Bimbling Round Nateby and Kirkby Stephen

An easy day today...strolling beside the River Eden and walking through and between Nateby, Hartley and Kirkby Stephen. The autumn colours are starting to develop, maybe another week and they'll be at their best.

This is the River Eden, just upstream of Stenkrith Park. The river tumbles over unusual conglomerate rock hereabouts.

I don't think I've ever seen the trees and bushes so laden with berries and fruit. The migrant birds from the North are going to have a field day!

Not many of these old signs about now. The distances are particularly precise!!

As part of our route we walked along the old railway, this is the Podgill viaduct. The line when first built was single track, then as the traffic from the Northeast to Barrow-in-Furness increased it was made double track. This meant widening the Podgill and Merrygill viaducts. The difference between the original and new is quite clear.

On the Merrygill viaduct looking North to the high Pennines.

Great views all day, here back at the car looking East to Mallerstang Edge.

High Street via Rough Crag

Todays wander started from the road end at Mardale, it was a late start. I knew I wanted to have enough daylight left to get a ride on the road bike when I got home, so I opted for the classic walk up Rough Crag to High Street and back to the car down Nan Beild pass. The weather, one of the best autumn days I can remember.....but then I am getting on a bit.

Once you gain the ridge almost the full length of Haweswater is revealed

The wall is you're companion as more of High Street comes into view rising beyond Rough Crag.

The small tarn on Caspel Gate, High Street reflected nicely in the still waters

Here we look back along the ridge with Riggindale down on the left as we look back. The Red Deer Stags were roaring from the slopes below Kidsty Pike (not seen in this pic!)

The summit plateau, no wonder they held horse races here! The Helvellyn  range is sseen to great advantage from here. 

Can't beat a nice bright jacket for the photies! I'm pretending to look for look for somewhere to have my (late) lunch.....actually I'd just eaten it!

No real efffort is required to bag Mardale Ill Bell, so why not. Harter Fell fills the background.

This splendid view of Small Water and the head of Mardale appears just before you reach Nan Beild.

After the descent of Nan Beild the path levels out and to the North the steep slopes of Rough Crag.
A great little walk.

Coast Walk from Arnside

A dull day here in the South Lakes today, what I call a "Tupperware" day! At least it stayed dry. The Lakes hills were swathed in cloud, so I opted for a local walk on the coast.

A high tide today, I'd timed my stroll to coincide with high water. The estuary looks completely different under such conditions, shame the light was so dull.

It wasn't possible to walk on the shore path so I took the permissive path thro Grubbins Wood to New Barns Bay.

Last of the Rosehips, I was off to Far Arnside!

The cliff top path approaching Far Arnside, not at all typical of Morecambe Bay. From Far Arnside I walked back over Arnside Knott and back to the car on the promenade.