Martindale

It looked foul over the Western Lakes and bright over the High Street Fells so it was really a no-brainer as to which direction I headed. I hadn't been down Martindale for over a year and as its usually very quiet, I headed that way.

Ullswater

There aren't many places to stop on the eastern side of Ullswater which is a shame but I managed to pull in just north of Howtown and take a shot looking across the Lake of a couple of yachts. It was really the sun on the foreground grasses which caught my eye though.

Martindale

The weather closed in a bit as I drove up the pass to the New Martindale Church of St Peter. I had hoped to park there but it was full so headed down to the Old Church in the valley itself. I only just managed to get parked up, it looks like every man and his dog had the same idea as me. The breaks in the cloud became less and less but I managed to get some pretty decent shots before the cloud ciover finally won the day.

Martindale

A party of walkers set off up Beda Fell and it just reminder me of the TV comedy The Great Outdoors. At the heart of the show is Bob, the vain, deluded, tragic-comic organiser of the rambling group. Over the course of the series Bob battled to keep his place from newcomer Christine, who was determined to jump into his boots and steal his best friend Tom. Every rambling Club I have seen on the fells has a Bob, with his whistle and map case around his neck.

Old Yew Tree, St Martin's Church

In St Martins Church yard (above) stands this yew tree which is estimated to be about 1300 years old.

Martindale

I always think it's a shame that these three barns or homesteads have been allowed to fall into such a state of ruin but they do make for good photography subjects.

Martindale

Winter Crag Farm

Winter Crag Farm (above) situated below Beda Fell. When the light is like this it makes a perfect little scene especially in autumn when the bracken has changed.

Graveyard Martindale

St Martin's Church, Martindale

The old Church of St Martin, Martindale, has existed since at least 1220. It is probable that the present building was erected at the end of the 16th Century. There have been successive restorations to the present building, the last major restoration being in 1882 when the roof was replaced. Violent storms destroyed the roof on the day that the new Church of St Peter was consecrated.
Objects of interest inside the Church include the reading desk of 1634, the font which was almost certainly a Roman alter, and the Church bell which is some 500 years old.

 St Martin's Church, Martindale

St Martin's Church, Martindale

St Martin's Church, Martindale

Old grave, St Matrin's

A grave underneath the 1300 year old Yew Tree in the Old Church's graveyard.

Slopes of Steel Knotts

Looking across the Dale with , also known locally as Pikawassa. In 'A Dictionary of Lake District Place Names', Diana Whaley suggests that the name means 'the summit (Pike) of (a) Wat's hill (Wassa). Sounds reasonable to me.

Head of Martindale

Looking down the Dale with the High Street Fells on the left and the big wet lump of The Nab slightly to the right. Also at the head of the Dale is the Martindale deer forest which is out of bounds except for stalkers in the stalking season!

A report from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs found that Martindale deer may be the only pure blooded Red Deer left in England as many herds become cross bred with genes from the Sika Deer.

Fungi, Martindale.

Torridon Reflections

I've finally finished processing all my holiday photos and have put together a collection of reflections on Upper Loch Torridon. A few of then I have blogged earlier but I thought it would be a good idea to put then all in one place for a personal record more than anything else.

Days like this are few and far between.

Upper Loch Torridon and Laithach

Ben Alligin and Upper Loch torridon

Beinn Alligin and Upper Loch torridon

Torridon under Laithach

Torridon under Laithach

Laithach

Torridon under Laithach

Torridon under Laithach

Laithach from Annat

Beinn Alligin

A bit of The Dales Way.

I can't think of any better way to spend a hot sunny day than having a drive out with Sal. We parked up at Buckden in the National Park carpark and had a couple of miles stroll down to Starbotton via the Dales Way.

It wasn't the most walker-friendly footpath, the land owners/National Park seemed to have gone out of their way to "cage" us in with barbed wire fences on both sides. This kept us well away from the River Wharfe for the biggest part of the walk which was a shame. Sal was in her element snapping away furiously and I was merrily playing with my newly acquired Lumix GF1.

Expectations rose as we approached Starbotton (or Starbottom as I have always called it) due to the prospect of a pint each in the Hare and Hounds. One last photo of Sal on the bridge and then we headed for the pub.

We sat outside in the hot sun and my pint of lager shandy tasted like nectar. The plan was to walk back to Buckden after the drink but as we had wanted to head up into Swaledale, we decided to take our luck with the local Dales Bus. After coppering up, Sal checked the timetable (which was on the pub side of the road) and we crossed over to wait  for it's arrival.

Ten minutes later and with still no sign of the bus, she walked over and checked again, confirming her timing was correct. A few minutes later she wondered if she had read the timetable wrong and had got the time for the bus coming in the opposite direction instead, so across the road she went again.

There was still no sign of the bus so I suggested that maybe the bus only ran Monday to Friday. Embarrassment and giggles had now set in so it was my turn to walk over the road and check that it was a daily service.....it was. 5 mins later and still no sight of the bus so I was sent over the road again just to double, double check the times whilst Sal took a photo of a telephone and post box! To huge cheers and laughter the bus then appeared around the bend and took us back to our starting point in Buckden.

 The rest of the day passed off without much incident except for when we drove along Langstothdale. We were entertained by a couple of hippies; one on the bongos and another with a sort of home made, stand up, one string bow! They were chanting some eastern mantras but were doing no-one any harm and seemed quite happy. Their campervan home left a lot to be desired though.

It was then a drive over Fleet Moss where we stopped to admire the view of Wensleydale and then down in to Hawes. We didn't have enough time to go across into Swaledale so after unsuccessfully trying to find somewhere open which sold food in Hawes, we decided to leg it down to Horton in Riddlesdale and have a final pint in The Golden Lion.

I saw Sal off on her train back to Bingley and I drove up to the Lakes for a couple of day at the caravan. We'd had a super day with plenty of laughs and as usual I felt a hint of sadness to see Sal go.

I hope everyone enjoys the photos of our little stroll.

Note to myself  "enroll Sal on a Right of Way gate opening course"  asap.

Wharfedale

A right of way.

A signpost and a pointy thing

A wall and a wet path

A path and a giddy person

A hand and a pink tee

A wall, a gate and a barn

A fence and a spanner.

A gate and a barn

A path and a tree.

A bridge and a gate.

A path and a tree.

River Wharfe at Starbotton

A bridge and a smile

River Wharfe at Starbotton

Afternoon's entertainment.

Dinosaurs, smugglers and the C2C

Just a quick blog and photos on my day out to Robin Hood's Bay and Whitby.

There is no better place on the East Coast of Yorkshire to spend an afternoon than Robin Hoods Bay and Whitby. My intention was to go to Whitby first and then on to Robin Hoods Bay but Whitby was so busy as the warm sunshine had brought the hoards out.

Also the tide was out which meant that the scaurs (derived from a Norse word meaning ‘rock’) at Robin Hoods Bay would be exposed thus giving much better photo opportunities than Whitby so I headed a few miles down the coast with my new Lumix GF1 at the ready..

Robin Hood's Bay was very busy as well, the car park at the top of the main street was full and I only just managed to get into the main car park. Most folk were off the same frame of mind as me, making the most of the summer like weather.

The Bay Hotel

I don't know which is harder on the knees, walking down the steep street to the Bay or walking back up. One thing for sure is that it is easier on the lungs going down! Being a good boy, I resisted a call of The Bay Hotel AND the ice cream van parked on the beach. I had a grand walk along the bay just taking photos and generally enjoying the warm autumn sunshine.

The Bay Hotel

The Bay Hotel is the end (or the start if you are doing it the opposite way) of Wainwright's Coast to Coast walk. A walk stretching almost 220 miles from St Bees in Cumbria to Robin Hood's Bay. The good Mr Wainwright recommended that walkers dipped their booted feet in the Irish Sea at St Bees and, at the end of the walk, dipped their naked feet in the North Sea at Robin Hood's Bay. There was also talk that a free half pint in the Bay Hotel awaited anyone who completed the walk but I don't know how true this is.

Scaurs, Robin Hood's Bay

Robin Hood's Bay

Robin Hood's Bay

Robin Hood's Bay

A bit farther around the bay at Ravenscar, dinosaur prints have been found as this area was once a large estuary where three-toed carnivorous theropods and plant-eating sauropods roamed the mudflats for food. Footprints of three- and five-toed dinosaurs have been found in Burniston and Jackson's Bay. Scary stuff!

Scaurs, Robin Hood's Bay

Scaurs, Robin Hood's Bay

On my way back up to the car park, I explored the many narrow streets and alleyways which are a trademark of the place and possibly the reason why it was so popular with smugglers in the 18th century.

Robin Hood's Bay

Robin Hood’s Bay was reportedly the busiest smuggling community on the Yorkshire coast. Its natural isolation, protected by marshy moorland on three sides, and it's myriad of alleyways and ginnels offered  aids to this well-organised business.

Cobbled street, Robin Hood's Bay

Smuggling at sea was backed up by many on land who were willing to finance and transport contraband. Fisher folk, farmers clergy and gentry alike were all involved. Fierce battles ensued between smugglers and excise men, both at sea and on land, and Bay wives were known to pour boiling water over excise men from bedroom windows in the narrow alleyways. Hiding places, bolt holes and secret passages abounded. It is said that a bale of silk could pass from the bottom of the village to the top without leaving the houses.

Alleyway, Robin Hood's Bay

The North Cliffs at Robin Hood's Bay.

It is amazing how quickly the tide comes in, within the space of half an hour most of the exposed scaurs were covered by the sea and the beach (as such) had emptied..

Looking across the bay to Ravenscar

Long shadows on Robin Hood's Bay and Ravenscar

The sun started to go down behind the surrounding high ground and I just had enough time to take a few more photos before the Lower Bay was covered in shadows.

The Lower Bay from the top of the main street.

A drive into Whitby, which was still busy followed. I parked by the harbour and just had a wander up to the lighthouse passing the Magpie Cafe, famous for it's fish and chips but wasn't tempted as being dive-bombed by dozens of seagulls whilst trying to eat a fish butty is not my idea of fun.

I'd had a pleasant day out, the East coast never lets me down.