A ride on a steam train and hike back.

The Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway is one of the oldest narrow gauge railways in England and known locally as La'al Ratty or 'little railway'. The train transports tourists from Ravenglass on the west Cumbrian coat to Dalegarth near Boot in the Eskdale Valley. Some of the carriages are closed, some open, but all with spectacular views as you travel up the line, stopping at places called The Green and Murthwaite Halt. We decided to take the train from Dalegarth to Muncaster, just one stop from Ravenglass and then hike back to the car over Muncaster Fell.

Flora's first railway ride which she appeared to thoroughly enjoy.

After an initial wrong turn from the stop ( sometimes the very start of walks can be confusing!) we set off walking steadily upwards along Fell Lane out on to the open hillside towards Muncaster Fell. It was a cloudy, close morning with no sign of any sun and very boggy underfoot. There were few people around and most we met were doing a similar route one way or another, walkers are always happy to share a route and mull over an OS map!

We made steady, if slow progress eastwards keeping the valley on our right and picking our way carefully through bogs, mud and gorse, wonderful views but the tops were clouded in mist and we were glad we had not planned a high level walk today. We came off the fell at about 3pm and the skies turned blue, the sun came out and temperature rose to about 20oC.

Not a Wainwright but Muncaster Fell does appear in his Outlying Fells books and certainly lived up to his description, 

"The supreme joy of Muncaster Fell is the delectable traverse of its ridge ... Here is enchantment"

Down under The Green station and then another ascent, quite a steep pull to the top of Fell Side before joining a narrow path which took us up and over the fell towards our destination.

We were following the OS map carefully but had to resort to the compass on at least one occasion as the narrow grass paths were quite indistinct on the top of Fell Side, we kept on a north east route to eventually reach the 2 tarns identified on the route, Siney Tarn and much larger Blea Tarn. There we located the steep zig zag path down to the road through the valley where we trudged for another 1/2 mile or so before arriving at the car. 

A demanding walk for modest height gain, but the views were very rewarding and thoroughly enjoyable.

The old canal

My sister and I used to play on trees near the old canal in 1966 when our parents first moved to Lichfield. She was 6 and I knew better at 9 years of age. My mother would have had a fit. Please can we go to the shop for you, across a main road, under a bridge, across another road, list filled, sweets purchased from shop in Shortbutts Lane and return journey along the old canal. Summers of sunny days and no stranger danger existed. I remember climbing on a tree whose branches bent over the water and solemnly telling my sister she was too young to follow me and must stand and wait for me, she did. Even in those days there was no canal traffic, long closed off and full of stagnant water with interesting  creatures and us with a sense of dare. It was fortuitous maybe to buy a house much later near the same canal. Nothing much happened for many years, we walked along it with various dogs and children and then the Lichfield and Hatherton Canals Trust was formed and started the restoration work in 1990 www.lhcrt.org.uk

The history of the Wyrley and Essington is outlined here: 

www.lhcrt.org.uk/history.htm

The restoration route is at the back of our house and lock 24 a 

mere 1/2 mile away. 

We try to take a regular walk to see the latest work 

and read the news boards.

It makes for a pleasant walk. The volunteers are doing a great job 

of restoring each part and the workings have now spread into Darnford Park

Spot a Chocolate Labrador?

Then all of a sudden a completed part is in view, towpath, 

beautiful blue brickwork completed and water 

reflecting the evening light in the trees.

It will be many years until the canal reappears in its former glory 

at the back of the house, we probably will not 

be around to appreciate it.

Do go down and have a look at the work, 

it's a masterpiece in progress.

Darnford Park

Darnford Park is great if you just need to get out for half an hour. It's about a mile around the perimeter, 2 for the dog at least and not withstanding the ridiculous arrows ( what, are the Park Police going to stop you for walking the wrong way??), a very pleasant way to get some fresh air if you are short on time. The Park was deserted at 3.30 this afternoon. No kids, hardly any walkers and their dogs, just a jogger in the distance. It was a beautiful, scorching afternoon, and other than the noise from the A38 traffic, quiet and peaceful. But it shouldn't have been like this.

The controversial fencing is, inevitably, having an impact on the local community. There are no kids around, not even having an illicit smoke at one of the picnic benches. There are few spaces now to kick around a football due to the new fencing, and it seems this has put picnickers off as well. 

A new banner has been attached to the fence at the Darnford Park end and notices are keeping users up to date on the current news. Over 1000 people signed the recent petition handed to Lichfield District Council to ask the Council to remove the fencing and leave the wide open spaces as they were.

The original wildflower area at the Cappers Lane end is stunning, full of 3 foot high grasses and wild campanula. Gorgeous. There's no doubt that the interior areas inside the fencing are also looking stunning but the thought of weed killer being administered and the ground being prepared for 6800 trees later in the year is really depressing.

Come on Lichfield District Council, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. 

A Hartington Ramble

The day started well with a fast journey to Hartington, an hour away but a different world of snow lined fields, misty vistas and rolling hills. We had planned a ramble from Hartington to Pilsbury Castle and after meeting friends and getting gaitered up, we set off.

The ramble from the old settlement of Hartington follows the hills enclosing upper Dovedale with a height gain of 830 feet and a gentle distance of 6 miles. We started to clmb soon after leaving the village and traversed gorse covered banks and a conifer plantation breaking out to a superb view into the higher reaches of the valley. Stile upon stile, many with treacherously slippery stones set not the walls and only one with a dog pass, Flora coped with several indignities of being carried, pushed, pulled and lugged over the numerous stiles.

The tracks often contained walls of different materials, limestone on one side and sandstone on the other, the river flowing between the two types of rock. We continued up the valley to Pilsbury Castle, an English Heritage site, representing a picture of what must have been a formidable defence in this remote kingdom.

This was the point of turning on the walk and we retraced our steps slightly to rise above the site. Looking back you could really appreciate the castle's location as guardian of the valley.

After several more stiles and indistinct trods and walking downhill all the time, we descended back into the village of Hartington, the pub in sight with a much needed drink and snack.

A muddy yomp in the Cotswolds

Duly armed with a Cotswold Way circular walk and having slept well and feeling much recovered, we set off to the small town of Winchcombe, a delightful Cotswold town, not quite the manicured prettiness of Chipping Camden but still gorgeously picturesque.

The 5 mile yomp started near the entrance of Sudeley Castle, somewhere we should definitely come back to when the weather improves followed the Cotswold Way up, up and a bit more up to the mound of Belas Knap or Beautiful Hill, a Neolithic long barrow where hundreds of human bones have been found dating back thousands of years. This was an excellent place to pause and soak up the past before continuing on the route, downhill this time via the old Cotswold Route over slippery stiles, muddy squelchy fields back to the town.

Delightful town with a wealth of tea rooms, pubs and places of interest ready to welcome weary walkers, one of which, the White Hart specialises in local sausages and cider. What more could you ask for?

Water, water, everywhere....

A colleague reminded me this morning it was 2 years ago this week that school had closed after heavy snow and we had a very unexpected 3 days at home. 2 years later and this has been replaced by rain although no-one has mentioned Rain Days at school yet.......funny that the A38 was clear at 7.15am this morning and I reached Etwall with no problems at all by 7.30am, the usual time. No water on the dual carriageway although it was amazing to see the fields either side of the A38 between south and north Burton turn offs and towards turn off to Repton and Etwall were completedly immersed.

Many of the kids who live around Repton and Willington did not make it in today and several staff were late but the rest of us managed a pretty normal day and appreciated smaller classes! Emails were sent out this afternoon about the buses and local roads so I decided to leave with the kids at 3.25pm.
The A38, at first, appeared to very quiet and empty and no problems until lights ahead showed stationery traffic around Clay Mills turnoff. The river had completely burst its banks during the day and flowed across the carriageway on both sides making it rather an exciting experience once we all realised it was only about 12-15 cms deep and passable.

 In 5 years of travelling up and down the A38 every day, I have never experienced this before.

 Note the fuel guage!

 

I was quite relieved to get home and filled up ready to use the 4 wheel again tomorrow, something I am very grateful for in this weather. In the meantime, am keeping half an ear open for the Telephone Tree to kick in and a possible Rain Day.........

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



A wet, muddy ramble around Fradley Junction

Same walk as nearly a year ago, coincidentally, but rather different vistas opened up to us with all the rain in the past few days. Duly armed with Fradley Walks map No 3 we set off in several layers and sunglasses. Beautiful morning, chilly but very bright sunshine.

The walk meanders along the towpath south for about 2 miles and once we had left the canalside pub, cafe and boatyard area, we saw hardly anyone. A few hardy souls tending their boats, one passed us with a cheery morning but apart from that we were in isolation. There were points when it seemed hard to see where the tow path ended and the canal started as the water level was so high.
 

Kings Bromley Marina

 

 

Once we had left the towpath there was some road walking for about a mile or so and this is where we saw some wondrous sites in the fields, streams and brooks had completely burst their banks and flooded fields on either sides with cars valiantly driving too fast through flooded sideroads, determined to reach their Sunday lunch destination, no doubt.

 

 Flooded asparagus field

The last roses of the year

 

 

The walk continued down a farm track, over stiles and through very muddy fields.We came across a broken wooden bridge which has deteriorated in the past year and not been repaired. We managed to get across although the dog needed a little persuasion!

 

We passed Alrewas Hayes, a beautiful farmhouse and now hotel, not far from the Junction.

Just past the hotel we walked diagonally though a bamboo field, same as last year and still perplexed as to why it is grown there.

 

The walk ended soon after wading through the nature reserve set back from the canal and arriving out through the caravan park. It would seem churlish, having parked at the pub, not to go in and use the facilities. Thirst quenched and pork bap consumed, we wended our way home as the light seemed to be fading by 2pm. A delightful way to spend a few hours.