Name of walk	Bellringers' Walk up The Hoad
Date of walk	2026-07-11

On Saturday Andy, Tower Captain of St. James, Barrow, had organised a circular walk of under four miles to include The Hoad. Only a short walk today, as the weather was very hot. We would then have a leisurely lunch at The Orangery, meeting up with old friends, before the Branch Ringing Meeting later in the afternoon. The walk also included ringers from Ulverston St. Mary’s and Cartmel Priory too.

Andy's group photo selfie outside St. Mary's Church, minus Linda. It was too hot for Alan to do the walk, but we managed a quick chat. He would rejoin us for lunch. My son Tom also joined us, the only non-ringer.

St. Mary's Ulverston, where the ringing will be from 2.30pm.

Our route from Andy's phone.

We set off across town to Gill Banks. We are glad of the trees for some shade and respite from the heat.

The gill.

Andy's photo of Tom and me.

Now time to head across the road and head uphill in the sunshine.

Views over to Ulverston.

We are heading straight for a bull!

We give it a wide birth.

Well actually the bull was on the footpath!

We cross the next road and take the footpath through the woods. (AP)

The Hoad.

We head uphill slowly.

The sheep have the right idea!

Approaching the top.

The view over Ulverston.

The sheep keep in the shade of The Hoad. The Coniston Fells in the distance.

David, Linda and Simon, with Andy taking pix in the background.

Fell identifier for the novices.

Chapel Island next to Andy's head.

Shade seeking sheep with an Ulverston backdrop.

Andy's photo of bell ringers sitting in the sun, proving we are not as bright as sheep.

My T-shirt says 'Jazz bell ringer - I'm not going wrong, I'm improvising'. One of my many excuses for unforced errors!

We head down.

Simon and Linda had been involved in the gorse clearing of the paths on The Hoad. They had done a good job! Simon had his secateurs in his ruck sack just to be on the safe side!

When we reached the bottom we were going to stop at Ford Park Cafe for a drink, but it was closed for a wedding.

We headed directly to The Orangery terrace at St. Mary's Hospice for pre-lunch drinks/ice cream instead.

We had arranged to meet up with Margaret and June for lunch. Both were ringers at St. Mary's. Margaret was married to Ian, the Tower Captain who died a couple of years ago and is much missed. Chris, her son, came too, he's a former ringer. June's family are all ringers. (AP)

Margaret and June have a natter.

We head inside for lunch and are joined by Andy's son's, also ringers, and Alan had made it back. (AP)

(AP)

Dessert.

Owen, a Dalton ringer, has come to say hello to Margaret and June. (AP)

Sue and me. (AP)

The day after our walk this photo appears on my Facebook Memories. It is from over ten years ago of Ian, Margaret's late husband, who was also Branch Chairman, presenting me with a certificate for ringing my first ever Quarter Peal, which was for the visit of the then Archbishop of York, John Sentamu. Happy days!

An enjoyable walk and lunch, it was good to meet up with Margaret, June and also Alan too. Thanks to Andy for organising it and for the use of a few of his photos (AP).

Jo.