Due to my hip causing a few niggles recently, we have been taking it a bit easier and revisiting a few places with soft ground and easy access.

Harebells growing on the edge of a field

Today it was the turn of the Lanercost area, where we have not visited for over a year.

Our walk started next to the Lanercost bridge and headed towards the fields alongside the river, at the rear of Lanercost Priory.

Charlie made straight for the water which was flowing quite fast after all the recent rain.

Charlie takes a moment for a rest

It was quite brown and tasted very earthy. Dad mentioned something about the water being ideal for a good Scottish Malt. Whatever that means ?

Whilst we were having a paddle, mum spotted some very delicate pale blue flowers bending in the gentle breeze.

Almost hidden in the long grass, at the edge of a rich green field, the large flower seemed quite out of scale atop a very thin stalk

Lanercost Priory - looks like it has escaped from a horror movie

She said they were Harebells and quite a special flower as they are quite fragile.

Horror movie filmset

Following the path around the field we approached Lanercost Priory from the graveyard side.

We were quite saddened to see that the older part of the graveyard was looking quite unloved.

Large ferns were growing in many areas and a pile of grass clippings had been dumped in the middle of the once tidy rows of stones.

Given that many tourists and locals visit the area it seemed quite a shame that it appeared that no one was caring for it.

The last visitor who didn't pay to visit the Priory?

Dad took a photograph and, in his mind could already see the dark, spooky horror movie image just by turning it to black and white. The black and white image above is the result of a bit of computer playing around when he came back home.  We have to say that we tend to agree with it’s sinister look and feel.

This image was still with us when we came across the poor soul made of metal ‘hanging around’ near to the farm shop.

A new sign erected at the entrance to the village

We mentioned this sculpture way back in April 2010.

Made by  local artist Ian McMean it now seems to have found a permanent place guarding the entrance to Lanercost Priory.

Food at Lanercost

Given that our tummies were starting to get the rumbles, mum nipped into the food and gift shop on our way back to the car.

She emerged only a few minutes later without any bags or goodies and a big frown on her face.

It would appear that the shop is no longer stocking a wide range of eatables and, if todays visit is anything to go by, appears to be struggling to fill the shelves.

This is quite a disappointment,  as we were hoping for something full of flavour and taste from a local producer for our lunch.

Let us hope that the building does not become an outlet store selling knitware and glass snow globes of the Priory.

As we headed back to the car we left Lanercost quite deflated and without anything for lunch.  We did however have a good walk and a paddle.

Until next time – Big licks

Buster and Charlie

With the birds singing and the sun starting to set on another week we headed over to Wetheral for some sniffs and a good walk.

Tons of loose chippings

Dad parked the car in a lay-by at the side of the B6263 and we started our adventure.

We have been to Wetheral a number of times, including a big visit in 2008 which you can read about here.

This time our walk was to be a simpler affair lasting just over 90 minutes.

Getting our own back

It is well know that one thing that really upsets drivers is the application of loose chippings on to roads.

Wetheral viaduct repairs

Arriving it would seem a little earlier than usual, possibly due to global warming and changing weather patterns, the weapon of choice of councils around the country for scratching car paint work, is here.

Sharp rock flakes are spread on top of a sticky solution of tar to create a new road surface on many minor roads.

Wetheral viaduct repairs

Basking in the early evening sunset this pile of chippings found near to where we parked the car, was, shall we say, investigated most throughly.

Wetheral viaduct repairs

Our path left the road after about 100m and we started on a very quiet road leading underneath the Wetheral viaduct.

Looking up at the walkway dad noticed that some scaffolding was attached to the outside of the bridge and that most of the walkway had been removed.

Holy Trinity Church - Wetheral, Cumbria

We were later to find the timbers, which formed the footway and  looked like former wooden railway sleepers, stacked up in the small car park adjacent to Wetheral Station a few metres up the railway track.

Holy Trinity Church

Taking a sharp right we climbed up a narrow dirt path and through a metal gate and arrived in the grounds of Holy Trinity Church, Wetheral.

The Church is dedicated to the Holy Trinity, St. Constantine and St. Mary.

Built in the 1600′s, the church recently became a focus for the assorted  media outlets around the globe as Sgt. Sarah Bryant, the first British woman soldier to be killed in Afghanistan, had her funeral.

Train crossing Wetheral viaduct

Looking back towards the viaduct we caught a glimpse of a train passing over the bridge.  Without the white ornate walkway this side of the viaduct seems a little industrial and not a pleasing.

Public notices on Wetheral Station gate

Leaving the church through the ornate wooden gate we proceeded uphill towards the green and then the railway station.

Lack of information

Walking over the bridge and out of the station on the opposite side of the track we came upon this info-gate.

It would appear that this one gate has become the information hub for the village.

Written in marker pen on one side are train arrival and departure times whilst on the other are public notices.  These include a quite funny, written in jest notice, possibly too dodgy to publish.

St Cuthbert's Well, Wetheral, Cumbria

Suffice it to say that the author is not to happy about the length of time the the repairs to the viaduct are taking and the amount of consultation in advance of work starting.

Need a drink

Our walk starts to fall back towards the river and the start of our journey, as we pass alongside a large house with a tennis court.

St Cuthbert's Well, Wetheral, Cumbria

Just beyond this, dad spots a sloping piece of stone with some letters written into it.

‘The Holy Well’ is the title carved into the stone along with some other text which dad thinks is:-

The Holy Well
Called in the 12th Century
Fons Sancti Cuthbert
Repaired 1897 and 2001

Sadly this well did not seem to contain any water for us to have a drink but we were now not far from the car and our bottles of water.

Until next time

Buster and Charlie

Not sure which way the weather was going to go, and with much cleaning to do at home, mum and dad decided that we would stay local for todays adventure.

Crane stands watch over new school

Our walk started normally enough on the banks of the River Eden in Rickerby Park but then dad found a new path and our adventures began.

School

Rising out of the ground comes the new school for Carlisle.  We have mentioned the building work in previous visits to the park but now you can really see the scale and size of the new structure.

Six floors of scaffolding appear to clad the building allowing contractors to install windows, bricks and other equipment needed for a new centre of learning.  Lets hope it looks better than the nearby Carlisle College that, following it’s recent rebuild, looks really ugly.

Golf club

Our usual walk would take us alongside the river and around the park but today dad decided to cross the bridge and walk along to the Stony Holme golf club, as it has been a while since he had visited the area.

Shopping trolley abandoned in beck

Dad pointed out some new notices that have appeared on lamp posts. They  indicate that non golfers should not park their cars in this area. This is a shame as many visitors to the park use this area as a great place to park especially if they are travelling from the southern side of the city.

A low wooden sign in front of the clubhouse indicated our path could continue around the back of the football club.  This was all new and full of sniffs.

Need to Pee

Crossing over a bridge our path continued between a beck and the well manicured golf greens.

Mum at this point  just couldn’t help herself  saying ‘need to pee’. Ahh the power of advertising, as this catch phrase is used in a commercial for a product called Flomax which is filmed on a golf course and is mums current favourite ad. You can see it here on Youtube.

Football and red fox tile

Grot

Looking away from the golf and back towards the stream it does look a bit grotty. Discarded rubbish and shopping trollies litter the watercourse  and it looks quite a mess.

This is most unusual for this city as it is a very clean place to live and play.

Our path crosses over another bridge and alongside the rear of the football club. High green barriers line our right hand side marking the edge of the car park.

Art tile on Carlisle flood defences

A tarmac path rises from the stream and dad spots some more art tiles on the recently installed flood defences.

Situated on flood gate posts either side of the path, one tile features a football scene, the other features a fish, a ball and the words Judy 2005.

We think that now makes our collection of spotted tiles four or possibly five.  Anyone know how many there are?

Lost fish

100 years of - CUFC

The fish and football tile is a bit cryptic, especially if you are a visitor to the city.

Dad took a bit of time thinking about this one until he remembered a quirky news story from a few years ago.

It turns out that during the floods of 2005 a fish called Judy was found on the Carlisle United football pitch. Hence the fish and football graphic.

CUFC statue

Turning out on to Warwick Road we pass in front of the Carlisle United Football Club shop and the statue to 100 years of Carlisle United.

Wall of fame - Carlisle United Football Club

Unveiled by Hugh McIlmoyle, a former Carlisle United player, on the 31 July 2005 the statue is to commemorate 100 years of Carlisle United’s proud history.  It is dedicated to the players, supporters and officials of the club.

Story Construction commissioned the art piece.

Wall of fame

Nearby is another piece of what could be called art in the form of the Hughie McIlmoyle wall of fame.

Costing £30 per brick this was an interesting fund raising activity.

Two lines of text and up to 14 characters per line were allowed on each brick.

239 Warwick Road, Carlisle

Many people purchased bricks in memory of loved ones, moments in personal history or just in support of the club.  In return they have their brick clad on the front of the Blues Store and a certificate.

Lost pub

Built some time before 1855, the Petteril Bridge Inn stood on the site that is now 239 Warwick Road Carlisle.

Mrs Duck and her chicks

Screwed to the wall by the side of the front door is a small silver plaque that states that the premises were owned by the State Management until 1917.

Sorry

Turning off  Warwick Road we returned to the golf club down St Aidens Road.

Staying on the city side of the river we followed the path towards The Sands Centre, stopping once or twice for a drink in the cool water.

You know what happened next...

We must at this point apologise to Mrs Duck and her new family.  In our hurry to get a drink we disturbed her enjoying some afternoon sunshine on the banks of the River Eden.  All was safe, however she was a bit startled.

Eden Bridge Gardens

Up and over Eden Bridge then into Eden Bridge Garden for a quick update.

Mum and dad were unsure if this was the first spring since the restoration of the area so they thought it was worth going to see what plants had made it through the winter.

Flowers in Eden Bridge Gardens

Bluebells and the last few daffodils filled the borders and up in the high pond Charlie inspected the water lilly pots –  a little bit closer than mum had really wanted him to. He is so naughty.

In the lower garden tulips and assorted low flowering plants provided a very colourful display set off against the dark green of the hedge.

A number of yellow safety railings are currently in place around the garden protecting some works involving small inspection covers and a long snake of blue plastic pipe.

Maybe they are going to connect the lower garden water features, which are currently dry, to a water supply.  We will need to check on the progress in a few weeks.

Leaving the gardens through the swing gate, we returned back along the high path towards the car eager for a bit of a sit down and a rest.

Above us a hawk hovered before swooping into the grass to collect possibly a mouse or a vole for his lunch.  Dad tried to photograph it, but it was too quick.

Until next time

Buster and Charlie

Carlisle railway station has been turned in to a film set this week as the DIY chain, Homebase produce a tv advert.

Bright colourful stripes have been painted on walls, sofas and chandeliers have all been installed and hundreds of extras have been recruited.

The waiting room on platform four has been turned in to a lounge,  a garden has been created and the connecting bridge has been painted in multi-colour stripes.

Visitors arriving at the station have been amazed at the transformation and many people are requesting on the social media site, Facebook that some of the installed features remain once filming ceases over the weekend.

Carlisle railway station is managed by Virgin Trains

Here are some pictures taken earlier today

In the words of the Rogers / Hammerstein song ‘ Oh what a beautiful morning’ and what a great day it has turned out to be as we left the city behind and headed in a south-westerly direction for the hills.

Mum had a grand plan for today with a mission to find a carpet of snowdrops for dad to photograph.

She had read in some article that a church in the Cockermouth area near to Bassenthwaite Lake was reported to be the ideal location.

Isel Bridge closed following the floods in November

All seemed to be going to plan until mum sort of mentioned that she had forgotten to pick up the map and directions for our destination.  By now it was too far to turn around so we started to explore.

Road closed

Turning off the A591 we headed towards Sunderland, just because dad had never been to it. Before anyone asks, Sunderland the village in north Cumbria and not Sunderland, Tyne and Wear.

Little exploring to be done here however it did give mum the chance to check the map.  Nearby was a river and a footpath.  Had mum come good after all?

Isel Bridge over River Derwent

Mum was back in charge,  as we headed down some narrow roads.

Occasionally dad would gently swerve to try and avoid driving through steaming piles of  ’rural essence’  left by a farmer spreading muck nearby.

All was going well, up to the point where the road was closed.

It was not mum’s day and as we were starting to get all excited dad decided we would find somewhere to park and go for a walk anyway.

Isel Bridge

Somehow dad always seems to manage to find an adventure and today was no exception as we walked over a stone bridge turning left on the opposite bank and onto a well trodden grass path.

The overnight frost had hardened the ground and we were able to take a good sniff around.

It turned out that we had arrived in Isel with it’s small church, a few houses and farms and our new walk.

Isel Bridge, now behind us, has been closed following the floods back in November.

Wire fence festooned with river weeds

Many routes in the area have been disrupted due to safety works, inspections and remedial maintenance needing to be carried out on them.

Interestingly this bridge, with the C2026  on it,  has been closed in the interests of road safety and to avoid damage to very minor approach roads. Is that code for a ‘rat run? ‘

River weed

Our path took us upstream along the side of the River Derwent.

Looks like iron, not gold mum...

Across the other side of the river the wire fence had become a washing line for river weed as it hung drying in the winter sunshine.

I don’t think the farmer will be along in a hurry to clean it off. It may however be great nesting materials for the birds in the spring.

Beyond this fence could be seen fallen fence posts and the bend in the river.

Gold

Between us we seem to spot most things on our walks. Charlie and I are in charge of the sniffs and mum and dad keep an eye on bigger things.

P-A-T-H...

After the disappointment of not winning over £100m on the Euro Lottery last night, dad once more was on the lookout for ways to make money and he thought he had found it when he spotted a glinting stone in amongst the grass.

Mum picked it up and after a quick look ruled out gold and instead said it was possibly iron. ‘Oh well, another week at work’, said dad.

Magnificent view

A memorable view

Our path now started to climb between two wire fences alongside a field of sheep.

The damp conditions underfoot made the path a little slippery in places, especially when a tree root came close to the surface.

Suddenly the climb turned in to a set of steep sloping steps down towards the river.

Short leads were the order of the day and we were not allowed to pull incase we pulled mum or dad over. I think it would be fair to say they struggled a bit at this point.

Plaque on the seat back

After the fall then the inevitable rise up the other side of the narrow valley and what a reward at the top with the view upstream towards the Cumbrian mountains.

Placed in memory of Maurice Todhunter this seat offers a welcome rest stop and time to take in the magnificent view.

On the left of the image can be seen a trail of silt, rocks and other debris which looks like it has been left, possibly in a slight dip in the ground, as the river has taken a shortcut across the fields.

We have our own gate flap ...

Fence flap

The path became a little bit more gentle at this point as we left the river path and came onto a tarmac road  but not before we negotiated a well designed stile.

Mum and dad went over the wooden fence steps and we had our own fence flap. Well done to the National Trust for thinking about us and for finding such a simple solution.

The first lambs of the year

Lambs

At this point dad’s inbuilt compass kicked in and rather than turning left heading up hill we turned right, past Kirkhouse Farm with the hens in the yard and alongside a bright green field.

Looking at us through the wooden gate was a proud mum and two new lambs.

So as not to frighten them our mum put us on short leads and we quickly passed.

Turning right we dropped back down to Isel bridge and to where we had started our circular walk.

Church

Isel Church - closed

During our walk we had not spotted the local church so, whilst dad was taking yet another picture, mum asked another dog walker if he knew where it was.

We were only about 100m from it however, following the floods the church and the area around it had become dangerous and it was closed.

Tall metal barriers with assorted parish notices on them prohibited us getting near to the building.  We wondered when it may open again as it seemed to be in a lovely location and no doubt full of history.

Cockermouth

Being so close to Cockermouth, and that Dad needed the loo, we got back in to the car and headed down the road to Cockermouth.

Back in November this town hit the worlds headlines as the main street became a raging torrent of water as nearby rivers burst their banks and cascaded through the town.

Almost three months later and Cockermouth is in part open for business and trying to restore normality.

Open for business

Damage is very much in evidence as you walk along Main Street.

Television images of the wool shop, the police station and the first houses visited by reporters in the aftermath come flooding back as you stand and view the town as the camera lenses did at the end of last year.

Dad has produced a gallery of what we saw today which you can see below this update.

Fed and watered from a couple of the open shops in the town we headed home after an hour or so. Mum clutching some lamb chops from a butcher on the Main Street for supper.

Until next time

Buster and Charlie

Isel and Cockermouth galleries

Frosty ground and brilliant sunshine – just perfect for an early morning walk and that is exactly how we started the day.

Charlie enjoys the frosty morning on the playing fields of The Sheepmount Stadium.

Mum and dad promised that we would get out today ahead of the forcasted snow, which as yet has not arrived.

Buster has taken to wearing his fleecy jacket at this time of the year to try and keep his hip warm.  For an old man he does very well on our expeditions.

Buster wears his winter coat

The frost over the last two nights had made the ground all firm and non-splodgy so we were in for a long walk as we would stay dry and above all clean.

Dad did not fancy getting the car out today as he didn’t want to de-ice it or face the busy roads full of Christmas shoppers so instead we walked to the starting point for todays walk.

Icicles form on the underside of the Waverley bridge

Engine Lonning was once a busy rail yard for the  London & North Eastern Railway.  The rail yard closed in the early sixties and nature has been swift to reclaim the area.

Recent renovation work in this area has improved the major paths through the site and on a frosty day like today it is fantastic.

Wooden steps lead down towards the former Waverley Bridge where we come across some naturally made ice pops.

Water, dripping from underneath the bridge arches, has frozen to form clear icicles which are glinting in the sunshine.

New flood plain created

Dad takes some pictures then breaks one off for us to lick.  For some reason they don’t smell right so we decline a cool drink.

He now has wet paws which start to get really cold in the fresh air.

One the other side of the  River Eden, mum notices that what appears to be hundreds of trees that have been recently planted.

Frozen leaves

It also looks as if the river bank has been taken away to allow the river to flood onto this area.

Resetting the food chain

After all the recent rain, this spell of dry hard frost is great to seal the arrival of winter and to reset all of the natural rhythms of nature.

Bugs and plants will especially benefit from the cold as it will ensure that the food chain is kept in check and that plants get their winter rest.

Recent warm winters have kept many plants awake and bugs and other insects have not been knocked back by what should be natures leveller, the cold icy UK winter.

Larch cones

Mum had noticed that in our garden the daffodil bulbs had already started to peek through the soil and that many of the bushes had started to grow new green buds.

Sunlight

Clear, fresh sunlight this morning made some of the plants shout out to be photographed.

Golden cones on this Larch tree twinkled with frost and almost seemed to glow as the low sunlight shone through the branches.

Our walk continued along the path past the river monitoring station and towards the Sheepmount Stadium.

Passing straight in front of the stadium we  entered onto the playing fields beyond the astro-turf all weather pitches.

Footprints could be seen on the frozen grass where animals and people had been before us. Sunshine flooded the very tops of the trees and in the calm still air we took a moment to look around.

A DRS train

Monster

Nothing was moving on the fields. In the bushes to our left blackbirds scurried amongst the undergrowth in search of beetles whilst above them could be seen the occasional flashes of red as a robin stood guard.

Across the field and onto the lower field we tramped, our footprints left on flattened grass testament to our passage.

Through the ground came a monster rumbling towards us. Breaking the silence a DRS train thundered on the tracks across the bridge which we had walked under about 40 minutes ago.

Direct Rail Services (DRS) is based about a mile up the tracks from here and has recently been in the news helping communities in West Cumbria after the floods.

A brick with the words 'phorpres electricity'

Working on behalf of  Northern Rail, DRS are providing additional capacity between Maryport, Flimby, Workington North and Workington to help residents of these areas move around after many bridges were washed away in the bad weather.

Brick

Whilst we watched the train, and to avoid mum getting scared of being under the bridge as the train went overhead we waited, and looking to the ground dad spotted a brick peeping through the low grass and mud.

Unusually this brick had the words ‘Phorpres Electricity’ stamped into it.

Searching the web when we came home seems to indicate that this brick may have been made in London at the London Brick Company works.

Further research by dad possibly reveals that Phorpres was a trade name which came about due to the number of times they were pressed ,four times = four press = Phorpres.

All dad can think of is that the brick came from an electricity building at some point in it’s history. Maybe you know more about this brick?  Let us know via the comments area below.

Thats all for now.

Until next time

Buster and Charlie

Flood alerts have been issued by the Environment Agency for all of the local area after heavy overnight rain.

High Water in River Eden

We were woken up at one point during the sleep time,  so we thought we should go and investigate where all the rain goes, so we headed to Bitts Park and the River Eden.

We are pleased to report that although the river is quite high it is not dangerously high and is not at risk of causing much damage in this area as yet.

Some trees have water around the roots

The river was a muddy bubbling torrent of water trundling downhill towards the sea.

Flood level

Water has broken over the natural River Eden banks opposite the Carlisle Cricket Club but is being contained by the second line of defence, the raised pathways through the park.

The 1852 high water mark

Flood water would have to rise another metre or so to overtop these.

Carved in to one the bricks is a previous high water mark.  Today the water is well below the 1852 mark.

Looking towards Rickerby Park

More rain is due overnight so maybe this mark maybe reached.  That sounds like an excuse to come for another walk.

Walking under the bridge we could see into Rickerby Park.  At the far end of this park is where the Cumberland Show used to be held.

This year the show was cancelled due to high river levels. Next year the show will be held at Carlisle Racecource.

Just a quick update today as we now need a bath to get cleaned up.  It is muddy work this investigation work.

Take care tonight and tomorrow morning just incase you get flooded or scared by the rain.

Until next time

Buster and Charlie

Earlier today we headed west to Allonby on the coast of Cumbria just south of Silloth.  Our approach to the area was met with a bit of rain, however once the car was parked the sun came out.

The Sea - Allonby Coast with Robin Rigg Windfarm in the distance.

Stretched out before us was plenty of grass to run on so we took full advantage to stretch our legs and get aquainted with our surroundings.

A strange swooshing sound filled the air and the grass smelt a bit different but we were just glad to be exploring once again.

Following a grass path we came upon a small bridge which we crossed and after negotiating a sandy overgrown banking we rushed exitedly to the source of the swooshing sound.  Dad said it was the sea, however Charlie saw it as just water and ran headlong towards it.

Yuck, the water tasted horrid and not at all like the water in the river at Dalston the other day.  Now this takes some getting used to.

It feels like water, looks like water and is cool like water but the taste on our delicate lickers is really bad so we avoid drinking anymore and just play.  Mum says the water is salty and we shouldn’t drink it…. A bit late now mum!

Possibly an Oystercatcher?

On the horizon Dad spots a load of wind turbines and thinks it must be the Robin Rigg windfarm.

We tried to count the number of white poles sticking out from the sea but the view was a bit hazy.

Buster and Charlie enjoy Allonby beach

Stepping away from the water to get dried off a little, mum spotted a red beaked bird she thought was an oystercatcher. It had black feathers on its back and a bright red or orange beak which made it stand out from the pebbles on the beach.

With the rain clouds moving away the sky cleared to give a bright blue sky and with it came the sunshine.

Mum and Dad now wished they had left their coats in the car as they were starting to get a bit hot.

First experiences.

For Charlie this was the first time at the beach and he soon learned about the strange stuff called sand. Wet sand is very sticky and soon he was covered in the stuff all the way up to his tummy.

Mum said it would drop off as our fur dried.  We hoped so, otherwise the backseats of the car were going to be covered!!

Buster goes paddling in the Sea

Stripes of debris on the beach marked out the various tide marks and they made for some great sniffs. Large amounts of seaweed, that is what mum called it I think, stretched into the distance along with the occasional traffic cone and broken car headlight.

Charlie tried to count the number of stones and pebbles but had to give up at four, when he ran out of paws.

A wild rose and bee

Allonby Bay is on the Solway Coast, an area designated of outstanding Natural Beauty, stretching from Rockcliffe Marsh on the Scotish Border to just North of the historic harbour town of Maryport.

Leaving the sea behind us we move inland a little and onto a grass path. To our right are the sand banks with the sea beyond.  Occasionally, as we walk with our backs to the village of Allonby, we smell the sweet scent of wild rose bushes.

Mum says that these plants must have been here for some considerable time as they are around 20m across and adds that she has never heard of roses growing in salty areas.

A seat in memory of Christine Marrs

Many bees and other insects can be seen on the flowers gathering up the pollen and nectar. Possibly these bushes are the only source of food for miles around.

Looking out across Allonby Bay is this seat in memory of Christine Marrs. This bench, one of many along the edge of the path, caught our attention due to the flowers planted at either end of the mounting plinth.

Screwed to the upper rail is a plaque which reads

‘ In memory of Christine Marrs
Beloved wife of Ernie
Donated by Stuart and Christine (C.S.H. TSPT ) 2006′

Buster and Charlie enjoy a rest

We pause for a brief rest whilst dad ties his shoelace and then we are off once more on our adventures.

Underfoot the path is dry and the grass tickles a bit as it is slightly brittle after all the recent sunshine.

Charlie is about ready for another drink so we decide it is time to turn around and start our return journey.

What is this bird?

Although this is the main path, a number of other smaller paths lead off and to get more sniffs, our return route took in some of these.

Down one of the paths we came across the small bird in the photograph to the right..

Windsurfer at Allonby

Without the binoculars mum could not see the bird clearly enough to identify it.  She thought it maybe some form of bunting or a warbler. Do you know?

Only one windsurfer was out on the water today. Many websites indicate that the strong winds make conditions here some of the best in the country for this sport.

The Ship Inn - Allonby

Across the water, in the distance can be seen the Dumfries coastline with the town of Dumfries to the right and just around the corner Kirkcudbright to the left

Almost back to the car and we take a slight detour into the village and come across The Ship Inn.

To the left of the main door is a blue plaque indicating that Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins stayed here on Wednesday 9th September 1857.

Both were good friends and stayed 2 nights in Allonby during a walking tour they were undertaking.

It is here that our walk for the day ends as we return to the car for a well earned drink and a rest.

Until next time

Buster and Charlie.

Bank holidays spent at home and out of the rain seem to be a thing of the past as we manage to get into the big world once more.

Lime kilns and castles were on the agenda yesterday as we went in search for content for one of our other websites called heritageandhistory.com.

Orton Church

Our first stop for a sniff and stretch was a small village called Orton.

This village is situated a few miles NE of Tebay just off the M6 and is known in the area for the farmers market every second Saturday of every month and Kennedys chocolates.

Our approach to All Saints Church was greeted with flags as the annual scarecrow festival was taking place.

Whilst we shelteredf rom a slight rain shower in a pop up tent erected in the church yard, Mum went into the church to be greeted by many happy friendly folk. She emerged with a scarecrow trail map and small booklet about the church.

Orton Scarecrow

Scarecrow number one was easy, a big christmas pudding at the entrance to the church.

Now to find the other 30 scattered around the many streets and gardens. You can see some of the ones we spotted in the gallery below this article.

An unusual bridge in Orton

Half way around and Charlie spots water. Like a magnet to a can he is attracted to this stream and he goes for a paddle.

Dad notices that this bridge is very unusual as it has two gaps for the water to flow through. Further investigation reveals that on the other side of the bridge the water is diverted in two different directions.

One stream continues straight on the new stream heads off left alongside the road.

We are not sure why this diversion takes place so maybe someone can advise using the comments area below.

After spending a good few hours in Orton we return to the car and head off into the hills in search of lime kilns.

Dad now got lost.

Beware of rhino

The map came out and the usual comments of why don’t they put roadsigns on some of these junctions was heard. Things were not helped when we saw this sign warning of rhino.

We have noticed recently that although the M6 seems to be getting millions of pounds spent on new electronic signs the backroads, where it could be argued are in more need of signage, seems to be loosing out.

So we say please bring back the fingerpost roadsigns on our rural roads to stop Dad gettng lost.

Single track roads and quite a bit of reversing later we emerged onto a road know as the Tommy Road between the A683 and the B6259. Observing what looked like a lime kiln to our left dad parked the car and we got out.

We were glad of the walk as all the stream water we had swallowed in Orton was now in need escape and the last 10 minutes in the bumpy car had not helped. Oh such relief.

Lime kiln

After a walk over the mossy tuffets to the top of a nearby hill to take a look at the view we returned to the now deralict kiln constructed into the hillside.

We kept well away from the kiln itself to ensure we didn’t get hit on the head by a falling rock however we did have a good sniff around.

Used now by the sheep as a place of shelter these structures were once used to produce quicklime by heating up limestone rocks.

Quicklime was used as an additive to building mortar and as a render on walls.

A very confident sheep

The tower of All Saints Church in Orton visited earlier would have had a lime render giving the white appearance which can be seen from miles around.

Looking back towards the car we became aware of this very confident sheep who tried to block our way.

Mum thought he must be guarding something, so we gave him a very wide berth and kept our distance.

Pendraggon Castle

He was very scary with his big horns and stance on top of a small hill, even dad looked worried.

Dropping further down the hill and over the Settle to Carlisle rail line we arrived at the ruin of Pendragon Castle.

According to legend, Uther Pendragon, father of King Arthur, is said to have built the first castle here and unsuccessfully tried to divert the river to provide its moat

What is in here?

Mum and dad are of a certain age that whenever King Arthur is mentioned they quote Monty Python and this was no exception. We climbed the hill to Spam, spam, spam… and a certain parrot sketch.

Walking around the base of the castle many holes, possibly former windows, just needed to be looked into.

The many sheep and lambs had left a number of trails through the ruin as they searched for shelter from the weather on this exposed spot overlooking the river Eden.

Charlie investigates Pendragon Castle

Measuring about 20m square the Pendragon Castle we see today is said to date from the latter part of the 12th Century and is built on a hill.

This offers a commanding view of the nearby countryside and with its walls over 2m thick in places, a strong defensive position.

Charlie investigates the many sniffs inside the ruin whils mum and dad try to work out what the building would have looked like all those years ago.

Hello friend...

Many small plants have started to live in between the stones of this now giant rock garden giving the walls a pink and green look. More contents for mum for Naturearoundme.com during the next few months

Our investigations were being watched by a friendly lamb who seemed very interested in what we were doing in his back yard.

The Jew stone

We left the site just as a minibus full of visitors arrived clutching cameras, tripods and rucksacks full of stuff.

Our final visit of the day was as the small village of Outhgill in search of the Jews Stone.

Not sure what we were looking for we parked the car in a road to our left just before the church and dad went for a look around.

Amazingly we were in the right place and ahead of us, surrounded by a wooden fence, was a single stone column with green lichen growing on it.

Caution - Appleby fair traffic

At the base was a large interpretation board explaining all about the monument and the history. Dad will write this all up later over on Heritageandhistory.com.

It seems that the stone is a replica of the “Jews Stone”, which was set up in 1850 by the eccentric William Henry Mounsey ( 1808 -1877).

It is over 2m high and about 10cm square and is made of a limestone known as Dent Marble.

With our challenges for the day accomplished we headed homeward relieved that we had not been caught by any bad weather .

Tired Charlie

As we past Appleby the signs had been posted warning of slow moving traffic.

Appleby Horse Fair starts in a few days time and with it comes a large number of horse drawn vehicles.

We return home safe and well after a very busy day. Dad downloads the pictures from the camera and mum gets the dinner ready.

Stew is on the menu with little trees . Mum has spent today, Sunday, planting loads of seeds to grow next years supply of turnip and little trees in the allotment.

We just love them fresh from the fridge. Trees are given as a general reward whilst a nice piece of cold turnip is favourite after a meal to clean our teeth.

Thats all for now

Until next time

Buster and Charlie

Gallery

Just off the Dalston Road in the south west corner of Carlisle lies the small village of Cummersdale.  

Our walk starts on the far side of the village down by the River Caldew at map reference NY393531.

Our walk starts alongside the print works

We park the car in the free road edge car park and head off towards a factory gate.  

The factory, hidden away from the hustle and bustle of the nearby City, is the Stead McAlpin, Cummersdale Print Works.

To the right of the main gate is a tarmac path sandwiched between the factory, on our left and the river to our right.
 
A word of caution here and we must say that the path is shared with cyclists, so take care not to get in the way.
 
The path is well maintained and is of a tarmac construction bordered by a wooden fence to one side so we feel safe and above all stay clean.

Wide paths keep us clean

Once the factory is behind us we exit onto some wide open fields with the path leading off into the distance.

We see no evidence of sheep or cattle but to be sure, we stay on our leads.  

We meet a number of colleagues happy to be out for their walks.  

Many are running free and throughly enjoying a good run as they can see their humans for quite a distance.

The hedges to our left look as if they have been recently cut as they have sharp angular sides and a flat top.

Mum keeps us away from them as she says that we may get sharp clippings or thorns in our paws.

Plenty of new sniffs

Charlie finds many new sniffs and has to investigate everything crossing back and forth across the path.

Mum gets a little annoyed as our leads get caught up like the strings of a kite flying in a blustery wind.  

Many new green tubes seem to have been tied to sturdy wooden stakes along this part of the path. Dad explains that the tubes are protecting new trees growing inside from being eaten by rabbits and other animals.  They also act as a defence to strong winds and extremes in temperature

After a few years the new trees will grow big and tall and be able to look after themselves as they poke their leaves above the tubes, he adds.

Look at the view.

This area is known as Cummersdale Holmes and is maintained by Carlisle City Council.  

Since the floods that affected large parts of the city  in 2005 this area has been classed a floodwater storage zone.   

Leaving the path for a minute or two we turn right towards the river and follow the line of a recently installed post and wire fence.

Ahead of us is the eastern outline of the city and slightly to the left are the large gasometers clearly visible towering above neighboring buildings on this edge of the city.

That is not a big stick, Charlie.

At the bottom of this slight hill is what appears to be a wildlife pond behind a fence.  

A notice clearly displayed warns of deep water so we keep away and continue towards the river. 

Charlie stands at the river edge and looks down on to a rusting pipe.

At some stage this was possibly covered by rocks and buried but the constant flow of water now has it revealed and the rust has started to form.

We keep away from the river edge as it looks a little fragile and don’t want to fall in. A small notice a little further on warns mum and dad of the danger and they keep us on short leads for a few minutes.

Entering Denton Holme close to the weir

Here we meet up with two scottie dogs out for a walk.  Their pristine white coats have a tideline of general dirt from their adventures.  

Because of their really short legs even dirty grass leaves a mark on their sides.  

We say hello and continue on our way.  Maybe our paths will cross when we return?

Our grass path leads on to firmer footings as we leave the park area and exit to the rear of the former Ferguson Mill complex.

The former Ferguson Brothers Mill

A once thriving cotton mill business the mill brought prosperity and employment to the City throughout the 1800’s and into the latter half of the Twentieth Century.

Ferguson Brothers Ltd opened the The Holme Head Works in 1824, although there was probably a mill on the site since Medieval times.

The mill processed cotton brought in from the United States, through the Port of Whitehaven and for a short time, Port Carlisle.

The sprawling complex has now been turned in to flats, sorry apartments, with some evidence still remaining of the buildings former life.

Above, what was possibly the main doorway into the offices, is an inscription ‘Ferguson Brothers Limited Registered Office’

The flood defence work has raised the river wall

Badly flooded in the storms of 2005 this area is undergoing flood defence work and river management to secure premises from any repeat damage.

You can clearly see the new wall built on top of the old as we ran down to the water for a well earned drink and a paddle.

It is hard to imagine that the water would even have been above my mums head as we mess about on this bit of shingle beach.

Ahead of us is not a tidal wave but the water cascading down a weir.

A new bridge awaits installation

A salmon run is positioned in the middle of the fast flowing water to allow atlantic salmon to return to the spawning grounds in late November to early January.  

The source of the Caldew is on the western slopes of Skiddaw, with tributaries draining the western slopes of Great Calva, High Pike and the Caldbeck Fells.

The works to protect this part of the city  involve replacing some of the old bridges that cross from the Denton Holme area in to the Boustead Grassing area of the city.

Two bridge sections and  a works compound cause us to detour from the normal course of the path as we start to really appreciate the scale of the massive £24m scheme.

We are almost half a mile from where similar works have just finished in Victoria Park and these are only two locations of many dotted around the city.

New bridge already installed

We decide it is about time to turn back when we spot a little way further, one of the recently installed completed bridges.

The smooth white pillars of the new bridges will allow water to pass uninterrupted on the way to the River Eden about a mile away.

With the photograph taken, we turn around and commence our return journey.

The flood defence works do not look out of place.

In the spring sunshine the new walls with their white stone caps do not seem out of place and could be said to improve the area.

A big flat wall is just asking for a boy to walk along ...

It is a well known fact that a wall, especially with a flat top, is a magnet for young boys and Charlie is not the exception.

He desperately wants to be lifted up and in the end dad gives in.  

Charlie becomes king of the castle, but is on a short lead so he doesn’t jump or fall off.

The return journey and the tyre factory is in the distance

We are now walking into the wind and the air takes on a new scent as we approach the Pirelli tyre factory in the distance.

You can faintly smell rubber in the air.

It is not a bad nasty smell, just unusual if you have not experienced it before.

We decide that we will take the path all the way home and avoid the river edge.

The path would be ideal for child buggies, bikes and possibly wheelchairs if you have someone to push or a motorised unit.   

These comments bring us on to the gates at either end of this path.  

What a gate. Now how do I get through here?

Our best description is that they were made by a former shipyard worker as they are the biggest gates we have ever seen.

A gap, just my size.

With narrow swing gates, gaps and wide gates they are a sight to behold.

Charlie eventually finds that he can fit through one gap but is not sure why a solid gate, possibly from a high security prison, is at one end.

If you are ever wanting to see an example of engineering by committee it has to be these structures.  They could however be art?  In which case marvelous, a good use of funds and what an expression of stability.

Our walk is almost at an end but not before dad bursts out laughing at the scene the other side of the wire fence, as we pass back alongside the print works.

Dad spotted this sign and had a laugh.

Until next time

Buster and Charlie.

Further information

You can download a guide to walking in this area produced by the East Cumbria Countryside Project