Ramble from Ormside

Fording point on the River Eden

    Today it has been very humid, I selected a route which didn't include much ascent. I parked in the village of Ormside near Appleby, the villagers were having a bit of a do. Myway lead me past the old church and hall across fields to where I thought there would be a bridge over the River Eden, alas there wasn't! I had to paddle the river, once across I had lunch before tackling many field paths to Appleby. My return path was along the Westmorland Way ( another long term project) which followed the banks of the river for most of the way back to the car.

Skipton to Gargrave

    Another walk on the Leeds Liverpool canal, Having parked in Gargrave I caught the bus into Skipton. A bit of a mouch about first and then I walked back along the canal towpath to Gargrave. Lots of brightly coloured barges, many of them for hire. It occurs to me that once control of the barge is achieved this would be a restful holiday. Anyway the sun shone for much of the day, and another section of the canal completed.

BMW Kielder

Kielder Water

      A beautiful day, I had a great day out on the motorbike to a favourite area. Kielder Forest via Langholm and Hermitage Castle. Back home through Bellingham, Haydon Bridge, Alston and Orton. Quite clear that the summer holidays have started, as everyone had brought there toys out to see the sun, Campers, Caravans, Canoes, Boats, Bikes, Motorbikes et al!

Bishop Wilton Wold

Spot the Trig!

     A round trip of 230miles to visit the top of Bishop Wilton Wold, as you can see I rode here on the motorbike, and a grand day out it was too. As you will also be able to see the trig point (just visable above the bike seat thro a gap in the hedge), is surrounded by a high fence belonging to Yorkshire Water. So like Raurden Hill I never actually touched it, but I can live with that! I travelled over via Wharfedale and back through Wensleydale, the roads quiet, before the schools break up tomorrow.

Hailstorm Hill & Freeholds Top

Hailstorm hill with its attendant windmills

       More Marilyn bagging, this time on the moors of East Lancashire. First Hailstorm Hill, which I ascended from the hamlet of Boargrave which nestles below the Cowpe reservoir. A plethora of paths made navigation tricky until above the fields. Once on the Rossendale Way the going was easy, the old quarries have had a new lease of life as a mountain bike trail. Beyond the quarries, but only a few metres higher is the summit, such as it is, only crowned with a couple of stones amid a sea of bog. All around are the dreaded windmills. I made the walk circular by continuing along the Rossendale Way, then dropping directly down to Boargrave.
        After a spot of lunch at the car I drove the few miles further east, and after a bit of trouble located the start of the path out of Shawforth. I was lucky in seeing a sign of a new permissive path which showed a beeline to the summit of Freeholds Top. Perhaps its the queues of "Marilyn Baggers", although I doubt it! I never saw anyone! The top has a small dud of water on the highest point, bizarre. Further east I could see Stoodley Pike on the Pennine way. Up and down the same way in about 45 mins, as the weather was threatening.

Freeholds Top

Cold Fell

Looking north from Cold Fell

A scorching day, ideal for flogging up pathless heather, rush and bog! This is the Cold Fell at the northern end of the Pennines, and is a "Marilyn". This is an another area I had never walked in before, pleasingly quiet and as mentioned earlier pathless. I was able to make a circuit via Brown Hill, following the fence line to the summit, which has a magnificent cairn, wind shelter and trig. Back to the car visiting a prominent nameless cairn and the few houses at Howgill. There are numerous mines in the area about which I know nothing, so swotting on the internet will need to be done! It should be mentioned that the view north into Scotland is vast, all laid out below you.