I wasn’t working today and had every intention of catching up on a few chores, until I looked out of the window. A blue sky day with snow on the hills. It is windy, but Blackcombe is safe enough. Ged was busy and Brendan was in Manchester, so I…

Today we would have a leisurely walk up The Rock of Gibraltar for the glorious views, we would visit St. Michael’s Caves again on the way down, then relax in the Rock Hotel. Our route up starts at the back of our hotel just past the Garrison Li…

The temperature on Tuesday was 30C, so it would be a bit silly to go too high or too far in such heat. Son, Tom and I decided on a short walk up to Armboth Fell from the west side of Thirlmere, returning via Fisher Crag which commands super views dow…

On Saturday morning the Barrow St. James’ bell ringers rang the bells at Brathay Church, then we walked to Hawkshead via a Roman Fort, took the ferry to Wray Castle, and made brief ‘detours’ to The Outgate Inn and the Red Lion in Ha…

On Saturday the St. James’ ringers had planned another walk. This time we would ring at St. Andrew’s Church, Sedbergh at 9am for an hour, then walk the six mile section of the Dales Way to St. Andrew’s Church, Dent, and after a pub…

On Saturday Barrow St. James’ ringers did a mini walk up the Hoad in Ulverston. We were originally going to walk around Hodbarrow Nature Reserve from Haverigg, but due to the discovery of asbestos in the heating system of St. George’s Chu…

On Saturday Ged and I drove to Glenridding to walk up to Birkhouse Moor and hopefully Catstycam too. We left Kas behind because of the possibility of deep snow. We have done this walk before, but not in snow. The forecast was for blue skies and sunsh…

On Wednesday we decided to return to Glenridding and climb up Glenridding Dodd, Heron Pike and Sheffield Pike. The forecast was good, and the day turned out to be superb! I had only been in my car for a couple of minutes when I had to stop and take a…

Monday was a superb, blue-sky day with snow on the mountains. Ged, Kas and I drove to Brothers Water, parking in the free car park at Cowbridge, in order to climb up High Hartsop Dodd, Little Hart Crag, Red Screes (2549ft) and Middle Dodd. A walk of…

Thursday was going to be a glorious blue sky day, so Tom and I decided to have a walk up Skiddaw (3,053ft). Skiddaw is a very safe mountain in snow, there is nothing to fall off or over, if you take the Jenkin Hill route up. Microspikes help enormous…

On the last Sunday of half term I finally got an opportunity for a walk. I had taken advantage of the recent good weather by completing all my gardening tasks, including making a new wildlife pond. My reward was a good fell walk, but nothing too diff…

I was ringing at Cleator Moor on Tuesday afternoon so I decided to have a walk up to Burnbank Fell, Blake Fell and Carling Knott. A six mile walk that should take me about three hours. Another easy, grassy fell walk with good views. There were blue s…

On Friday I drove to Keswick to meet up with Fr. John Inglis for a walk up to Causey Pike and Scar Crags. John acts as the supply priest for Keswick and Cockermouth when here on holiday from his parish in Surrey. We try to do a few walks together. We…

We went to Gibraltar for Brendan’s birthday. We decided to stay at The O’Callaghan Eliott Hotel, because it was situated just off Main St. next to the Cathedral, and handy for everywhere. We have been to Gibraltar before so we would mainl…

Brendan had a meeting in Kendal on Tuesday afternoon, so Tom and I came along for the ride and walked up to Cunswick Scar and Scout Scar. A walk of 7.5 miles. It rained all the way on the drive to Kendal, but it was only drizzling when we started the…

This year the theme of the Dalton, St. Mary’s Tree Festival was ‘A Name Remembered’. This is a yearly festival that raises money for local charities. There were far too many trees to photograph them all, below is just a selection of…

On Saturday the Dalton, St. Mary’s ringers held their annual ringing tour. This year we were visiting bell towers in and around Clitheroe, Lancashire. Calling at Samlesbury, Ribchester, Clitheroe and Waddington. I left home at 7.40am to pick up…

On Saturday I repeated a walk I have not done for a few years, in memory of Dapper, a local musician who died on Monday aged 69. This was his walk, and the route was passed on to me by Paul Bryden who was in ‘Bag o’ Rags’ and…

On Tuesday afternoon I was ringing at St. John’s, Cleator Moor. So after ringing I thought I would take the opportunity to climb up to Dent summit, which I had never done before. The weather was poor in the morning, but it was due to improve, b…

On Sunday morning I went along to Furness Golf Club for ‘Exploring Walney’s Military Heritage Interpretation Day’, where we would get together to look at what had been discovered so far. Morecambe Bay Partnership are working in coll…

On Tuesday I was once more ringing at Cleator Moor at 1.30pm. So in order to kill two birds with one stone I decided on a morning walk up to Fellbarrow, Low Fell and Darling Fell. An easy walk, all on grass, of about six miles. The weather was a bit…

Gleaston Castle is a Scheduled Monument in the village of Gleaston, South Cumbria. A twenty minute drive from my home on Walney Island. Last week I joined the volunteers, students and professional archaeologists from the University of Central Lancash…

The A591 between Grasmere and Keswick reopened yesterday after six months, so no more detours via the Kirkstone Pass and Dockray to reach the fells on the other side. Today we would drive over Dunmail Raise to reach Peter House Farm near Orthwaite an…

On Thursday Ged, Kas and I drove to the top of the Wrynose Pass to walk up Wet Side Edge to Great Carrs, Grey Friar and Swirl How. A walk of six miles. Three years ago we did a walk into the Greenburn Valley and found a small piece of fuselage from t…

After our recent energetic mountain walks in snow I thought it would make a pleasant change to walk up a couple of easy fells. We decided on Great Mell Fell (1762ft) and Binsey (1467ft), both are easy, short walks on grass but with excellent views ou…

On Tuesday we decided to do a walk up to Hartsop Above How from Brigend. Previously I have only ever come down it via the steep descent to Brothers Water, but this time I thought we could walk the whole of the ridge. Ged, like me, also fancied anothe…

It has been many years since I have visited Haverigg. Today was warm with gorgeous blue skies, sunshine and not a breath of wind. Brendan had a meeting in Haverigg so I could amuse myself for a couple of hours. I chose to do the waterside walk around…

Tuesday was due to be very warm, and as we had descended quite an arduous route yesterday, we picked something simple and easy on the knees. Helm Crag (The Lion and The Lamb) from the lay-by outside Grasmere. A short route up and an easy route down….

On Thursday evening and Saturday and Sunday, St. James Church, Barrow, opened its doors for everyone to come in and have a look around at the various displays, listen to talks, watch videos about bell ringing as well as live demonstrations of rope sp…

On Wednesday I was working with Morecambe Bay Partnership in collaboration with Manchester Metropolitan University on a project to investigate and record the military heritage of South Walney Island. The team consisted of Dr. Ben Edwards, Senior Lect…

This morning we took a drive to Torver, parking in the car park opposite the Land Rover Dealership for the short walk up and around Kelly Hall Tarn. After yesterday’s expedition in the snow up to Birkhouse Moor, I fancied something a bit less s…

I set off well before dawn on Tuesday to drive to Loweswater. The forecast was excellent so I had planned to walk up Hen Comb before bell ringing at Cleator Moor in the afternoon. But before that I would visit the shores of Loweswater and Crummock Wa…

Wind and rain was forecast for Friday, so we decided to do a couple of small fells. John had never walked up Ling Fell and Sale fell, but they are quite handy fells to walk up from the presbytery in Cockermouth if you are looking for a short walk on…

On Sunday Brendan and I did a guided walk across the sands from Walney Island to Piel Island as part of the Morecambe Bay Partnership’s ‘Bay Archaeology Festival’. The walk was lead by archaeologist, Rachel Newman with assistance fr…

Wednesday was going to be a warm and clear, blue sky day, so Ged and I decided on Red Pike, High Stile and High Crag from Buttermere, taking the direct accent via Bleaberry Tarn. Too often Red Pike is in cloud, but it wouldn’t be today. Usually…

It was a nice sunny day so Brendan and I decided to have a walk around the Roan Head ponds. They are former iron ore mines now used for permit fishing. Many are named after the mine owner’s children. There is Nigel, Rita, Kathleen,Violet, Ethel…

Monday’s weather was forecast to be blue skies and sunshine, so John and I we met up again at the church car park in Keswick, and drove to the hamlet of Little Town to climb Robinson and Hindscarth. Today there would be no mist or cloud obscuri…

This would be mine and Ged’s first walk together since the start of the exam season, in early May. I decided on Rosthwaite Fell from Stonethwaite, visiting the summit, Bessyboot and Rosthwaite Cam and doing a circuit of Tarn At Leaves, but this…

Sunday was a lovely day so in the afternoon Brendan, Tom and I took a walk to the Black Huts and along the beach to Roan Head, coming back via the signed footpath to Sandscale Haws Nature Reserve. We parked on the unnamed road leading off Park Road,…

On Thursday Tom and I went to Sedbergh to see the Sheepfest. Now in its third year, Sheepfest is organised by textile arts venue, Farfield Mill, to celebrate the town’s rich wool industry heritage. This year’s theme was book titles and ch…

This post documents the events of a busy weekend. A visit to St. Bees to see friends that Brendan was at Leeds University with many moons ago, and for me a ring at the Priory and a walk to the beach. Ringing for St. George’s Day, and a talk giv…

Two more outings with my sister on her long-weekend visit. The Grizedale Tarn Forest Trail was an easy walk. Naturally, we returned to the Visitor Center and indulged in coffee and cake before setting off for home. There are bike trails too. They eve…

My sister, Ness was visiting for a long weekend, so on Friday we did her third Wainwright mountain, Troutbeck Tongue. It is an easy valley walk and a gentle ascent up the back of The Tongue, leaving the steep bit for the descent. We parked near Town…

A couple of walks on either side of Walney Channel. For the first one I parked in the parking area just before the railway bridge on Park Road. For the second one I walked from home. The first walk took me two and a half hours, the second about an ho…

It was very windy on Walney Island this morning, plus there was a high tide, so after Sunday Service bell ringing I went down to the beach to have a look at the sea. There has been some snow on the high fells but with the combination of constant rain…