| Name of walk | Hawkshead, Chapel Stile rings and walk |
| Date of walk | 2017-06-10 |
On Saturday the Barrow, St. James’ ringers rang at Hawkshead church. We had planned to do a walk around Blea Tarn and up onto Side Pike, but the weather was dreadful so we visited the Ruskin Museum instead. Then we rang at Langdale Church in Chapel Stile as part of the Furness and South Lakes ringers’ branch meeting, which meant an opportunity to have a walk by Langdale Beck and up into Thrang Quarry.
We walk up to St. Michael and All Angels Church in the rain, which explains the water on my lens.
Looking up to the ringing room as Andy and Hawkshead tower captain, John, ring the bells up. There are eight bells.
Our happy band of ringers, John takes this photo.
We started with some call changes then moved on to Grandsire.
"Look, no hands!" (AP)
John introduces us to 'Hawkshead Call Changes'. This involves Andy shouting out the bell order for the next handstroke. Once we got the hang of it, it worked quite well. (AP)
Then our hour of ringing was up and it was time for coffee and cake!
One of each? The lady behind the counter's husband had been a bell ringer. (AP)
Who can resist a game of hopscotch in the rain?
It was still pouring with rain and there was a strong wind, so we cancelled our walk and instead drove to Coniston to visit the Ruskin Museum. A little gem. Its collections include material on the copper and slate mines of the region, geology, rock climbing, lace making, farming, and writer Arthur Ransome, with a special exhibition upstairs on his Russian connections. A larger collection is devoted to the life and work of John Ruskin. A specialist collection covers the achievements of Donald Campbell, who died while attempting a new water speed record on Coniston Water.
Some of the remains of Bluebird.
John Ruskin's hand bells. (AP)
Time for food again! We went to the Black Bull in Coniston.
It is still raining!
We return to the car beside Water Beck. Andy looking over the wall.
The mist is still down over the hills. We drive to Chapel Stile to ring the bells at Holy Trinity Church, Langdale.
The church seen through the rain.
The boys ring some Cambridge. I get to ring some Grandsire, inside on the 4th, but after six plain courses I was starting to lose the will to live, so when I heard 'go again' I went brain dead and was relieved to hear 'go rounds' soon after.
Poor Sue has the full weight of the clock on her head!
On the 'Naughty Step' again!
A crash in the belfry turned out to be the clapper shearing off from the tenor bell. Jeg brings the clapper back down. (AP)
The bells in the belfry. (AP) With the tenor now out of action we are down to just five bells. So Sue and I decide to have a walk down to Langdale Beck.
"Baa"
We cross the bridge, the water is high after all this rain.
We walk down to the weir.
It is still raining. Looking back to the church and the slopes of Silver How.
We detour up the back of the church.
An old quarry building.
The mist has now risen.
More cake! Andy stocks up. Anne's lemon curd cake was excellent!
While the meeting is on I take the opportunity to revisit Thrang Quarry. View back to the church from the gate that leads up to the quarry.
There were several cockerels and hens rooming about.
Some sure-footed sheep too.
I head further up for the views over Chapel Stile.
The light has much improved, as had the views. The church on the left.
Looking over to Lingmoor.
I remember the position of a hidden level, behind bushes over towards the right. The water is too deep to investigate any further.
I head further up for another view down on the village.
I head back down.
I meet another cockeral. I join the meeting for the last half an hour.
On our way home we stop at the Wilson's Arms at Torver. Sue wants to show us the Phone Box. I have been here a few times before, but never really looked at the Phone Box. It has been made into a fish tank!
Cool!
An excellent day despite the rain. Its the coffee and cakes that make the day! …….And the company too! 😉 Hoping for some better weather for the July meeting in Ambleside.
Jo.
