Wigtwizzle - Norman Smith's Travel Blog.: ruin

Showing posts with label ruin. Show all posts

Fleetwith Pike

An old favourite which was done in beautiful sunshine with not a cloud in sight. I parked up at the top of Honister Pass and trudged up the old tramway used for bringing down slate from the mines high up in the fells in days gone by. Once at the rock cutting, known as Drum House, I veered right which brought me into close contact with the ugly quarry workings, one of which is still being used.

Standing in such a wasteland makes it hard to comprehend that just half a mile away stands a cairn which gives one of the most beautiful and iconic Lakeland views in my opinion; the one looking down over Buttermere and Crummock Water with Pillar and The High Stile Range to the left and Dalehead in front. For good measure, you have Haystacks, Great Gable and the Scafells behind you and the Helvellyn Range in the distant left.

The path across the fell top frequently gives enticing views of the grandeur of what is to come once you gain the summit. One in particular is a view down a gully to the Honister Pass road far, far below. A good head for heights and a clam day is needed to get the best photo opportunity but unfortunately it was blowing a howling gale so I kept a safe distance from the edge. The wind was so strong and gusty, it nearly blew me off my feet a couple of times and that is no mean feat I can assure you!

Once on top I found a nice spot in the lee of the wind and had my lunch. A few people came up the ridge from Buttermere but found it too windy to hang around for long, most just took a photo and carried on. One person who did stop for a chat was the author of the Cicerone Press Lakeland Fells Guide books which are an updated version of The Wainwright Guides. The more we spoke the more I got the impression that the only reason that stopped was to blow his own trumpet and plug his online blog!

Thankfully once he had gone I was left with the fell to myself again and took the photos for this blog. The walk back to Honister was by the awful mine road which was very steep and just seemed to go on forever. It kills my hips and thighs every time I walk it and so it was with relief that I finally got back to the car.

All in all it was a grand walk but I had been very surprised and caught out a bit by the gusting wind on the top. It just goes to show that you can't take any walk in the fells for granted, no matter how low and short the walk is. Nice days often have a sting in their tails.

Quarry Working on Dalehead

The Old Tramway

Quarry Waste heap

Quarrying Relics

Old Quarry Workings

Looking down on Honister Pass

First glimpse of Buttermere

Pillar and High Crag

Haystacks and Pillar

Close up of Pillar

Quarry Workings

Quarry Road to Honister Pass

Honister Pass Visitor Centre

Rusty Relic

Old quarry Shed

Fountains Abbey

After a dispute and riot in 1132 at the Benedictine house of St Mary's Abbey, in York, 13 monks were expelled (among them Saint Robert of Newminster) and, after unsuccessful attempts to form a new monastery were taken under the protection of Thurstan, Archbishop of York. He provided them with land in the valley of the River Skell, a tributary of the Ure. The enclosed valley had all the natural features needed for the creation of a monastery, providing shelter from the weather, stone and timber for building, and a supply of running water and so the life of Fountains Abbey began. I now have this ridiculous vision in my head of rioting monks, I wonder what form it took.

They did a grand job because fountain's Abbey has got to be one of the most spectacular religious ruins in the United Kingdom. It will have been really spectacular in the days prior King Henry the Eighth's Dissolution of the Monastry's in 1539. The Knave Transept and tower are still in pretty good repair even though the roofs have obviously disappeared, and the Great Cloister has got to be the finest example there is and is still intact.

I visited the Abbey with Laura and Charlie, a couple of friends over from Florida who had based their first few days in the UK at Knaresborough. I gave them a choice between three place and they jumped at the chance to visit the Abbey to experience it's history although Charlie seemed more interested in the local pheasants than the actual ruins!

Our first port of call was Fountain's Hall which has an interesting history itself. In 1597 Stephen Proctor bought the Fountains Abbey estate from the Crown and began the construction of Fountains Hall soon after. Sir Stephen Proctor built today's elegant mansion as his country home in the early 17th-century, reusing sandstone blocks and a stone staircase from the old Abbey. Over the years the hall has seen many uses – a stately home, a courthouse, an estate employees’ lodging and a farmer’s house. It was also used by The Settlers Society – a boys training camp set up in the 1930s, offering young men from deprived areas of the North East a chance to escape the poverty of the Great Depression.

It was then back outside to explore and marvel at the abbey ruins that were enhanced by a carpet of daffodils which were literally "fluttering and dancing in the breeze!" The River Skell was then followed to Studley Royal Water Gardens which were designed by John and William Aislabie in the 18th century and were given World Heritage Site status in 1986.

No day out would be complete without a call in to a cafe for coffee and cake or, if you are really bad, coffee and a clotted cream scone which my American friends did. The coffee shop by the weir at Studley Royal is very light and airy and has stunning views over the gardens with ample seating outside for those hot sunny days of summer. We stuck to admiring them through the glass windows as I think Charlie and Laura were more accustomed to Florida temperatures than the North Yorkshire's temperatures.

We then strolled back through the gardens and up to the Visitor Centre where souvenirs and gifts for friends were purchased before heading back to the car and returning to Knaresborough.

What a smashing afternoon it had been. Laura is so full of life and energy and it just rubs off on you. It was fantastic to have a catch up with her and to meet her hubby for the first time. I understand plans are already being written up for another trip next year when her a girlfriend are coming over to do one of our long-distance trails. Roll on 2020!

Laura and Charlie at Fountains Hall

Fountains Hall

Fountains Abbey

Abbey Ruins

The Great Cloisters

Laura and Charlie

Abbey Ruins

River Skell, Fountains Abbey

Abbey Ruins

Willow Tree, Studley Royal

Statue, Studley Royal

Octagonal Tower, Studley Royal

Water Gardens, Studley Royal

Feather Artwork, Swanley Grange

Lanercost Priory

Two visits to Lanercost within a week, the first with my sister and the second with Sal. I'm using the photos from my first visit and the narrative from my second!

I love visiting old Churches, especially in the Dales and Cumbria because they are so quiet and peaceful inside and are seeped in history. Lanercost is no exception with it sitting in the tranquil valley of the River Irthing. The Augustinian Priory was founded around 1166 by Robert de Vaux and was built mostly from stone taken from nearby Hadrian's Wall. It was completed in 1220.

The Priory has quite a violent history due to it being located so close to the Scottish border. Edward I stayed here three times (1280, 1300, 1306) when he conducted raids against the Scots and on the last occasion, when he fell ill, he stayed the winter at the abbey. The Scots set fire to the cloister in 1296 and two famous Scots, William Wallace and Robert the Bruce also attacked the priory. Raids continued well into the 14th century when, unfortunately, bills for repairs needed more money than they had available which meant that the land had to be sold to cover the costs.

Lanercost was one of the first priories dissolved by Henry VIII. He gave the buildings and the land to Sir Thomas, Lord Dacre, the illegitimate son of Lord Dacre of Naworth who's castle is nearby. He turned part of the Priory into a country mansion called Dacre Hall, and started residing there in 1559. Unfortunately the priory then fell in to ruin once the male line of the family had all passed away.

The ruins are approached through an archway which was once the gatehouse. Remains of parts of the north and south transepts, choir, sanctuary, cloister, chapter house, and undercroft still survive. The chapels are home to some very striking tombs. These include the imposing tomb of Sir Humphrey Dacre, who died in 1485, and his wife Lady Mabel. Rather more recent is the tomb of Charles Howard, 10th Earl of Carlisle, designed by the architect Robert Lorimer and placed here following the Earl's death in 1912. But without doubt the most poignant memorial is a life size terracotta effigy of Elizabeth Dacre Howard, who died on 17 July 1883 at the age of just four months.

The Priory Church of St Mary Magdalene has an unusual medieval stone carving called the Lanercost Cross with an inscription dating back to 1214. Originally the cross was set just outside the entrance to the church and the stump still remains there but the main shaft is now housed inside the priory.

Our visit there started off with a coffee in the excellent cafe. We had to use lots of will power to resist having either a bacon sandwich or one of the scrummy cakes they sell. It is one of those cafes, or should I say tearooms, which is run by the local community and they inevitably turn out to be the best and friendliest. Justifiably so, it is quite busy as it is a convenient "stop off" for people visiting Hadrian's Wall country.

After our coffee break we took a short stroll around the Priory's graveyard and then walked across to the River Irthing where we were lucky enough to see a heron. We followed the riverbank to the old Lanercost Bridge before returning via the road to the car park. I will have to check my OS maps before our next visit so that we can extend our walk and take in more of the surrounding countryside.

Over the years I have come to love this part of the country because it is so varied. On the one hand you have the peace and tranquillity of the Lanercost and Brampton area which, only a few miles away, is contrasted by the stark wilderness of Hadrian's Wall and the large, open expanse of Northumberland.

The Lakes weather forecast hadn't been very good and it was the height of the holiday season so our escape plan (not that we needed a plan) worked perfectly.