Date: 02-Mar-2010
Map: Landranger 90, OL7
Weather: Sunshine all day.
From the road near Howtown, contour
around Hallin Fell to Sandwick. Then along the shore of Ullswater contouring around the fell.
Across to Howtown returning to the car via the base of Steel
Fell, then up and down to the summit of Hallin Fell :
a gentle 6 miles as measured on memory map.
Some of
my acquaintances decided to do the Kentmere Horseshoe today,
but I had already been up there and to be honest didn't
fancy 14 miles in the snow - the others did and it went very
well for them. So I got together with Paul and decided to go
to Kentmere but veer off the Garburn Pass to the left
instead of the right. Todays route knocked off another two
Wainwrights in a very leisurely manner. I arranged to meet
at the second lay-by on the A591 after J36 of the M6 - 'by
the big white butty van'. By the fourth lay-by I knew my
bacon sandwich was just a fantasy, never mind. So I pulled
into the side of the road just before the railway crossing
at Staveley. The next car along pulled over and out popped
three of the guys doing the horseshoe today - they tried to
mug me into walking the horseshoe, but despite the
temptation I stuck to our plan. Paul turned up shortly
afterwards and we drove through Staveley and off and up a
very icy and frosty lane to Kentmere.
todays playground - Sour Howes on the left, Sallows on the
right
looking over to Caudale Moor and Red Screes
It was treacherous to
say the least and when we got to the church at Kentmere we
were greeted with the sight of ten cars parked tightly in
the lane - not much room if the local farmer decided to come
out. We managed to squeeze in by the church, the last spaces
available here thankfully. The church is a strange looking
building, badly rendered but distinct, almost shabby in
appearance. As we got booted up more cars were arriving with
their occupants ' dohh'. Sallows and Sour Howes were not
looking too snowy, just a fresh dusting on top, whereas the
horseshoe looked completely covered. The initial route
followed the Kentmere Horseshoe route up the lane between
stone walls. The walls around here make me smile and were
built over whatever got in the way - usually big boulders.
The forecast was great again and we had clear blue skies all
around, a fantastic start to my walking year. It was the
first time I'd used a polarising filter on the camera and it
was a while before I'd properly orientated the thing. So I
got 50% overexposed pictures. But as they are shot in RAW
format it's not so bad and I'm gradually learning from my
mistakes.
Paul with Sour Howes in the background
the route around to Sour Howes
The walled lane took us up a gentle ascent before
passing through a 5 bar gate onto a rubbly track, there were
good views of today's objectives ahead. We passed by some
big erratics - Badger Rock which must have been named on a
moonlit night after being in the pub - nothing like a
badger. Sallows and Sour Howes are lumpy bumpy hills
reflecting the underlying geology of shale. The old track
must have been for traffic between Kentmere and Troutbeck,
initially walled then open fellside. The bright sunlight
gave the landscape a bleached look with the snow and bare
bones of the trees looking brittle, but I could appreciate
their form
against the sky. As usual Paul was champing at
the bit, but at least he waited for me and my camera today,
and he promised treasure at the end of the walk - a pie and
a pint at the Staveley brewery. As we got higher up the
staedy ascent Yoke came into view on our right and we saw
the others making their way up the snow covered slopes. As
we got to the top of the Garburn Pass the parth zigzags
across the slope taking the worst of the sting from the
steeper hillside. Behind and below us the landscape
glistened in the sprinkled snow, the Kentmere Horseshoe
shuffles off to the north to collect many Wainwrights. It
must have been very hard work up there today, though it did
look very inviting. We didn't have any mishaps today (apart
from the camera), just a gentle meander around the hills. We
started to get views from further afield and after I'd
followed in Pauls footsteps up the snowy slope, some of the
big boys hove into view. We watched a jet fly up Troutbeck
looking like it was on a collision course for Stoney Cove
Pike - and it does fly by very close to the summit there. As
we were on the southern edge of the lakes we had views down
to the coast at Heysham and Morecambe Bay, over to the
Coniston Fells, Scafells, Helvellyn, Red Screes and the
Kentmere Horseshoe, with the Pennines beyond. A grand vista
once more - I always say that but it's true. I phoned the
others to see how they were doing in the snow - very well
but very tiring was the reply.
looking back to Sallows, with Thorntwaite Crag at the head of
the Kentmere Horseshoe
on our way down from Sour Howes
an old lane near to Croft Head
Sallows is an indistinct
blob, with lots of tussocky grass and a well defined route
over to Sour Howes. I looked down on Troutbeck Tongue -
another of those annoying little hills on Wainwrights list,
but sitting in a great amphitheatre of hills.. We crossed
over a wall and I got a lovely picture of of the top casting
jagged shadows on crisp snow. It was a very easy stroll over
to Sour Howes, with the best views behind us, but it's not a
good idea to walk backwards generally. So we stopped often
and I decided to come back soon and walk up to Caudale Moor
at the head of the Troutbeck Valley. We found a nice
sheltered spot at the edge of a pine plantation, sat down
and had a nice relaxed lunch. We had plenty of time today,
and it was good not to get frozen fingers without my gloves
on. From here we generally wandered to the east over
lumpy ground that drops down to the valley - signs of old
mine working here, and in the distance even the Pennines
weren't too shabby today. We dropped down to Park Beck and
crossed over to a track, avoiding any wet bits. I finally
figured how to use the polarizing filter - derr, and
suddenly everything started to look a bit more colourful. -
of course it helps if I take my polarising sunglasses off,
then I don't get cross wired. It was a good track to follow
down to the Kentmere valley and we crossed over a couple of
becks with big stepping stones - they must run fast from
time to time. A lot of the hillside is covered in bracken,
still red but very crumbly and will soon fall to bits.
zoomed in on Kentmere Church basking in the sunlight
and a longer shot with the eastern side of the Kentmere
Horseshoe behind
The
track came down alongside some woods and we turned north to
make our way back towards Kentmere Hall. It was really
pleasant walking in the cold air and sunshine, and we passed
by a craft shop and tea rooms - unfortunately shut. Next
along the valley was a small factory producing air
conditioning gear - they had painted a yellow line for
walkers to follow through the yard. They had a big space
behind it and don't know why they don't use it as a car park
for the summertime - they'd make a bob or two. Further up
the track was an unusual tree, formerly trained as a
hedgerow many years ago, it now has many trunks and has
grown around an old piece of pipe. Around the corner the
Kentmere Horseshoe came into view, with the church sitting
on the side of a very distinct dome of land. The views again
are great if you ignore the overhead power lines. Up
ahead we passed through a small wood and took the lower path
to emerge at Kentmere Hall. It's on the map as an old manor
house, the side of which is a Pele tower - a defensive tower
with an entrance high off the floor, designed to keep out
the maurading Reivers from the north. It looks in good nick
as it sits beneath steep crags.
Ken and his Pele Tower
the beautiful Kentmere valley
As we were passing by the
farm, a well fed farmer called Ken emerged from the hall
(Ken of Kentmere no doubt) - a Scot would say ' d'ya no ken
Ken of Kentmere....probably...... I nipped over for a chat with
Ken -
Me 'Is that a Pele Tower?'
Ken ' a what tower? They used it to keep the Scots out'
Me - 'How old is it'
Ken - Either it's 1340 or 1430....'
Me - 'Is it a listed building?'
Ken - 'Well it tilts a little bit'
After that we had a short walk back up an icy lane to
the church at Kentmere. We dumped the bags and took the
camera for a quick walk to shoot some pictures further up
the valley.. But we couldn't see the full horseshoe, so
repaired to the brewery in Staveley where we had a delicious
pint, but they'd sold out of pies. But while I went to
photograph the falls, Paul nipped next door and when I got
back to the car there was a pie on my windscreen - brilliant
day, brilliant area, and ooh us northern boys love pies.
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