It was a beautiful sunny day on Saturday, perfect timing for a walk from Dufton in Cumbria’s Eden Valley. Nearby at Flakebridge Woods, the bluebells are a vast carpet of blue. Go see them before they disappear!
I have left the walks book we used at the caravan, so my walk description might not be totally accurate. I do have a photo of the route though, below.
Anyway ,we parked roadside in the pretty village of Dufton. There is a small carpark in the centre, but that was full. The village is popular with walkers hiking Dufton Pike, High Cup Nick and The Pennine Way. This walk though is mostly low level with lovely fell views.
We headed down into Dufton Ghyll. A rocky gorge woodland , managed by the woodland trust. Leaving the Ghyll along a gorse covered path. The gorse is looking beautiful at the moment. Watching 🐑 Ewe. There are a couple of conicle hills , I think this one is Dufton Pike. More vibrant gorse giving out a gorgeous coconut aroma. By the stream. Looking back at Dufton Pike. In Flakebridge Woods. My photos don’t do it justice, there are acres and acres of bluebells. 💙Bluebells and stitchwort. Bluebells. Leaving the woods on a grassy lane. Cuckoo Flowers , they are popular with the Orange Tip Butterfly. Stitchwort. More gorgeous gorse. Cute miniature horses. ❤️Dufton Pike looms ahead. Back into Dufton Ghyll, where bluebells bloom too. We emerge from the woodland into a field of Jacob 🐏 sheep. Dufton village. A much photographed view of the village. Water fountain on the green, The Stag Pub to the left and Dufton Pike in the background. Dufton dwellings. Love this gardener sculpture. My ride home! Not really. 😍
This was a delightfully scenic walk, made more so by spring sunshine and spring flowers. Thanks for joining me!
* I have deleted a photo of moles hanging from a fence, a practice often seen in the countryside. The moles are considered
pests by farmers and the mole catcher displays them , he gets paid per mole. Sorry for any offence.
I just had to share these photos from our walk on Saturday afternoon. We found ourselves in an enchanting snowdrop wonderland. And we had it almost to ourselves, apart from a couple of others with their dogs.
We were walking through a little woodland adjacent to NT Acorn Bank in Cumbrias Eden Valley. Although the house, gardens and watermill are closed until March, a public footpath meanders through the woods. Much of the ground was carpeted in one of our most delicately beautiful Spring flowers ‘ The Snowdrop’. Seen as a symbol of hope and purity, snowdrops were apparently named after pearl drop earrings, not flakes of snow.
It was really magical to wander amongst them. Have you seen any impressive Snowdrop displays this year?
Saturday dawned grey and drizzley. Time for a woodland walk, somewhere with adequate shelter under a canopy of softly falling leaves. We headed to Armathwaite in Cumbria’s Eden Valley, Coombs Wood with its Riverside path, covered in crunchy copper beech leaves, was our destination.
There are lots of Woodland Walks like this, following the wide River Eden. We came across one of ten Eden Benchmark Sculptures , this one we have seen before, ‘ Vista’ by Graeme Micheson . It depicts a solitary walker who abandons his clothes on a rock , for a dip in the water below.
The Woodland in Autumn is ablaze with colour. I have yet to visit in the Spring when Bluebells, Wild Garlic and Yellow Star of Bethlehem cover the forest floor. Now is a good time to find fungi, see blazing gold bracken and patches of blooming Gorse.
Leaving Coombs Wood our route took us through the little hamlet of Longdales and along an old bridleway with Pennine Fell views, on a clearer day.
And then we headed back along the road to the village of Armathwaite, which had two choices for a pub lunch, a hostelry at each side of a bridge that spans the River Eden.
The Fox 🦊 & Pheasant beckoned, it’s the kind of pub that lights a welcoming fire and has some good real ales on tap. The locals hang their hats on a stuffed foxes head. We enjoyed sandwiches with chips on the side.
When I haven’t been to the caravan for a couple of weeks, I’m always amazed at the changes in the garden. Not being a gardener at all, I struggled to identify this latest blossoming shrub. Any ideas?
My poor pansy pot has been used by a moth to lay their eggs in the flowers. The culprit is below. I think it’s an Angle Shades Moth. Oh well! It’s good to give back to nature. 😃
Saturday morning in Melmerby and the church was all decorated for a wedding with pretty white wildflowers.
And there’s always something to see on little walks round about the village.
In the afternoon we went to Honister Slate Mine where Wil would be going to Infinity and Beyond! His Birthday present from me this year was an Infinity Bridge Experience at Honister. Rather him than me! Scroll down for Wils photo of the bridge. Meanwhile Hugo and I explored around the site. There are some cool slate sculptures. 😚
Wil was buzzing after the Infinity Bridge.
I had noticed several people heading up the fells from the Honister Car Park. Has anyone done a Wainwright from there?
We then went for tea at Mary Mount Hotel near Keswick. The terrace has wonderful views. 🥰
Today’s walk is one from the weekend. A gentle saunter starting at NT Acorn Bank and taking in the pretty village of Temple Sowerby in the Eden Valley district of Cumbria. The route can be found on the Acorn Bank Website. Because we are members of the National Trust we parked on the car park at Acorn Bank. Non members may have to adapt the walk a little.
Shepherds Hut at Acorn Bank entrance. Walk Map. Beautiful Bluebells. Pear Blossom and Daffodils. Walking through Wild Garlic. Crowdundle Beck, a tributary of the River Eden. We passed under a railway viaduct. What Ewe Looking At? Bridge over the Beck.
We passed through a small village called Newbiggin , one of several Newbiggins in Cumbria. I love the rosie coloured sandstone that the buildings are made of. Here it was taken from Crowdundle Beck.
St Edmunds Church, Newbiggin. A farmhouse at the crossroads built in 1695. And curious cattle. A bit of road walking. Very peaceful though. Lots of stitchwort out in the hedgerows. Distant Hare. Heading through Borough Fields and on to Temple Sowerby. Temple Sowerby through a ginnel. The houses are set around a village green. St James Church, Temple Sowerby.
Temple Sowerby is an attractive village , once known as the Queen Of Westmorland villages. It was named after the Knights Templar who briefly owned the settlement and nearby Acorn Bank. Temple Sowerby was once a tanning village and other industries in the area included the mini ng of gypsum. There is still a gypsum plant at Kirkby Thore.
Victory Hall. The House at Temple Sowerby B & B. Cafe for residents and non residents called Temple Velo. Lunch at Temple Velo. Heading out of the village. A short country lane walk and then we are back in Acorn Banks parkland. Parkland. Acorn Bank. Mellow yellow. Flowers galore. A peek in the orchard. Clock Tower.
After a look in the second hand book shop at Acorn Bank it was time to head home. What a lovely walk. 😘
Today I am looking back at our weekend away with friends in Ravenglass & Eskdale. It was during the school holidays in August that we stayed in the same lovely cottage that we have booked for previous get togethers. It has become a bit of a tradition of ours to stop in Ravenglass on the Cumbrian Coast. We always seem to find new things to see and do.
As we had set off a little earlier than the others, we decided to take our dog Hugo for a walk on nearby Silecroft Beach. With the Cumbrian Fells ( particularly Black Combe) as it’s backdrop, this sandy stretch of coastline is perfect for exercising four-legged friends. And dogs are not the only ones. You have a very good chance of seeing the Cumbrian Heavy Horses out for a canter here too.
Black Coombe. Doggy Paddles. Out To Sea. Heavy Horse.
Once settled into our seafront cottage in the estuary village of Ravenglass everyone made for the beach again. And our evening was spent under rugs on the cottage balcony playing games and watching the sun 🌞 set over the bay.
Ravenglass Beach. Sunset. Owl Window.
No visit to Ravenglass is complete without a trip on La’al Ratty! Meaning ‘ Little Railway ‘ in Old Cumbrian dialect, this is the affectionate nick name given to The Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway 🚂 , a Narrow Steam Gorge Railway that takes visitors on a seven mile journey into the stunning Eskdale countryside.
We were spoiled for choice when it came to walking routes in Eskdale. Many people opt to walk up into the fells. There’s Roman ruins at Hardknott and plenty of wild swimming in the rugged becks and waterfall pools. Speaking of waterfalls, we went in search of Stanley Ghyll and the recently constructed iron viewing platform above it.
Clear Water and Stepping Stones. Bridge over troubled water? Only if you fall off the stepping stones.Stanley Ghyll Force ~ Photo from Express Article here.Viewing Platform. Lush vegetation. Waiting. Walking. And some people braved the water. Which was freezing!
Bootle Beach was our destination on Sunday. More swimming for the kids ( they were braver than us!) and a bit of beach combing. We saw two huskies from Horse & Husky being exercised. This beach is great for finding wierd and wonderful pebbles and other flotsam and jetsam.
Huskies. On the beach. Maybe a 🐑, or even Bel the Bedlington. Prettiest Pebbles. Other Beach Finds. Hugo and Bel the Bedlington on the beach at Ravenglass.
We had a wonderful time as usual, in this scenic corner of Cumbria.
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.
I can’t quite believe how hot the weekend has been, especially Saturday! I am not big on hot weather, but finding nearby water to splash about in certainly helps.
We figured that heading to the Lakes from the caravan might just prove too crowded. So we packed our swimming stuff and found our way to Garrigill in the North Pennines. Having visited Ashgill Force back in October, we thought it might be nice to return to this lovely waterfall on a hot Summers Day.
Ashgill Force…looking dry.
Unfortunately we hadn’t thought that it might presently be but a trickle and not the mighty force that we remembered. Recent warm weather had dried up the fall. Luckily downstream were some smaller waterfall pools and not a soul in sight.
Hugo finds a waterfall. Beckside path. A narrow gorge. Go on, jump in!
Unlike most labradors Hugo is not a great swimmer. He will go for a doggy paddle but tends to dip in and out of the water and is mostly only interested in the wet stuff if someone flings a stick/ball/stone in for him to retrieve. We also have to encourage him to have a drink. Daft dog!
I didn’t exactly do much swimming but I definitely cooled down in this mini waterfall which was like a natural jacuzzi. Refreshing and cold. 🙂 Not long afterwards we were startled by a group of Gill Scramblers making their way upstream. I was so surprised I forgot to take a photo! Then we saw the flash of a Red Squirrels tail as it scrambled up a tree. A fab and mostly peaceful morning was spent by the water. 🙂
Above Nook Farm Shop & Cafe. Felt as warm as Rome. A substantial salad. Nook Farm Shop & Cafe.
A friend recommended a good spot for lunch about ten minutes drive from Garrigill. Nook Farm Shop & Cafe on the roadside near Alston is popular with motorcyclists and the food is quite delicious. The farmland is also home to the remains of an ancient Roman Fort which we were too hot and lazy to investigate. This time!
Early evening stroll in Melmerby. Early morning stroll. Breakfast on the decking.
Sunday too was hot though there were a few clouds in the sky. On the way home we met my Mum and brother for Sunday lunch at The Fat Lamb near Ravenstonedale, a quirky country Inn full of classic car memorabilia.
The Fat Lamb near Ravenstonedale.
How are you keeping cool? It’s a bit of a heatwave were having!
Got a bluebell fix on the way home from the van on Sunday. We stopped off at the pretty village of Barbon which happens to be located in both South Lakeland and within the Yorkshire Dales National Park. To my delight a nearby woodland was packed with vivid blue bluebells and other spring flowers.
We hadn’t visited Barbon before. It’s attractions include a cheeseshop/cafe and a thrice yearly car race called the Barbon Hill Climb.
We took a footpath to the right of the village church.
Tantalising glimpse of bluebells.
The path is part of the Barbon Manor Estate.
Tried to get a cute photo of Hugo amongst the bluebells, he wasn’t having it. 🤣
Beautiful Bluebells.
Wild Garlic.
Bluebells and Barbon Beck.
Bugles.
Violets.
Thyme leaves speedwells.
We walked to the gates at the end of the wood then turned back.
A carpet of blue.
Standing by a black and white race barrier.
Fell above Barbon.
Barbon Inn.
Churchmouse Cheese.
Churchmouse.
Bye Bye Bluebells.
Have you walked amongst the bluebells this year? Head to Barbon whilst the colours are at their best. 💙
I think we can safely say that our caravan in Melmerby is fast becoming our second home. Now that England is coming out of lockdown restrictions, we are hoping to spend more time there, hopefully at least two weekends a month. There’s still so much of the Eden Valley to be explored, not least from our own doorstep. Never one to suggest a hike up a hill, I left it to Wil to persuade me that a fell walk from Melmerby on a clear Spring day was a good idea. 🙂
After breakfast at the van, we set off from the village, following a well defined track up through woodland and into the hills. And there are plenty of hills! Melmerby sits at the foot of the mighty North Pennines.
Ford and stream. Hills. ⛰️Wil waiting for me….as usual. Looking back. Looking up.
Eventually after a lot of lagging behind I caught Wil and Hugo up. The views are extraordinary , with the Lake District fells and even the sea in sight on a clear day.
Hills and sky. Perched on a hill..Views across to the Lake District Mountains. A Dunlin. Although more commonly associated with the coast, dunlins breed in the uplands. This one wears it’s breeding plumage. A rusty machine skeleton. Another upland bird, the beautiful Golden Plover.
Now there are several summits in the fells above Melmerby. And Melmerby Fell is certainly one of the bigger ones at 709 metres ( not that much shorter than two of the Yorkshire 3 Peaks, and higher than Pen Y Ghent ) but sorting which cairn or trig belongs to which fell is a bit tricky.
Possibly Meikle Awfell.Knapside Hill, maybe.
Melmerby Fell Summit. This unimpressive looking Cairn is the top of Melmerby Fell. Yay! A rest on Melmerby Summit.
Up on the tops the weather had turned from t shirt weather to something a bit more wild and cold. It even tried to snow! We soldiered on along the Maiden Way, a Roman road later used as a Drovers route.
Walking along the Maiden Way. Cross Fell in the distance, I think. Rosy coloured sheep. Along the Maiden Way. Another fell bird ~ the pretty Wheatear.
We made our descent by following an old tramway , now almost given back to nature. It leads down to a large lime kiln by Ardale Beck. I think the kiln looks like a miniature castle. And then on to Townhead, Ousby.
Following the old tramline into the valley below.Back of Townhead Lime Kiln. Townhead Lime Kiln. Below the hills we walked across. A contented little lamb.
The final part of our walk took us along pretty country lanes from Ousby back to Melmerby.
St Luke’s Church, Ousby. Made from the rosy red sandstone so typical of the area. A sheepdog sees us off. Sheep jam on the way out of Ousby. A pair of partridge. A Tunncks Tea Cake back at the caravan.
In the end I was glad that Wil persuaded me to join him on this hike up Melmerby fell. 🙂
sunshine and celandines 