Wigtwizzle - Norman Smith's Travel Blog.: June 2017

It was one of those all too frequent occasions when the weather forecast had a big wad of thick cloud and rain hanging over Cumbria whilst the rest of the country was bathed in sunshine. Having been going up to The Lakes now for over 30 years, I am well familiar with this. Many is the time I have set off accompanied by blue skies, only to find myself in foul and unappetising weather by the time I have reached the South Lakes junction on the M6. To reassure myself over those 30 years I have often clung on to the thought that, if it wasn't for the rain then the Lake District wouldn't be able to retain it's beauty. I suppose I have also become "battle hardened" over the years and just accept it and get on with it. As we say on the caravan site, "...if you can't see Blencathra it's raining and if you can see Blencathra, then it's going to rain!"

My journey up to Cumbria first took in the delights of Wharfedale before crossing over to Swaledale via The Buttertubs Pass. The road winds its way north from Simonstone near Hawes towards Thwaite and Muker past 20 metre deep limestone potholes called the Buttertubs. It is said that the name of the potholes came from the times when farmers would rest there on their way to market. During hot weather they would lower the butter they had produced into the potholes to keep it cool. The view down Swaledale from the pass is stunning.

A quick stop at Wain Wath Force for a few photos and then it was over one of the bleakest roads I know. The road from Swaledale over to Kirkby Stephen changes alarmingly from Swaledale's verdant green pastures to rough, inhospitable open moorland and I certainly wouldn't like to breakdown on it. It still has a certain beauty to it though and the view over the Eden Valley as you descent to the hamlet of Nateby is quite magnificent.

Once past the delights of the market town of Kirkby Stephen, the peace was shattered and my route followed the A66 trunk road with it's many lorries to Penrith and The Lakes. My final photo shows just how fickle our weather can be. If anything, in reality, those clouds were darker than the photo shows.