Allonby, Bothel and Gilcrux – what a day out.

Dad was on form as we set out on Saturday morning with our drinks bottles, flask and the new maps dad had bought earlier in the week.

Our expeditions now have a bit of structure with the arrival of the maps as a bit of planning can now take place.

Bothel was to be our starting point then, depending on the weather, Gilcrux and possibly ending up in Allonby via a few places on the way.

These were all places dad had not visited and so would be new sniffs for all of us.

Parity

First we needed to give the car a drink. So we pulled into the service station on the edge of the city and filled up.

Dad was surprised to notice that the price of diesel was the same as that for unleaded.

Usually there is a difference of quite a few pence, but not today.

As we drove out of the garage Mum and dad had a discussion as to when the price would hit £1.50 a litre. Dad thought around the end of September but mum speculated that maybe in the new year.

At this point we curled up in the back of the car whilst the conversation went into economics and deep things like inflationary pressure and interest rates.

Bothel

Thankfully our first destination was not too far from Carlisle and after parking the car near to the school we set off around the village.

Bothel is situated west of Carlisle just off the A595 at it’s junction to the A591 to Keswick.

It is perched on a hill with commanding views of the Solway and the across to the Scottish coastline.

We were not sure what we were expecting to find as we walked around the village but were pleasantly surprised. Everyone we met said hello, including the very nice post woman who was very busy in her red van.

The first unusual building we came upon was the former Methodist chapel.  It looks as if it has had the top sliced clean off leaving only the lower windows.

In the bottom right hand corner as you look at the building is an Ordnance Survey flush bracket. It has the waypoint designation 0205S.

According to the Bench Mark database this flush bracket was used during the Third geodetic levelling, England & Wales between 1950 and 1968.

It was included on the Cockermouth to Wetheral levelling line.

The surveyor’s description was NE face, N angle of chapel, SW side of road, Bothel.

Camouflage

Bothel is a maze of streets leading off a central arterial road. Half way up what you could call the main street we came upon this very badly camouflaged dustbin.

Interestingly in the picture the seat is more hidden than the bin.

The design was no doubt the result of many a parish council meeting or art grant.

At the top of the village our attention was drawn to this partly covered mural painted onto the side of a farm barn.  It must have taken hours to paint originally however it seems to have been partly painted over.

Mum and dad puzzled for a long time trying to work out what it was for and came to the conclusion that it was possibly an advert for a restaurant nearby.

Maybe it was painted by the phantom bin painter of Bothel?

Friends

Venturing up one of the side streets in our quest to find interesting things we came across this pair of cats enjoying the late morning sunshine.

They kept a close eye on us from their vantage point on the roof of this car.

These cats are very naughty sitting on the paintwork. We would not be allowed to do this.

Water or ducks

Our circular walk returned us to the main street once more but this time on the opposite side of the road.

Dad, ever the little boy, spotted one of those vehicle speed indicators strapped to a lamp post. He just could not stop himself running towards it to see if it would light up.

Faster and faster we ran and the display lit up 27mph. Wow we thought, Olympics here we come, just as a car past us from behind.

Nearby Charlie spotted, bobbing around in a quite large pond at the bottom of a garden, some ducks or was it the pond he was interested in.

He sat for a good few minutes trying to work out how they moved  and what made them woof in a very unusual manner until dad pulled on the lead and said we needed to move on to our next location.

Gilcrux

Heading away from the A595 and using the backroads we aim towards Gilcrux. Locally this place is pronounced GillCruise.

Parking the car just we head on foot away from the church along a wide open street with buildings set back from the road.

Just along from the entrance to The Beeches Caravan Park we notice an unusual covered structure surrounded by grass.

Three large stone slabs form a roof above Yarling Well.  The name of the well is written in ironwork on the front grill.

A circular plaque indicates that the water is not suitable for humans to drink. Frustratingly we can’t get out lickers through the grill.

Passing to the other end of the village, past the Masons Arms and some very friendly cows in a farm yard we spot another well on the left of the road.

Well, well, well

This well is called Chapel Well and features a trough that is ideal for us to take a drink out of. It is just the right height and the fast flowing cool water is great to refresh us.

It would seem as if Gilcrux must have been designed for us with all these water features. Mum and dad wondered what history these wells had and why they were so named.  Do you know?

Heading back towards the church and we spot a faded yellow sign which at first glance could have come straight out of a 1940’s film set.

Positioned next to an old farm building this is the Gilcrux recycling centre with the large plastic bins kept out of site.

Well done for mixing the old and the new.

Soggy paws

After a brief detour to take some snowdrop pictures for the photo database and a quick trip around the churchyard of St Mary’s Gilcrux Charlie’s ears prick up as he hears the sound of running water.

Just below us is yet another well. This one is called Hatching Well.

Like Yarling Well earlier this well is also surrounded by a fence however I can just get squeezed between the metal uprights and take a drink.

The good folk of Gilcrux have also provided a stone step for my rear paws to keep them out of the dirt.

Onwards

Consulting the map once more in the car and our next venue was going to be the seaside at Allonby.

We had been good boys on short leads for large parts of our walks today due to us being near to roads and people so dad thought we needed to stretch our legs.

Where better to do this than on the wide open space of the beach.

We have visited Allonby before but it was great to get back for some sea air.

After a small picnic of hot tomato soup and a roll, sat on a sand bank with the warm afternoon sun warming our backs, we ventured off down the coast.

Stones, shells, sand and warm sunshine make for a great walk as we paddled and ran around.

Allonby is great as we can get very sandy and a little damp as we leave the car behind. Our return journey can be on the grass or paths further inland allowing us to dry off and clean up.

By mid afternoon we were starting to slow down and we headed back to the car and the drive home.

Our heads were full of new sniffs and our muscles starting to ache a little as we settled down in the car for the journey home.

Until next time

Buster and Charlie

Carlisle Railway Station tv advert for Homebase

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

100w bulbs & Arthuret Church, Longtown

Longtown on the Scottish or English border, depending on your point of view, is one of those places where you normally just travel through on your way to somewhere else, unless you need 100w light bulbs that is.  More on the light bulb story later in our update.

Today however we stopped,  just outside of the town at St Michael’s and All Saints church, or Arthuret church as it is more commonly known.

Just  off the A7 around 15 minutes by car from Carlisle is the lovely church. It is the parish Church for the Longtown area and about half a mile from the town.

Cathedral

Parking the car in the large lay-by at the side of the road we crossed into the churchyard through a black squeaky metal gate.

Known as Arthuret church it is a gothic imposing building built in the early 1600’s. The tower was a later addition almost 100 years later.

Short leads were the order of the day as we kept to the paths and maintained good order as we made our way along the path that ran to the left of the church.

Alongside the path, to the left and stretched out in many long snake like rows, were hundreds of gravestones of all shapes, colours and age.

Dad commented that for a rural area the churchyard seemed tightly packed and unusual. It almost seemed as if it had cathedral status over the nearby land he said.

Excited to stretch our legs, we spotted a gate at the top end of the churchyard and we headed straight for it.

Oh Charlie

Mum and dad had trouble squeezing under the low branches overhanging the kissing gate and I found it a bit of a squeeze negotiating the swingy gate bit, but we soon got through.

We escaped the churchyard and exited onto the top of a steep slope. It was a good job it was dry and light otherwise we could have run straight ahead and tumbled down the hill.

Mum didn’t like this bit and held on to my lead very strongly. She needs to get a walking stick for dads adventures next time.

Whilst mum struggled to get her head in order, Charlie and dad turned right to see what they could see.

Following the narrow path they spotted a wooden seat overlooking the valley and the flat lands.

If they had gone off with a sandwich and a flask then we would not have seen them for days as they could contemplate the world from there.  Thankfully they returned after a few moments.

Turning right from the gate, Charlie started to pull on his lead.  This usually means one thing, water!

Charlie is something of a divining rod when it comes to water as he seems to be able to smell it or sense it in some way.

Roman Bath

Full length of his lead and straight down the stone steps, he hurtled pulling dad behind like an anchor loose in the sea he turned sharp left. The next thing you heard was a splash followed by, Oh Charlie.

This would be St Michael’s Well that he found as he paddled around in the icy cold water up to his tummy. On a warm day this could be an ideal Roman style bathing pool for pooches as the water and the layout were just in scale for us.

I could just imagine paddling in the pool looking out across the fields then sitting on the sun warmed stones to dry off.

Charlie, now soaking wet below his tummy, had sealed the next few hours of outdoor fun, as we would need him dry before returning to the car so dad decided we would walk in to Longtown.

Starting off down the hill, with the sound of hundreds of geese overhead, we walked in a zig zag pattern, ensuring between us every smell was accounted for.

Arriving on to a wide main street dad decided that we would take the left hand side of the road first then return down the other side later.

Dr Robert’s town

Houses, shops and the occasional side street or ally were passed, until we came upon quite a wide road with what looked like open space beyond.

On our way down the hill we passed a fading information panel explaining that this was Dr Robert’s Town. Seemingly Dr Robert Graham was the person who laid out the town with the wide streets and established the Graham Arms as a coaching inn.

At the bottom of the hill was a metal gate with a permissive path sign to one side. This was all we needed to know we were on another part of our grand day out.

Our path led alongside the River Esk and looking back towards the town we could see five arches of the road bridge over the fast flowing water.

Whilst doing some research after our walk it seems as if the River Esk is the only river in Scotland where you apply to the English Environment Agency for some fishing licences.

Our path was firm underfoot and ideal for a damp day when mum likes to keep us reasonably clean.

After a short while we passed a small United Utilities compound  then a little further we came upon a bend in the river and a few water ponds to our left.  You can see them here on the map.

Maybe these were fish ponds in the old days or maybe the remains of a quarry dad was unsure.

Cider

By now we were getting a little cool with walking in to the icy breeze so we decided to turn around and head back towards the town.

Flashing in the sunlight at the edge of the path we noticed that almost at regular intervals were discarded drinks cans. This spoiled the walk a little but interestingly they all seemed to be a popular cider brand.

Mum and dad wondered if a lorry had fallen off the bridge filled with cases of cider or maybe it was the cheapest brand on the shelves in the local store.  This became the topic of conversation for quite a few minutes.

Arriving back into the town we crossed over the high street just before the bridge and started on our way back towards the car.

Fish and Chips

Frozen paws and rumbling tummies were soon forgotten as the local chip shop, The Border Cod, came into view on the other side of the road.

Mum was quickly dispatched with some money to get a single portion of fish and chips for us to share four ways.

Somehow food eaten outdoors seems to taste really good and these were no exception to that rule, as we sat on a bench and tucked in.

100w light bulbs

Right back at the start of this update we promised to reveal the story of the light bulbs, well this is it.

Half way down the High Street in Longtown is the John Graham hardware store.

Written in big letters on boards outside the shop this morning are a number of notices advertising 100w light bulbs.

These kinds of lamp are being banned by the EU for not being energy efficient however many people are still wanting to use them. The BBC reports that many people are hoarding the lamps.

So if you want to get your hands on some old technology then Longtown is the place to visit it seems.

Until next time

Buster and Charlie.

Flood signs in Carlisle

Over the past few weeks we have become aware of a few new signs appearing on our walks.

Made in the form of ceramic tiles the small graphical artworks depict a local landmark or the extent of the Carlisle floods in 2005.

Interestingly the tiles seem to be embedded into the new flood defences.

Searching the web we are unable to find out if others exist or if maybe if they are part of a new trail around Carlisle.

The Civic centre tile is to be found on the new subway entrance from Victoria Park.

A red sign with the River Eden in blue is stuck to the flood defences to the rear of The Sands centre just off Hardwick Circus.

Other news

Things are starting to settle down after all the frost and snow over Christmas.

Local fields and the pavements are all clear of the ice and the damp wet normal weather has returned.  We much preferred the ice,  as everything looked brighter and we did not get as dirty.

The grown ups have been busy doing computer web stuff like mad since the holidays. Mum says it is like the modern proddy rug, where you gather all the bits and pieces during the summer then sort it all out during the dark winter nights.

Twitter

Don’t forget you can follow us on Twitter. Our username is ablogfrommydog. Dad has put a blue follow us to the right of this page to help you.

A quick update as we are just going to get a bath then settle down to watch some wildlife tv. Well it is Saturday night.

Untill next time

Buster and Charlie

Frosty start in Carlisle, -5 deg C overnight

Bright sunshine and with mum and dad on holiday once more we escaped the confines of the house and out for a walk.

First thing on our list was to check to see if our puddle, the one we spotted the other day, had frozen.

Despite the temperatures overnight dropping to at at least -5deg centigrade the puddle still remained unfrozen.

Mum and dad now wondered what was keeping the water from freezing over.

Maybe it was being fed from an underground hot spring left undiscovered by the Romans when they left the area a few thousand years ago.

It is thought that the nearest bath house to us is to be found on the site currently occupied by the Market Hall in the centre of the City so quite a few miles away from our location.

Overhead

Today has been a busy day for the air ambulances in the area.

Whilst we were out on our walk a green and white helicopter flew over us quite low as he went in to land at the nearby hospital.

As we type this blog update we can hear again the sound of whirling rotor blades as for about the fourth time today a helicopter is on route to the helipad at the Cumberland Infirmary.

Really winter

Everything is looking very festive and somehow just right for the season after the weeks of cold temperatures.

For many years our winters seem to have been only wet, damp and miserable however the cold, crisp days with the bright sunshine just seem to have lifted spirits.

It has been very unusual to have a white Christmas all through the holiday period.

We have been out far more in the last few weeks than at times during the summer.  Yes we get cold paws and Charlie gets a soggy tummy but we stay clean.

Peaking through undergrowth

Another thing we have noticed is that when it is cold the sniffs really do smell a whole lot better.

With temperatures dropping outside mum brought some of her plants indoors to escape the frost. In normal times they would be ok in the greenhouse but it anything below -4 dec C she says will freeze their roots and stems.

Suddenly the bathroom and the kitchen look like jungle film sets and at anytime you expect a Bear Grhyls or some other explorer or naturalist peaking through the undergrowth.

Bright yellow flowers surrounded one side of the field we went for a walk in today.  Despite the icy conditions and the recent snow falls the gorse still seems to be flowering.

Mum says this is unusual in the north of England however many reports suggest that gorse is now flowering all year around.

Against the white ground and bare branches of nearby trees the many bushes about 2m high really stood out and provided a happy sunny hedge.

Buster once again wore his blue jacket with the reflective stripes to help keep his hip warm.  He is not really a fan of it as it is a little bit ridged on his back and makes him feel a little awkward. The benefit comes when he gets home and doesn’t feel too clunky and sore.

I love my walks and am always keen to get onto the scent of a new animal.  Today, left in the snow were sets of four paw prints mum thought had been left by bunnies.

Now I don’t know what one of these critters looks like but they seem to have rounded rectangular paws and smell slightly of damp earth. I think they must be fluffy like me.

Coloured snow

It is hard work being out in front on walks and looking after Buster. Sometimes I just take a break and sitting or lying on the snow just take a moment to look around.

Did you know you can eat snow? Mum picked some of the white stuff in her hand and like magic it turned to licky water,  what a great trick.

This got me wondering what would happen if I licked the snow up on my licker.

I have to say it was cold and it sort of crackled but it soon melted and I was sorted. Drinks whenever I needed,  for this walk anyway.

Just a note of caution at this point,  coloured snow is not good.  I need say no more. Yuck.

Husky

Towards the end of the big field we had to descend down quite a big hill. You can see a picture of it to the right of the page.  Next time it snows we know exactly where to come for some sledging. I can run in front with a harness on and pull Buster around just like a sled dog team.

On the subject of sled dogs the Siberian Husky Club of Great Britain have been holding a rally this weekend near Penrith.

Usually in the UK the sleds are equipped with wheels and are pulled by a team of dogs over forest tracks. Maybe this year the full experience may have been possible with the sleds running on the snow, as they would do in the frozen wildernesses of Siberia.

Picture

One of the unseen problems with this website is the number of blurred photographs my dad takes of us. This is not, usually, because he can’t take a good picture but because we do not stand or sit still for very long.

Very often dad will load the pictures on to the computer and all you will see across the screen is a black and white blur  or a shaky tan coloured splodge, sorry Buster.

So you can imagine his relief when he downloaded the above photograph from the camera.

Have a safe and peaceful 2010

Until next time

Charlie and Buster

Frosty Carlisle but no snow yet.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

100 posts and a walk in Carlisle

Celebrations are the order of the day as we clock up one hundred posts on this version of our blog.

Long term readers will know that actually the number of posts we have published is a lot higher than this but the clock was reset when we moved to this software called Wordpress.

Did you know you can follow us on Twitter?  Our username is ablogfrommydog

Looking back over the last 100 posts we have done quite an amazing amount of stuff and explored some fantastic places.

Today we have been on a walk taking full advantage of the overnight frosts hardening the ground and in turn making them un-muddy.

Our circular walk started at the Stoneyholme golf course car park just off Victoria Place in Carlisle. Here is a link for  Google maps.

Cranes

Leaving the car park and golf course buildings behind us we crossed over the bridge  and entered into Rickerby Park.

The River Eden was still flowing quite quickly and had the colour of whipped hot chocolate.

Two cranes dominate the skyline as they keep watch over the new Richard Rose Central Academy on Lismore Place.

Costing about £30m to build it is hoped the new school complex will be complete by  January 2011.

The cranes – a Potain and a Liebherr – were supplied by Kier Plant and are 34m and 24m high with a 55m radius.

Debris

Following the edge of the River Eden towards the town we pass this debris covered wire fence.

Many tonnes of grasses, twigs and litter have become lodged against one side of the wire.  It is not hard to work out that the river flows past this location from right to left.

Looking across the river and towards TheSands sports complex some damage looks to have been caused to these railings.

Ahead of us and balanced on one of the Eden Bridge supports is this very big log.

Maybe this former tree was carried down stream during the last flood and became stuck here.  Let’s see how long it lasts?

Restored

Our path now leaves the river edge and after climbing the bank we take a look at Eden Bridge Gardens.

You may remember that earlier this year a programme of restoration and renovation was undertaken on the gardens which are locally known as the Chinese Gardens.  You can find out more about the work done here over at heritageandhistory.com

We leave the park via the steps and exit onto Stanwix Bank crossing over the River Eden via Eden Bridge and onto the path by the side of The Sands.

Flood defences

A new sign has appeared around the town recently marking the 2005 floods in the city. Bright red with an outline of the River Eden in blue the sign simply says ‘Flood January 2005′.

Five years have almost past since the horrid floods of 2005 when all of this area was underwater. The new flood defences will hopefully make this a thing of the past.

Keeping The Sands  Centre to our right we make our way down a few steps and onto a path by the side of yet another golf course called The Swifts.

Golf

This facility  was one of the first official PGA Golf Starter Centre’s and features a tight par 3 course, 16 bay driving range, grass hitting area, practice bunker and a chipping facility. Whatever that means:-)

Hidden in debris on this side of the river dad notices this post marking the Eden Riverside trail.

Not exactly a modern sign, we wondered how long it had been in place and doing it’s duty.

Also lurking amongst the branches mum spotted this golf club.

Resting high up in a tree we puzzled for a while how it would become in such a position.

Given it would not float easily we concluded that it must have been placed here by a frustrated golfer who had lost his grip and thrown his golf stick high into the air.

Maybe it is waiting for next autumn to get down from the tree along with the elephants.

Four years

What a memory my dad has for images, maybe he is an elephant?

As we rounded a bend in the river dad spotted a row of bushes and commented that he had a photograph in the archive, which currently contains over 60,000 images, of when these bushes were planted.

Sure enough he was right and here is the proof.  Interestingly the image was taken almost exactly fours years ago to the date (27 Dec 2005).

The large image is from 2005 and the inset is now.

Kyack

Floating down the River Eden to our  left was this man in a kyack. Had he travelled far and what had he seen on his travels. Given the high water he possibly had travelled for many miles.

If you were this person then please get in touch so we can find out about your journey and what you had seen?

Our journey now ended where we began.  It had taken about an hour but had been great fun. Thankfully we would not need a bath as we had kept very clean if not a little damp from the damp grass.

Until next time and post 101

Buster and Charlie

Flood alerts in Cumbria

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

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.

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.

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.

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

Dalston walk – revisited

Rain continues to disrupt our walks on the fells or in potentially muddy places so earlier this week we re-visited a walk we did earlier in the year, March to be precise.

Our walk starts next to the print works in Cummersdale, between Carlisle and Dalston.

All seemed as it was when we last visited until we came to the area behind the Pirelli Tyre factory where it looked as if some workmen had been very busy.

Thousands of tree saplings had been planted in the field between the factory and the river.

Shielded in a white plastic tube, to stop them being munched by critters, the young trees formed a sort of artwork against the dark green grass.

We both looked at each other and decided it would be impossible to check every one of them out.

It must have taken a good few days to plant the trees. Mum wondered if they were to stabilise the flood plain and to drink up some of the water.

Information

Looking just like sticks, dad could not work out what kind of trees they are. We will have to come back in the summer to see if we can see any young leaves.

Following the path alongside the back of the cemetery and up the rise towards Denton Holme you can really see how much work has been done in this area for flood defences.

A new wildlife pond has been created at the edge of the stream known as Fairy Beck and a new interpretation panel has been installed.

This panel tells of the rich wildlife in the area, where all the seats are and details of a 3.7km circular walk.

Water

The full walk sounds like a good idea if it is dry for a few weeks.

Water is cascading down the weir after all the recent rain.  It looks quite a sight with the wall of water falling about a metre and it makes a bit of a noise.

When we visited back in March the water was clear and sparking white. Today, it was like the foam on top of a drink mum calls coffee.

All the flood defence workmen have left this area and it does look rather grand.

New boots

The bridge we saw in two parts now spans the river.  It even can handle our dads weight.

Painted in a green grey colour the metal construction is wide enough for bikes and walkers to cross in safety in to the Bousteads Grassing area of the city from Denton Holme.

That is about all for our update today as it is starting to rain once more.  Our return was a little bit quicker than our outward journey and we stayed reasonably clean.

Dad says he is going to buy some new trampling boots tomorrow so I think some long walks are on the cards to break them in.

Until next time

Buster and Charlie.

Remembrance and fireworks

After many nights of being scared by the bangs and pops of fireworks we ventured outside this afternoon for a walk to stretch our legs a bit.

With big grey clouds on the horizon, we took a short car journey towards the town and our usual walking venue of Bitts Park.

Last night the annual bonfire and fireworks event took place here.

Usually around 35,000 people attend the show which is listed as one of the top 10 bonfires in the UK by The Times newspaper in 2007.

Two thousand fireworks and a bonfire, made to look like a local landmark, all went up in flames and smoke.

Although the metal crown barriers have been removed you can see where they were as a clear green lines criss cross the field.

All the recent rain has made this area very muddy and at one stage it was thought that the event may need to be cancelled on safety grounds.

It is a shame that the park looks quite a mess today, especially if you are a visitor to the area.

Lets hope the council will be out early tomorrow picking up the litter and emptying the overflowing dustbins.

Falling leaves

Autumn has arrived and the leaves are falling from the trees quite quickly now.

Paths in nearby Victoria Park are covered with golden shapes and piles of leaves bursting with new sniffs.

With the low sunshine, trees take on a magical glow, as branches are highlighted against backgrounds hidden during the summer.

Some leaves are managing to hang on, but the first winter winds and the cooler evening temperatures will soon relieve them of their grip.

Also taking advantage in the calm dry break in the rain, were many other dogs taking their owners for a walk in the park this afternoon.

People were also playing tennis on the outdoor courts and inside the tennis air dome.

Roses in full bloom

Some of the leaves have gathered on the sides of paths around the park.  One or two of the larger piles attracted our attention as they did seem to smell a little different.

Maybe a hedgehog had tried to set up home at some stage, using the leaves as a sort of blanket to keep out the rain and cold evening air.

One of the more unusual sights on our walk was a red rose in full bloom.

A small bud also was visible on the same plant.

Mum wondered if the plants were as confused as we are with the changing temperatures.

Remembering our fallen

Today many of the humans have been remembering friends, colleagues and family members in annual Remembrance Day services.

We also took a moment to think of some of us who have been killed or injured serving our masters.

Dogs have been used for centuries to relay messages, in a search and rescue environment, mascots and to protect people and property.

When mum was watching the remembrance day parade in London, she said that this year was the first year in which one of the Military Dog handler’s sections had been represented.

Our own Victoria Cross

During the First World War we had our own school, the War Dog Training School,  where we were taught to leap wire fences and get through the lines.

It was important stuff and had serious consequences for a human if they hindered us with our progress.

In cases of exceptional courage, bravery and loyalty we may even be awarded, by the Mayor of London, the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross, The Dickin Medal.

Memorial

Throughout the world a number of memorials have been erected to those of us who have lost our lives in conflict or battle.

Here are a few that we are aware of.  Please let us know via the comments or the contact us form if you can add to this list.

USA

• March Field Air Museum – March Air Force Base, Riverside California – Further details >>
• Sacrifice Field in front of the National Infantry Museum, Fort Benning, Georgia - Further details >>
• The War Dog Memorial – University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine - Further details >>

UK

• War dog statue of the Mascot to the Free Norwegian Forces during World War II - Further details >>
• The Animals in War Memorial - Further details >>

Further information about our roles during warfare and conflict

• The Irish Wolfhound and a dog called Bally Shannon
• Dogs in Warfare – Wikipedia
• Dogs noted for courage, bravery or sterling duty – Wikipedia

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