Name of walk	Sedbergh to Cautley Spout
Date of walk	2022-10-08

On Saturday five Barrow St. James’ bellringers met up in Sedbergh to walk the 7 miles to Cautley Spout waterfall, and for lunch at the Cross Keys Inn at Cautley, before returning for a ringing meeting at the church in the afternoon. We had previously driven to the Inn and left a car in the lay-by to complete our return journey.

Andy's route map, including the little 'detour' that him and Alan did, but we didn't.

We parked near the school.

St. Andrew's Church where the Furness Branch of bellringers will be ringing this afternoon.

No time to stop and read!

Andy's photo of the weir on his and Alan's small detour.

Alan emerging from the woodland path by the riverbank. (AP)

New Bridge.

We walk beside the River Rawthey.

Then into open fields.

We pass through a field of Highland Cattle.

(AP)

Andy descending the steps to the next field.

Donkeys in the next field.

We head for Buckbank Farm.

Walking with Sue, Linda and Alan through Buckbank Farm. (AP)

Me and Alan on the cobbles of Thursgill. (AP)

Baa! Some Bluefaced Leicester sheep.

Sue and Andy head through the gate towards Fawcett Bank.

Unexpected traffic! (AP)

The rather wet route on the bridge over Hobdale Beck. (AP)

Alan and Andy make their way through.

Heading up to Fawcett Bank.

Fawcett Bank.

Andy spots the caterpillar of a Pale Tussock Moth. (AP)

View back south west.

Sue leads the way.

(AP)

We follow in single file along the narrow path.

View back to Linda and Alan.

Andy goes off to take some fungi photos in this field.

Here's one the size of a dinner plate that he missed!

(AP)

We go through the gate ahead and follow a wet track through the bracken.

We take the track on the right.

We head for the footbridge.

On the left is the Cross Keys Inn.

Me on the bridge over Cautley Holme Beck taking a photo. (SF)

The photo I was taking of the view to Cautley Spout.

Andy's group shot.

At this point Alan heads off to the pub for a pint. We forgot to tell him that it is a Temperance Inn.....o'er!

Andy's panorama shot. Left click to enlarge, click again to return.

The remains of an Iron Age settlement are to be found in this valley.

Linda now follows Alan to the Inn while me, Andy and Sue venture a bit further.

We have no time today to go up beside the falls, as the bellringing back in Sedbergh starts at 2.30pm, and the St. James' ringers are always late! We do plan to come back and climb up to a Howgill or two on another day.

The people give a sense of scale. Cautley Spout is England's highest waterfall above ground, tumbling 650ft in a series of cascades.

Andy's photo with me and Sue in the bottom right adding scale.

We head to the inn for lunch.

The view from just before the bridge that leads to the Inn.

Sue's photo of Andy and me on the bridge, being silly.

The 400 year old Cross Keys Inn. We arrived at just before 1.10pm. So the 7 mile walk had taken us 3hrs and 48 minutes.

Sue's photo of us relaxing in the parlour.

In 1902 the landlord died trying to save a drunk visitor who had fallen into the river Rawthey. In the resulting flurry of guilt, the family of the drunk man (he survived) bought the inn and wrote into its deeds that it could never sell alcohol again. It's been teetotal ever since.

Quakers have been associated with the pub as far back as the building's 17th-century owner, Colonel Gervase Benson, a one-time Mayor of Kendal. (AP)

This caught my eye, how true!

The Inn in miniature.

Lunch in the dining room, which was excellent.

When we drove back into Sedbergh we could already hear the bells of St. Andrews ringing, o’er, late again! Another excellent walk, and in the good company of Andy, Alan, Sue and Linda. Thanks to Barrow St. James Tower Captain, Andy, for organising it and letting me use a few of his photos (AP), and to Sue for the lift and the use of a few of her photos (SF) too!

Jo.