?
"Do you wish to cut back through the woods
from here, or extend the walk towards The Chair and Fangs Brow
? "
It's early so we continue onward, towards the
Holme Beck bridge.
The small waterfall a short way up the beck
is in fact an old weir that allowed drinking water to be extracted
from the stream
to supply Mockerkin Village in the old days.
A mountain ash in winter plumage, alongside
the track after the bridge.
The stream below will plunge down the fellside
forming Holme Force (waterfall) as it cascades down through
the trees.
A brief shadow, as a cloud passes overhead and
we reach the old wooden chair overlooking Loweswater.
A brief sit and relaxation (as you do) in the
full sun once again, before we move on.
Barnacle Geese (?) on the lake and belted galloway
cattle on the fields far below.
A classic white band round their middle makes
these Galloways instantly recognisable.
There's one of a different breed over there
. . . spot the difference.
A variation in breeding has produced an
less-usual brown and white version of the breed.
Our track continues on, gradually descending
towards Fangs Brow Farm.
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However we will divert at the signpost
and follow the footpath
on another wide bridleway towards
Hudson Place Farm.
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In the corner of a field is a small covered
reservoir, more of a header tank for the water supply for the
whole of the Loweswater area.
Still, this high up the fell, it gives us tremendous
water pressure in the taps at home.
The bridleway now drops down past The Places
. . . Iredale Place, Jenkinson Place and Hudson Place farms.
This is thought to be the true Coffin Route
. . . it makes a lot more sense than the higher track as it
passed more of the old farms.
Jenkinson Place farm . . . sadly this and Iredale
Farm are no longer 'working farms' in their own right.
The land of course is still commercially worked
because it has been incorporated into other lease holdings.
With the spring comes new life . . .
and these upland farms aim for a lambing season
of March/ April rather than risk the poorer weather of earlier
months.
The farmer has numbered the lambs to make it
easier to match mother and lambs during their early life.
These are the Texals or possibly the Belgian
Texal (Beltex) breed of sheep.
The old farmhouse of Hudson Place as the bridleway
emerges onto the tarmac farm road.
The belted galloways that we saw from high up
the fell by The Chair.
You can see how the over-winter cattle cut up
the grass, not always a bad thing unless it gets over-trampled.
The ancient bridleway continues on down to Loweswater
and through the lower section of Holme Wood.
The Old Bothy in Holme Woods.
Dougal is collecting sticks for the next occupants
of this National Trust bothy.
The wall as Jane and I prepare to leave Holme
Woods and cross the meadows back towards my home.
Grasmoor and Mellbreak as Dylan leads the way
back.
He knows the way and we reach the third bridge
of 'Maggie's Bridge', the modern concrete one next to the small
car park.
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One final decision to make before we end the
walk . . . have we time to finish with a visit to The Kirkstile
?
The answer to that one, I think has become obvious
. . . cheers.