| Name of walk | Dapper's Walk up The Hoad |
| Date of walk | 2016-06-25 |
| Distance walked (miles) | 3 |
| Duration of walk | 2 hours 0 minutes |
| Weather | Sunshine |
| Peaks on walk | The Hoad |
| Walked with | My sister, Ness |
| Parking | The Gill |
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 ‘Desporados’ with Dapper ‘back in the day’. The route starts at The Gill, heads up Stanley Road and takes a circuitous, but rewarding route around the back of Ulverston, through woods and fields. The route is about three miles and has a gentle incline, it is much more interesting than the direct ascent. It is easy too, so ideal for Ness.
At the far end of Sun Street on the right are the steps.
Ness at the start of the steps.
Looking down on the allotments and over to The Hoad.
I'm glad the hedge has been recently trimmed.
We cross a small road and then we continue along the path by the wall.
This leads out to the path above a stream. Keep the stream to your left.
Then out through a kissing gate. The track leads towards the road.
A mini waterfall.
Paul's photo of Dapper and Tanny at the road crossing, from 2012.
There is a cow at the kissing gate on the other side of the road!
We ignore the cows and head up the grass beside the wall.
Looking out over Ulverston.
We keep following the grass track which comes out at another road.
Turn right then cross over and go through this gate.
Follow the woodland track.
You can just about see The Hoad to the right of the stile.
It is a huge wall stile.
View back to the woods.
The wide track goes all the way to The Hoad.
The Leven train viaduct.
Great views north to the hills.
The Sir John Barrow Monument aka The Hoad.
It is open on a Sunday from 1pm.
View out to Dow Crag and Coniston Old Man.
View out to Chapel Island and Morecambe Bay.
Looking down on Booths and the Ulverston Canal.
Looking over Ulverston.
There are two engraved maps, one looking south and one north.
We begin our descent.
Looking down on our destination for coffee and cake, The Coach House Cafe and Bistro in Ford Park.
Terra firma.
The Coach House. It has taken an hour and forty five minutes to walk here.
The coffee and cake.
The vegetable gardens.
The scarecrow is 'Lady Vanessa'.....ho ho! Ness is not amused, and accuses me of ringing ahead!
We head back through Ulverston and do some shopping. Knit wear on the bollards!
Stan Laurel wall art on a gable end. (He was born in Ulverston.)
With Stan and Ollie outside The Coronation Hall.
Ness with the boys.
More wall art.
Once we get back to the car we head for The Bay Horse at Canal Foot for a drink. Looking towards the train viaduct.
Canal Foot
On the way home we stop at Bardsea for another tasting session at Roy's Quality Ices.
R.I.P. David 'Dapper' Miller. Thanks for the walk.
Jo.
