Wigtwizzle - Norman Smith's Travel Blog.: June 2018

Barns and Buttercups on The Dales Way.

Bit by bit I seem to be inadvertently completing the whole of the Yorkshire Dales section of The Dales Way! I don't intentionally set out to do it but I usually find myself at some point of the day on some part of the path. Today it was the Hubberholme to Yockenthwaite section which is only a few miles in length but it is an absolutely gorgeous section, especially at this time of year when the meadows are full of buttercups and clover. Hubberholme is a lovely little hamlet and sits at the point where Langstrothdale meets Wharfedale. St Micheal and All Saints Church is open for regular services and the small cemetery in its grounds contain the ashes of Bradford's own J.B. Priestley, a famous novelist, playwright, scriptwriter, social commentator and broadcaster. The church dates mostly from the 12th century, the oak roof however was completed in 1558. The church's oak pews were crafted by Kilburn's Robert Thomson, whose trademark mouse can be found in the woodwork. The George Inn opposite the church, was originally the vicarage for the church.

Surprisingly it was very quiet, I only saw a couple of people and that was as I was setting off. On my return I didn't see anyone at all. The only thing that was missing was a tearoom; I think the owners of the farm at Yockenthwaite are missing out on a good money making venture here. It doesn't need to be anything elaborate; just somewhere to sit, either in or out, and enjoy the surroundings with a hot cuppa in their hands along with perhaps a sample of the baking for which most farmer's wives are famous.

I could have murdered a pint when I got back to my car but, as luck would have it, the pub is only open at selected times and this wasn't one of them. Wish I had a pound for every time that has happened!!

River Wharfe at Hubberholme

The George at Hubberholme

The Dales Way

Langstrothdale

The Dales Way

Looking back to Buckden Pike

The Dales Way

River Wharfe

Wharfedale Barn

Cascades on the River Wharfe

The Dales Way

A calm River Wharfe

Overhanging Tree

Wasdale

Another day of blue skies in the Lakes although a visit to Wasdale brought a little bit more cloud cover than in previous days. I usually get to Wasdale only once or twice a year as it is right at the other end of The Lakes to where I'm based so I like to pick a nice day for it. Unfortunately a Monday is a bad day for going no matter what the weather as that's the day the pie shop in Gosforth closes and if I remember rightly, I went on a Monday last year as well. This lad never learns!!

I've blogged about Wast Water before and I think everyone is familiar with the place so here are a couple of facts which people might not be aware of -

In 1976, The Wasdale Lady in the Lake, Margaret Hogg, was murdered by her husband and her body was disposed of in the lake. She was found after eight years, with her body preserved like wax due to the lack of oxygen in the water.
In February 2005 it was reported that a "gnome garden" complete with picket fence had been placed in the lake as a point of interest for divers to explore. It was removed from the bottom of Wastwater after three divers died in the late 1990s. It is thought the divers spent too much time too deep searching for the ornaments. Police divers report a rumour that the garden had been replaced at a depth beyond the lowest they were allowed to dive. PC Kenny McMahon, a member of the North West Police Underwater Search Unit, said "Wastwater is quite clear at the bottom, but there's nothing to see. At a depth of about 48 m, divers had taken gnomes down and put a picket fence around them. But several years ago there were a number of fatalities and the Lake District National Park Authority asked us to get rid of them. We went down there, put them in bags and removed the lot. But now there's a rumour about a new garden beyond the 50 m depth limit. As police divers we can't legally dive any deeper so, if it exists, the new garden could have been purposefully put out of our reach."

Suffice to say, the photography was good, the walk around the head of Wasdale was good as was the pint I had sat in the beer garden at the Wasadale Head Inn!

Wasdale Head

Wast Water

Foxgloves

Foxglove

Great Gable from St Olaf's Church

St Olaf's window

Foxglove

Great Gable

Herdwick Lamb

Mosedale

Mosedale Beck

Wast Water

Illgill Head Screes

Wasdale Screes

Wast Water

Wasdale Screes

Land of Power & Ore

A day of two halves; one spent with some of the best light I have had in The Lakes for ages and one spent with blue skies and warm sun. The former good for photography and the latter ideal for a downhill stroll back to the car. It was a day not to be rushed as well because photo opportunities sprung up her, there and everywhere. The area had many waterfalls and cascades and I could have done with having a tripod but I don't like to get bogged down with gear when I'm out walking so the few shots I took were all hand held.

I love the old mining country of The Lakes, especially the Coniston and Tilberthwaite areas. Pretty they ain't but they are jam packed with interest and history. It is hard to believe how the miners walked up to some of these levels, did a full days graft and then trudged back down to their homes in the valleys. I think the age expectancy was under 30 years when the mining was at is most prevalent. Huge parts of the land below Coniston Old Man and Brim Fell are now, basically, just massive outdoor museums: the Paddy End levels being a perfect example of this.

The mining of copper on a commercial basis at the Coniston copper mines began by about 1590 and was controlled by the Company of the Mines Royal; this included exploration of mining adits (levels) at Paddy End, which is one of the principal seams of copper on the Coniston Fells. However, these mines closed in 1620 and mining did not commence in earnest again until the 1760s when the Macclesfield Copper Company raised limited amounts of ore. The main period of activity at Coniston followed the acquisition of the mines by John Taylor, and under the direction of his overseer John Barrett in 1818. This included the renewed exploration of the Paddy End levels, of which there were three: Top Level, Middle Level, and Grey Crag Level. A mill was constructed at Paddy End in about 1830, in order to eliminate the cartage of ores down to the main mill on the Bonsor Dressing Floors.

However these mines had a very limited lifespan. By the 1850s the Coniston mines were making returns of £30,000 to £36,000 per annum, but by the 1880s, the industry had sustained a slump and it was only making £2,300 £5,600 per annum. This ultimately led to the closure of the Paddy End Mill and dressing floors in the early 1880s, although working of the Paddy End levels continued until the turn of the century.

In my fell bagging days, I walked to the top of every one of The Coniston Fells and they contain some of the finest walking there is to be had in The Lake District. The routes up and down are made easier due to the many miners paths scattered around the place but by the same token, they can be the easiest fells to take a wrong turning on. In good clear weather you may not get lost but you can easily add a few extra miles to your trip!

There are also some real gems hidden in the hanging valleys of the area. Levers Water below Brim Fell and Low Water below Coniston Old Man are both spectacular in their situation but Goat's Water, which sits under the majestic eastern face of Dow Crag, takes pride of place. A fine place just to visit in its own right but if you also walk to the top of Dow Crag and then look down one of its gullies, you had best make sure that you have a good head for heights first!

One thing worth mentioning to people who are thinking of heading in to Coppermines Valley is The Coniston Copper Project which is all about conserving, promoting and enjoying Coniston’s world famous copper-mining heritage. Funded by a £450,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Coniston Copper Project will run until the end of the year and focuses on the repair and conservation of ten historic copper-mining structures. The project will also offer volunteering opportunities and the chance for people to get involved. It is situated just behind the Youth Hostel and is full of old mining relics plus a reconstruction of the inside of a copper mine. It may not be up to the standard of our major Museums and Heritage Centres but with the limited money available, I think they have done a damned fine job.

The only downside to my day was my timing. I had put four hours on my parking ticket and consequently didn't leave enough time to call in The Sun Hotel for a much needed pint!