Silloth Sunset

Wednesday evenings are a regular get together for a whole bunch of us at one of our local pubs, but this week there are hardly any of us available so we decide to cancel it. We've had a plan for over 12 months to head over to SIlloth one night and watch the Sunset. As summer finally arrived today and we suddenly have an evening free, we seize the moment!

We sat on the sea front at Silloth at 8:30pm with our Fish and Chips, to watch the sun setting behind Criffel

Just as we sat down, the Silloth Inshore Lifeboat cam in from training

Amazing the effect of sunlight on the camera. This is taken at the same time, just looking away from the sun. What a beautiful evening to have finally got round to doing this. We sat here until the sun disappeared behind the cloud,

 then hot foted it to our normal spot to give Breeze a run on the beech while we watched the rest of the suns display

Threlkeld Knotts

Commitments this morning but nothing pressing this afternoon seemed like a good enough excuse to sneak in a little local walk.

Parking at Wanthwaite we headed up the Coach Road to skirt round Hilltop Quarries. One of many disused quarries here.

Blencathra is in view all the way on this route

Skiddaw too. 

Not much sun, but plenty of views

Once we are over the top of \Threlked Knotts, we head down the gully to join the Coach Road

And follow it back to the car

Just over 3.5 miles and as is often the case with small fells, amazing views for so little effort. The other benefit of unfrequented routes like this is that we only saw one other person - a cyclist on the Old Coach Road as we set off.

A Sunday Miscellany: birds, hounds and terriers (and maybe a spaniel or two)

We are getting a real show of birds at the moment. Amongst all the regulars we have at least two pairs of Great Spotted Woodpeckers visiting constantly through the day

A Nuthatch is back and forth all day

And a clutch or two of baby Tree Sparrows are still being fed. The fledged just before we had a really stormy night and we worried that they might not make it. They seem to have survived! 

 This afternoon, we popped along to the Ullswater Annual Field Day, held at Stainton.

The Best Spaniel on the field

Nick befriends a Patterdale while Rose quizzes its owner as to it's breeding

Ian of the Cumbria Beagles keeps his couple focussed on their job in hand

The Crook competition (have you spotted the pair of crooks at the back!)

Still the Best Spaniel on the field (there was one other by this time!)

Mummie's Little Princess gets a cuddle from Aunty Rose as we watch the Show Champion being judged

And it goes to our butcher, Ian with his lovely Border.

A Riggindale Round

It's just the two (three) of us today. Pat and Rob have headed further North and Jay is busy, so a it's a rare family outing. And what a corker of a day it turns out to be. We are later than usual starting as we have an appointment in Penrith first, so we park up at Mardale Head and start out walking somewhere around 11am. It's a beautiful day and it stays that way all day too.

On your marks, get set.........................

Heading up to Blea Water

Blea Water Crag (Mardale Ill Bell) above Blea Water

From Blea Water we head up to Caspel Gate

Looking back along Riggindale Crag from Long Stile

Lunch with a view. The Western Fells from Racecourse Hill

Heading for Mardale Ill Bell - the dark lump infront of Breeze - and then Harter Fell - the big lump on the left at the back

Small Water and Haweswater from the path above Black John Hole

Small water and Blea Water just visible in the centre of the picture taken as we head up onto Harter Fell. From there we headed across The Knowe and Brown Howe to Kentmere Pike

Tricolour Spaniel. Notice she's smiling! She's very proud of herself

It's windy up here! On the summit of Kentmere Pike

Then we take a less frequented route to visit some quarries which a friend has recently brought to our attention. You can see the grey area slightly above (but below if you get my drift!) and to the right of Breeze

We love the remoteness of places like this, particularly when there is not another person around

Wrengill Quarry

We definitely need to visit this place with a bit more time to spare. It is amazing. Huge underground caverns

The mines were closed in 1945, when the Italian Prisoners of War who were by then working there, were all sent home.

Below the quarry we turn onto Gatesgarth Pass and start to climb again

As part of  water quality project in these parts the stocking levels have been dramatically reduced. Nearly every sheep we saw today was a Rough Fell, including some real bonny hoggs on this last stretch

Back to the car at Haweswater

A good 9 miles with sunshine all the way. We must get back to visit Wrengill quarries again before too long.

Student Reunion!

In a message on Monday to see if we were about on Tuesday, led to a very nostalgic visit. Pat and Rob are heading up to Scotland, and wanted to call in and see us on their way.

Pat, Rob and I were all at Agricultural College together way back in the mid 80's. Since then, geography and life has kept us pretty much apart, although we have always stayed in touch. Husband has met them a couple of times briefly, but it must be well over 20 years since I saw much of them. 

Pat was desperate to do a walk, but it was a bit wild and unpredictable weather wise and we didn't have much time. We ended up at Howtown for a circuit of Hallin Fell

Ullswater from just above Howtown

Breeze came too you'll be surprised to hear!

Pausing to admire the view in Hallinhag Wood

Neither Pat, nor Rob have change one bit in the last 30 years.

Breeze has a final blast before we head back to the car

Just over 3 miles and just over 30 years of friendship. it just felt like we had been seeing each other all the time. Hopefully they'll be back before too long to explore the Lakes a bit more.