The village of Wetheral near Carlisle was our destination at the weekend, after our planned walk up Hartside was scuppered by mist and drizzle. A mizzley start to our Saturday did have its benefits though. Wetheral has woodland and riverside walks……and not a hill in sight. 🙂 Never mind Wil, you can drag me up the fells next time.
Wetheral has red sandstone dwellings and an attractive village green, so typical of settlements in Cumbria’s Eden Valley. Notable buildings include the Holy Trinity church with its octagonal tower and the 15th Century Priory Gatehouse ; all that remains of a small Benedictine monastery.
By the River Eden footpaths through ancient woodland lead down stone steps to man-made caves, cut into the red rock. The caves were used by the monks to hide during times of border warfare. Etched into the stone are years of signatures.
The caves are named after a St Constantine, who may or may not have inhabited them before the monks saught refuge there. It is possible to explore inside and peer through the slit windows into the river below.
On the other side of the river sits Corby Castle , the ancestral home of the Howard family. It’s Neo-classical facade can be glimpsed from a little beach, along with terraced gardens and folly’s.
My own personal favourite discovery was a wonderful winged bench! Flight Of Fancy is one of ten contemporary stone sculptures to be found along the length of the River Eden. They are called The Eden Benchmarks and here are Some more we found earlier. 🙂
From the benchmarks vantage point we had a clear view of Wetherals 5 Arch Viaduct, known as Corby Bridge. Trains still travel overhead , bound for Newcastle and Glasgow.
After our potter around Wetheral it was time for a spot of lunch. The village store and Post Office is also a cafe called The Posting Pot. We sat at one of the outside tables and people watched. My cream of tomato soup and savoury cheese scone were divine. 🍅
And on the way home I got Wil to pull up at a roadside farm selling one of my most favourite Autumn blooms, the Chinese Lantern. Those flame coloured flowers certainly brought a hint of colour to the caravan decking.
Welcome back to Lancashire for this walk which is a couple of short train journeys away from my hometown of Clitheroe. We don’t use the train often enough and hope to remedy that when finding future hikes. This walk is featured in the Guide To Lancashire Pub Walks by Nick Burton, a handy little pocket size publication. We did a few of the walks mentioned during the first lockdowns , when the pubs weren’t even open. Happily not so the case now. 🙂
Anyway we caught a train from Clitheroe to Blackburn and then went on to the village of Pleasington from there. The whole journey took about 40 minutes including connection time. The walk took us up The Yellow Hills to see The Wainwright Memorial and then through woodland and Witton Park. Refreshments at The Railway Hotel in the village , at the end.
Pleasant Pleasington sign at the Railway Station. We walk past Pleasington Priory. And a house with Stone Lions guarding it. And then through a field of cows. They were pretty calm until a farmer appeared on a quad bike, then they started chasing it around the field. We escaped the cows! A friendly Cat on a drive-way. Fly Agaric, though not the best specimen. Looks like we are on the Witton Weavers Way.
After walking through some woodland we ascended the gentle slopes of the Yellow Hills to come across the Wainwright Memorial , a fitting tribute to the Blackburn born Fell Walker, writer and illustrator Alfred Wainwright. As a young man Alfred would walk in these hills above Blackburn. On a clear day he would be able to glimpse upon the fells of the Lake District, they would eventually entice him to Cumbria where he recorded his hikes in his famous Pictorial Guides.
The Wainwright Memorial was unveiled in 2013. Intrepid Hikers. No distant views as wasn’t clear enough. The Yellow Hills are named after the yellow blooms of the Gorse bushes that grow here. A Polypore Fungi. Crow Wood. Autumn colours appearing.
We walked on to Witton Park, following woodland paths downwards through Billinge Wood and Crow Wood. The Crow Sculpture I had hoped to see didn’t appear to be there ( unless we somehow missed it !) , though there was an information board near where I thought it should have been. And there were plenty of real crows, magpies and other wildlife in the woods.
Crow Sculpture Information Board. Nuthatch.Grey Squirrel. Witton Park.Butler’s Bridge over the River Darwen.
Witton Park is vast, covering 480 acres. It is Criss crossed by various walking trails and has a visitor centre. We will have to return oneday as we didn’t come across the centre and only saw a small part of the grounds on our walk. After crossing Butler’s Bridge it was a short meander up past the Priory and back into Pleasington.
Pleasington Priory was opened in 1819. The Railway Hotel. Railway Flowers. 🚂🚂Waiting for the train back to Blackburn. Pleasington is a request stop , so be prepared to stick your arm out. 😁
Map ~ OS Explorer 287 West Pennine Moors.
Book ~ Guide To Lancashire Pub Walks by Nick Burton.
So it’s raining cats and dogs and you’re out and about in Clitheroe with your four- legged friend. It’s not Beer Garden weather, so where can you and Rover ( or Hugo in my case! ) go to shelter from the rain, sit down with a coffee, relax with a pint, or indeed indulge in a little re Tail therapy? I have put together a list of such places that you and your pooch can enjoy in our Ribble Valley town. 🐶
SHOPS. Clitheroe has a good selection of shops that welcome dogs, many of which are independent retailers. ❤️
Banana News ~ Friendly News Agents in the centre of town. Castle Street.
Bodycare ~ Discount Health & Beauty products. Castle Street.
Ice & Spice ~ Traditional British and Asian food cafe , open seven days a week. King Street.
Maxwells Cafe & Wine Bar ~ The covered outside area of this popular cafe bar has heaters for chilly days. Dogs outside area only. King Street.
Miracle on Shawbridge Street ~ Christmas themed Cafe Bar open Thursday -Sunday. Charcuterie boards, Finch bakery cakes , Christmasy drinks and cocktails on the menu. Shawbridge Street.
Posing with a Nutcracker Doll is a must for visitors to Miracle on Shawbridge Street.
Secret Garden Cafe ~ Veggie and Vegan Cafe with a nice outdoor terrace. New Market Street.
Tiger Lounge ~ Restaurant and Drinking venue on Whalley Road. Has a special menu just for pampered four legged friends. Large outdoor terrace, dogs welcome inside too.
A beautiful Secret Garden guest ~ Photo from the Facebook page.
Toms Table ~ French Inspired cuisine and afternoon teas. Lovely sun terrace. Dogs welcome before 6pm. Lee Carter House, Off Castle Street.
3 C’s Cafe ~ Hot drinks, Cake & Ice cream in the newly refurbished cafe by the former bowling green in the grounds of Clitheroe Castle.
Hugo at 3 C’s Cafe.
Violet’s Deli ~ Coffee and Deli bar with comfy sofas. Castle Street.
PUBS AND BARS. Clitheroe has many a pet friendly pub or bar. We are very lucky. 🐩🐾
The Ale House ~ Town centre Micro pub serving cask ales and bottled beers. Market Place.
The Beer Shack ~ Craft Beer bar specialising in craft beers and ciders. Charcuterie boards and beer snacks served too. Also opening mornings for coffee & cakes. Semi covered outdoor area at the back. King Street.
Bowland Beer Hall At Holmes Mill ~ For the Real Ale fan, the Beer Hall at Holmes Mill has 42 Cask ales on tap and has lots of original features from its industrial heritage , including a huge steam engine. Serves Bar Meals. Greenacre Street.
Corto ~ Craft Beers, Natural Ciders, Natural Wines, Cheese Boards and Good Vibes. King Street.
The Dispensary ~ New to the List! Craft Beer & Gin Bar also serves coffee & cakes, cheese and meat boards. Dogs welcome during the day. Moor Lane.
Corto cuisine.
Edisford Bridge Country Pub ~ Country Pub on the outskirts of Clitheroe. Small indoor area for eating with your dog. Lovely beer garden too. Good food and perfect for river walks.
The Emporium ~ Elegant bar and restaurant with dog friendly ground floor. Moor Lane.
Rose and Crown ~ Town centre pub that serves Bar Meals. Castle Street.
SauceBox ~ Small but perfectly formed Craft Beer and Cocktail Bar. Moor Lane
SMSJ ~ Old Schoolroom ~ Attractive bar with Big Screen TVs, Pool table and spacious yet snug seating areas. Bar Snacks Menu. Lowergate.
Old School Room.
White Lion ~ Popular Town centre pub with flagged floor and large heated beer garden area at the rear. Market Place.
Thank you for reading my Dog Friendly Clitheroe Post. Please respect any places you visit with your dog and keep doggies on a lead. Also please double check before you enter a venue with your dog. ❤️🐶
It was a certain Black Labradors 7th birthday at the weekend. Hugo enjoys opening his own presents. Tearing off the wrapping paper and shredding it into little pieces is all part of the fun. 🙂
To avoid the Bank Holiday crowds on Saturday we headed over the border into County Durham , another county within half an hour’s drive from the caravan.
Our first destination was Cow Green Reservoir , the water of which shone a stunning topaz blue. From here we walked to the nearby Cauldron Snout Cascade, one of the longest waterfalls in England. There were a few walkers doing the Pennine Way, but mostly we had the place to ourselves.
Cow Green Reservoir. Birthday Boy. At the top of Cauldron Snout.
After eating a picnic lunch looking out over the water we decided to drive to nearby Killhope Lead Mining Museum in Upper Weardale. We didn’t do the underground mine tour but did spend a good couple of hours exploring the overground.
Outdoors at Killhope Lead Mining Museum.
Up until the 12th of September there are five large billboards to find outdoors, as part of The Architect Of Ruins Exhibition by Steve Messam. They look particularly striking against the rural/industrial backdrop. I was also delighted to see several Red Squirrels from the Hide in the Woodland. Dogs are welcome at Killhope and the attraction is currently free!
On Sunday we headed to Allonby , a favourite beach of ours for walks with Hugo. On the way we called in at a farm that had opened their Sunflower 🌻 field up for charity. It was amazing to see all those golden flower heads waving in the breeze.
Sunflowers galore. 🙂 The beach at Allonby.
Before we set off home on Monday we took Hugo for a walk in the grounds of Acorn Bank at nearby Temple Sowerby. The gardens, grounds and water mill are open to the public and owned by the National Trust. There are some lovely Woodland walks here, perfect for wildlife spotting and walking the hound. 🙂
Lily pond at Acorn Bank.
It was a bit of an action packed bank holiday weekend. Hopefully Hugo enjoyed his birthday. And thank you to my wonderful other half for driving. He’s definitely a good un. 😁
sunshine and celandines 