A New Year's Eve escape to The Yorkshire Dales

It was a strange end to 2018. I usually spend New Years Eve at the caravan in Cumbria with friends but because of one thing or another beyond my control, I decided to give this year a miss. Some friends had other commitments and some had family and health issues which resulted with none of the "gang" being in a position to go up. Also I was a bit shattered after Christmas so didn't really have any enthusiasm for anything and just wanted a bit of peace and quiet.

As it turned out, I had a very enjoyable day. My afternoon was spent walking above Malham and this was then followed by a nice quiet night just relaxing, watching a bit of telly and sharing the start of the New Year, albeit via the Internet, with Sal. I thought I would have missed not going to the party but if I'm being honest, I didn't miss it one bit. Having said that, hopefully things will be back to normal and I will be up there partying with friends again next New Year.

The walk itself was very easy and relaxing. In fact it was just a stroll or, as I prefer to say, a wander. First I paid a visit to Matham Tarn Moss which you navigate via a series of boardwalks. The Moss is an area of raised bog and fen which has developed at the mouth of the streams feeding the Tarn from Fountains Fell and is home to a unique community of rare plants, insects, birds and the occasional deer. Pollen samples have shown evidence that this was oak and pine forest before the last Ice Age and there are some very large pine trees at the far corner of the moss. They would have made for a perfect photo but they were just inaccessible and from the boardwalk they hidden by other trees.

By chance the path coming out of the moss joined The Pennine Way coming up from Malham Tarn which continues across to Fountains Fell. Never having been on this section, I thought I'd follow it for a short while. The scenery had changed dramatically; the limestone pavements and scars of the Malham Area were behind me whilst in front I had the millstone grit and featureless landscape of Fountains Fell. I followed the path until I met open countryside and would have followed it further but at this time of year, the days are short and I wanted to pop up to the field centre before returning to the car.

The centre looks a bit dowdy and unappealing at this time of year. It is a large Georgian house built in 1790 and is leased to the Field Centre Council by the National Trust. It is where Charles Kingsley wrote The Water Babies. With it being on The Pennine Way plus it being a popular family walk as well, there are a lot of passing walkers on a daily basic and I'm sure that, with a bit of effort, a tearoom could be incorporated in to the house which would give a bit of life to the place and make it more appealling. I would certainly have stopped for one!

I retraced my steps back to the car but missed out the Tarn Moss section to save a bit of time. My route back home took me over the tops before dropping down to Littondale and joining the main road back down Wharfedale.

There is nothing quite like a walk in the Dales to end the old year. A Happy New Year to all.


Road from Malham to Arncliffe

Eyes in tree

Moss on fallen tree

Malhan Tarn Moss

Malhan Tarn Moss

Pennine Way to Fountains Fell

Pennine Way to Fountains Fell

Pennine Way to Fountains Fell

Stare out contest

Malham Tarn Field Centre

Malham Tarn Field Centre

Malham Tarn Field Centre

Spinny nr Malham Tarn

ER II nr Malham Tarn

Moss on Limestone Wall

Malhan Tarn Moss

Malhan Tarn Moss


Moss on Limestone Wall

Christmas Eve along The Cuckoo Way



Woke up early, there was frost on the ground, everyone else was lazing around, so what do you do? You put your boots on, grab your camera and get out.

I had two options :-
  • Kiverton Community Woodland or
  • Tommy Flockton's and The Chesterfield canal.

For a change, I opted for Tommy Flockton's or Pennyholme Marsh which forms part of The Cuckoo Way and is 46 miles long (74km). It follows the Chesterfield Canal through Nottinghamshire, South Yorkshire and Derbyshire from Chesterfield to West Stockwith and passed 36 locks and 11 bridges en route, plus it goes over the locally famous Norwood Tunnel which runs for 2,884 yards (2,637 m) from Kiveton to Killamarsh.

Pennyholme Marsh is an area of seasonally flooded shallow wetland between Kiveton Park and Harthill and sits above the blocked off Norwood Tunnel which carried the Chesterfield Canal. It can still be traced and is marked by a succession of spoil mounds from the construction shafts. It is planned to re-open the tunnel and, in time, complete the entire course of the canal for boat navigation. Tommy Flockton has long departed and the current owners of the field are now four legged.


Once past Tommy Flockton's you are at the eastern entrance of the blocked tunnel and this is where the canal towpath restarts, Going this way, the next major town is Worksop some eight miles away. I've walked parts of this section on numerous occasions and it is a real joy. First it passes Hawks Wood with its snowdrops and wild garlic and then Old Spring Wood with it's carpet of bluebells and yellow woodland anemone. Add to that the closeness of The Parish Oven pub and what's not to like?


On Christmas Eve I only did a small section of the path before turning back as breakfast was calling me. Also I had to retrace my footstep as the only other option would have been going back via the main road. The conditions were ace for photography as well. There were some super reflections on Pennyholme Moss and the thin layer of mist was just starting to break as I walked along the canal.


I do wish I had a canal as close to home. I know I have the Leeds-Liverpool Canal at Bingley but that is a car ride away whereas this was more or less on my doorstep.

What a refreshing way to start my day and start my Christmas break.


Horse in Tommy Flockton's

Horse in Tommy Flockton's

Tommy Flockton's

Tommy Flockton's

Tommy Flockton's

Tommy Flockton's

Reflection, Tommy Flockton's

Reflection

Reflection, Tommy Flockton's

Tommy Flockton's

Tommy Flockton's

Chesterfield Canal, Kiveton Park

Chesterfield Canal, Kiveton Park

Chesterfield Canal, Kiveton Park
 
Chesterfield Canal, Kiveton Park

Chesterfield Canal, Kiveton Park

Frosted Leaves

Dead tree, Tommy Flockton's

Teasel, Kiveton Community Woodland

Grasses, Kiveton Community Woodland

Chesterfield Canal at Ladyfield

Sun Rays, Chesterfield Canal at Ladyfield

Thorpe Bridge, Chesterfield Canal at Ladyfield

Chesterfield Canal at Ladyfield

Wilderness

Wilderness, Chesterfield Canal at Ladyfield

Grasmere and Easedale

It's been a number of years since I was in this neck of the woods. I don't know why because there are some excellent walks in this area: the path via Sour Milk Gill to Easdale Tarn being best. Walkers can carry on up on to Blea Rigg or alternatively, if you are fit enough, the Langdale Pikes could be an option.

I only had a couple of hours to spare so I limited myself to a valley walk, calling in The Lancrigg Hotel for a coffee on my way. I always knew there was a large house hidden in Lancrigg Wood but I never knew it was a hotel. The coffee shop forms part of an olde worlde bar which I should imagine would be very cosy and inviting on a cold winter's night and as a bonus, it serves real ales too.

After my coffee I carried on walking through the woods and eventually came out on the lower slopes of Helm Crag; not a high fell but still a steep pull up and a rocky summit which requires scrambling skills. Lots of walkers have bravely climbed up to the summit only to have to seek embarrassing assistance to get back down. I'm not built for such shenanigans so have always erred on the side of caution but I have helped friends back down!

I had trainers on so a higher climb was impractical and therefore I took the bridleway back down in to the valley. The way back into Grasmere is as straightforward as you want it to be. There is a direct lane back or you can take one of the side lanes and have a bit of an explore. The scenery is more varied if you take the latter option as you get great views over Dunmail Raise and the Eastern Fells. Plus it is a lot quieter.

On my way back to the caravan, I drove down St John's In The Vale just as the sun was setting on Blencathra and Skiddaw which gave me some great photos. Also there was a conveniently positioned flooded field right next to the main road and this enabled me to get some stunning reflections. I have included these photos in my blog.

Sour Milk Gill, Grasmere

Grasmere

Grisedale Hause

Back Lane, Grasmere

Lancrigg Country Hotel

Lancrigg Wood

Far Easedale

Far Easedale

Far Easedale

Far Easedale

Wood Carving, Lancrigg Wood

ER IIV

St John's In The Vale

St John's In The Vale

St John's In The Vale

Blencathra

Skiddaw and Blencathra

Skiddaw

Hall's Fell Ridge, Blencathra

Balmacara and Skye

 WE had a mixed week of weather but on the whole we managed to stay dry. The only wet day was our second day when Sal stayed in the cottage ...