| Name of walk | Bell Ringers' Walk from Beetham |
| Date of walk | 2018-08-10 |
On Saturday the St. James’ bell ringers and friends went for a ring and a walk in Beetham. Thankfully the sun was shining on us!
St. Michael and All Angels Church, Beetham. It has six bells.
The ringers gather at 9am.
The lower part of the tower, dates from the Anglo-Saxon era.
Wooden cross, made by a previous vicar, the Revd Canon Sandy Lofthouse, whom one of our former ringers, Dennis Ellisdon, fondly remembers. Sandy died in 2014. The cross is decorated each Easter with daffodils.
Old stained glass circa 1500. Bottom left is the arms of Thomas Stanley, created first Earl of Derby on Bosworth Field. A saint (above) and bottom left a representation of Henry of Bolingbroke, son of John of Gaunt and Blanche of Lancaster (later became Earl of Richmond and subsequently Henry the Fourth).
View into the ringing room and through into the church, from outside.
Good to see some memory aids up in the ringing room, for those of us with 'Pooh Bear brains'.
A ground floor ring and relatively longer draught than we are used to, but the bells ring easily (restored as a millennium project) and everyone rings well. (AP)
Jenny Marks gives a fascinating insight into the history of the church. (AP)
We all have a go at ringing, helped by some of the Beetham ringers. We ring rounds and call changes, Little Bob and Grandsire.
View from the church.
I ring the tenor, known as 'The Brigadier'. On my left, in pink, is Ann Pettiffor, the bell ringing vicar from the TV series 'The Yorkshire Dales and The Lakes'. She and Rob came to help with ringing.
Me, Cameron, Iwan, Sue and Andy. (GH)
Jayden and Ken get to ring some call changes.
Andy smiling for the camera. Sue on the left. Rob directly across.
Jason and Jayden.
Stained glass window including image of Saint Lioba, anecdotally the first dedication of the church. (AP)
We gather for a group photo of the ringers.
Jenny Marks, made us feel very welcome and was very helpful, well informed of the history of the church, and passionate about the bells. (AP)
Time to head off on our walk.
Anne-Marie and Graham in the arbour.
St. Lioba. Missionary and Patron Saint of Saxon Church of Beetham. Born Wimborne AD710 died Fulda AD780.
Stocks on the village green, ideal for naughty boys! (AP)
Lucy, Jason and Sue investigate an erratic, a granite boulder transported in the ice from Shap during the Ice Age (AP)
Beetham Hall with Farleton Knott and Barbon Fell. (AP)
Graham, Cameron and Jason. (AP)
Cameron in the woods. (AP)
Comma butterfly (AP)
Limestone Pavement. Need to make sure we don't lose ringers down the grykes!(AP)
Oopps, too late! (AP)
Lucy and Sue search for Iwan, but to no avail.....he'll be much missed....... When's lunch? (AP)
Moss covered clints. (AP)
Heading for the Fairy Steps.
Ken's found a seat.
We know the way really! (AP)
Fairy Steps.
The intrepid explorers head down into the unknown! (AP)
Lucy and Charlie. (AP)
Ruck sacks make for an awkward descent.
View from above. (AP)
Jason hurdles the gap just as Lucy took this photo, and gave Anne-Marie quite a fright (out of sight of camera behind Cameron) (LF)
Graham heads down.
My turn!
Jason decides to come down the hard way. (AP)
The boys have cameras ready. (AP)
Geoff's turn.
Me and Brendan watch his descent. (AP)
Jason and Andy detour for some Geocaching in the woods. (AP)
Another checking of the map, but we seem to know where we are!
Back out into civilisation.
We head back to Beetham.
Beetham.
We head back past the church to the church car park. We head for the Smithy Inn, at Holme for lunch.
Thirteen for dinner! It was excellent!
My yummy dessert.
In the afternoon some attend the branch ringing meeting at Burton in Kendal Church. Some visit Beetham Nurseries. (AP)
Thanks to Tower Captain, Andy for organising the walk. Our walk was part of the Beetham Heritage Walk (see map ). The full walk is 7 miles, but we just did the first part as we didn’t want to be late for our lunch!
Thanks to Andy (AP), Geoff (GH) and Lucy (LF) for the use of some of their photos.
Jo.
