Name of walk	Cartmel Priory
Date of walk	2015-12-12

On Saturday the 12th of December the St. James’ ringers were due to ring the bells of Cartmel Priory then walk over Hampsfell to Grange-Over-Sands, catch the train to Cark and ring the bells at Flookburgh. Unfortunately we had to cancel the walk bit due to the wonderful Cumbrian weather, which had been stuck on the ‘rain’ setting for weeks. The fields were flooded, and it was a bit too nippy for a swim! Instead we had to follow the more tortuous route to Flookburgh Church via coffee shops, cheese emporiums and pubs! What a band! 😉

9.30am. Alan, Andy and Cameron sheltering under the trees outside the church.

Cartmel Priory was founded in 1190 for the Augustinian Order.

The rood screen is post reformation.

(AP)

The route up to the ringing room is via the door behind the display cabinets and below the window.

The first part of the stairs is open for a view over the pews.

View back.

View ahead. The spiral staircase leads up to the roof.

View over to Hampsfell. I have never yet managed to be up here on a sunny day!

Sue takes a photo of me.

I take a photo of Sue! The tower is at 45 degrees to the church below.

We then climb up to the ringing room. Andy starts to ring the bells up ready to be rung in peal.

A wave from Alan as Andy rings all six bells up one at a time.

I hope someone has a pocket full of change!

With the help of Priory ringers, Sandy and Adele, we manage to ring Call Changes, Plain Hunt and Grandsire Doubles.

Clambering over the beams is very good exercise!

The St. James' ringers, taken by Derek.

Adele and Cartmel Priory Tower Captain, Sandy.

It is still raining as Ken heads back down to the church. (SF)

The roof is very slippy when wet, hence the safety rail.

Andy and Derek emerging back into the church. (SF)

The Green Man misericord, one of 25 dating back to 1440.

As we are no longer walking over Hampsfell we have much longer to indulge ourselves. We visit the Cartmel Coffee Shop.

I have chocolate, hazelnut and pear cake. Surely the pear counts as part of my five a day!

Cameron chooses a meringue almost as big as him!

Sue takes this photo of Cameron.

Andy taking a photo of Sue taking the previous photo. You can tell from the photo that Cumbria is now suffering from a cream shortage!

Our next visit is the Cartmel Cheese shop.

I buy some St. James' cheese, a cheese made from sheep's milk from a farm near Holker, plus some from County Cork. (AP)

Andy, Cameron and I go to Grange-Over-Sands, they visit the library while I take a walk in the rain through town and around the duck pond. The paths are underwater.

The benches are underwater too.

Nobody will be reading the information boards this afternoon!

We all meet up again for lunch at the Rose and Crown at Cark.

Then it is just a short way to St. John the Baptist's Church, Flookburgh where the December Branch Ringing Meeting is held 2.30-4.30pm. We are joined by ringers from other towers in the Furness and South Lakeland Branch of the Lancashire Association of Change Ringers. (AP)

The ringing room at Flookburgh is large, but always cold. We had about 14 ringers for the eight bells, ringing Grandsire, Stedman and Plain Hunt.

At 4.30pm we head down to the Parish Room for yet more coffee and cake.

Even though the walk section of the day was cancelled we still enjoyed ourselves. Unfortunately bell ringing by itself is not enough to work off all the calories we consumed with all that food! We had to waddle home!

Thanks to Andy (AP) and Sue (SF) for the use of a few of their photos.

Jo.