Friday, 24 May 2019

The Duddon Valley and Wrynose....on the Motorbike

After 5 days of walking...of various difficulty and effort I felt it was time for a day on the motorbike. I seem to have mainly used it or commuting this year, so a micro tour was in order. I set off across the A590 to the West, I stopped off to check how the Ospreys were doing at a non-publicised nest. Both birds were in attendance, I only had compact binoculars so couldn't see much else. Then I rode up the Western side of Coniston Water....some photos of the day.

Dow crag and Coniston Old Man, the backdrop to Torver.
Back on the bike I crossed over to the Duddon Valley via Broughton Mills and Seathwaite.

I had hoped to take some pictures of Tarn Beck near Seathwaite...but there was barely any water!
The photo above is at Birks Bridge looking downstream.

Strangely worn rock under the bridge.
This pool features in Ken Russells film "Tommy" The Who's rock opera.

The Duddon above the bridge and the lower slopes of Harter Fell

Dale Head shining white against a shadowy Little Stand

Once over Wrynose it was much brighter...and warmer! I stopped to look across at the Langdale Pikes. From here it was back home via Little Langdale, Waterhead, Bowness and the Lyth Valley (always much quieter than the A591 and nicer on the motorbike.
A great day, good to be back on the motorbike purely for pleasure.
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4 comments:

  1. AlanR25 May 2019 at 08:16

    I call the Duddon my second home. Ive been going there for 40 years and I never knew that the pools at Birks were in Tommy. I should have been going up for the Duddon Fell race, 1st weekend in June but an illness has put paid to it. Your bike looks great, it must be fun doing the pass’s on it.

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    1. Al25 May 2019 at 22:07

      Hi Alan, hope you feel better soon. It's a lovely valley, just that bit quieter than much of the Lakes. You clearly have a great love for the area from posts on your blog.
      The bike makes for a more relaxing drive/ride on the passes these days...unless you're travelling earlier or late of course.
      A friend of my late parents worked for Zeke Myers from Great Langdale, he regularly took a cattle wagon over both Hardknott and Wrynose...until the late 60's...don't think you'd gat away with it these days!
      Regarding the filming of "Tommy"...it's worth a watch for the Lakes location spotting. Ken Russell had a home near Grange-in-Borrowdale so knew the area well.
      As an aside my Dad and his fiance (my Mum) went to Birks bridge to be extras in a film (the title escapes me). Dad was a motor mechanic and the film producers requested a breakdown truck and driver, they spent all day hanging about only to be told that they'd changed their minds!! Birks Bridge was to be adjacent to Gretna Green in the film!...it put Dad off films for the rest of his life.
      Sorry for the long reply...might be of some interest though.
      Cheers Alistair

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  2. AlanR26 May 2019 at 11:50

    Thanks. That’s what blogging is about, passing on info. I have done lots of jobs in the valley and on one occasion I was at Cockley Beck Farm when we were taking a bull to market. It was so heavy and the top of the pass was a bit icy we had to get the bull out of the trailer and walk it about 1/2 mile from one side to the other. The bull wasn’t moving for any vehicles and I will never forget it. We did get it to market and it fetched a good price.

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    1. Al26 May 2019 at 22:06

      Rather you than me walking a bull anywhere..."never trust the buggers" as my grandad used to say! Glad it got a good price though!
      Cheers Alistair

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