Drumbrugh in north Cumbria was where we headed for our walk a few days ago and we were not disappointed.

What started off as a quick hour in the big world but it soon turned out to be almost a whole day as we followed our sniffers on a big circular route.

Buster eats some fresh grass found on a country lane

Positioned on the edge of the Solway Firth, right opposite Dumfries across the bay, Drumburgh is on the Hadrians Wall path. This meant our walk should be well sign posted and fairly easy to follow.

Our starting point was just outside the village, on a small piece of grass overlooking the bay. We have previously visited the area way back in 2010, so were keen to explore further.

Old railway

Our walk started off on familiar territory as we entered the village and turned left down the hill onto the old railway bed.

The wide gravel path is well drained however does offer the occasional puddle to ensure our walk starts off with a bit of splodging. Mum not amused.

Take care woolly monsters with young.

At then end of the mile long, almost straight path,  we avoid the nature reserve by turning right and along a farm like track.

One advantage of having hedges on both sides was that we were protected from the quite strong winds that were coming off the sea and so we stayed quite a bit warmer.

Our walk took us along some quite wide paths, with the occasional walker for company. For some reason they all seemed to be coming towards us and were eager to carry on. Maybe this was their first day on the Hadrians wall path and full of enthusiasm and energy.

Hedge laying

We wondered how they may feel in 4 or five days time when they get to the other end and Newcastle.

Hedge laying in progress

Scampering through large fields and through gates we stayed on our leads to avoid scaring any young lambs or wildlife.

We eventually stopped for a few minutes when we arrived in Glasson and spoke to a landowner who was installing and painting a fence.

Mum started the conversation with him by commenting on the smell of Creosote filling the air and that it took her back to childhood.

And that was it… the good old days…. Charlie and I just found some grass to chew and a cool place to take a rest. We may be here some time we thought.

Hens, cats, fences, pensions and the weather all discussed before we moved on, eventually.

At last some full on splodging

Nearby a farmer had been busy relaying about half a mile of natural hedge.

All the old twigs and hedge detritus had been cleared and the strong trunks split and placed horizontal to form the base of a new hedge.

To the beach

The path brought us out near  the entrance to Cottage and Glendale holiday Park and so close to the sea we could smell it.

Leads tight and sniffers in the air we followed our noses past the coconut smelling gorse in full flower and onto the beach.

A lookout tower and a buried archway

Mum did not even have time to take my coat off before we were up to our tummies in the cool water.

War and industrial past

Arriving on the beach was a great relief as it was easier to walk on than the hard gravel paths.  It was also cooler on our paws making the return journey back towards our starting point ideal.

A former wartime quadrant tower still remains perched high on the beach between Glasson and Drumbrugh.

It appears that this structure ties in with one further down the coast near to the Edward I Memorial.

Tree stump all weather beaten and very interesting

The arched brick and concrete structure has been a little harder to find out about. Could it have been a drainage point for nearby fields? How old is it and is it connected to the lookout tower?

If you can help then let us know via the comments area below.

Almost back to the start

Walk almost complete we just had time to take a close look at a large tree stump resting just above the high tide mark.

The bark had turned silver and was covered with great fissures and lines  casting shadows in the late afternoon sunshine.

Dad took quite a while photographing it and trying to get a fantastic image with his small camera.

Almost done, we finished off our fresh water bottle and headed back towards the car and the compulsory bath before resting and contemplating our day out.

Until next time

Buster and Charlie.

We have a new friend called Millie, she is an 11 week old English Cocker Spaniel and lives near our mum’s office in North Cumbria.

Millie has a little bit of white on her front, otherwise she is completely black and very beautiful.

Because she is so small we have not met her yet, but Charlie certainly checks out all the sniffs on mummy when she comes home from work.  It makes his tail wagg, so Millie must smell nice.

Apparently Millie has quite a thing about Weetabix at the moment and just like Charlie, likes sitting on her mum’s knee and having her chin tickled.

You can find more pictures of Millie on her owners Facebook page.

Recent heavy rain has started once again to do damage in North Cumbria.

As yet, it is nowhere near the dangerous conditions seen in some of our towns and villages almost a year ago.  However, like the economy for the two leggers, the foundations are starting to be eroded.

Autumn leaves in north Cumbria

With the sun shining we arrived for what dad hoped would be a dry walk along the paths at Dalston, near Carlisle.

We have visited this area on many occasions and, following the recent bad weather, it was thought that we would have a good clean walk on the proper path by the river.

Autumn in Dalston

After parking the car alongside the Nestle factory we walked down to the river pathway a few hundred metres away.

Looking back towards Dalston - the path is clearly crumbling near to the railway line

Turning right we headed behind the factory and towards Carlisle.

Willow trees, oaks and many other plants have now fully embraced the season and are displaying some fantastic coloured leaves.

Rustling in the slight breeze they made a lovely sound and the ideal accompaniment to the birdsong.

Leaving the industry and the town behind, the path curves towards the River Caldew and this is where we saw the first evidence of river damage.

Path damage near to railway

Sandwiched between the river and the railway line, our path had started to crumble away.

Dad took the photograph above looking back towards Dalston.  To the right is the railway line, just beyond the stone wall, and to the left is the river.

Flooded path stops our walk

Ripples in the surface of the path clearly indicate movement beneath.  The lack of banking on the river side is also an indication that all is not well.

We move quickly on for a few hundred meters until our path is blocked by some rather large puddles.

Flooded paths

It would seem as if this walk had now become a bit of a challenge.  Ahead lay a number of deep looking ponds and, although no problem for us would cause a problem for dad who was only wearing his normal shoes and not wellingtons.

For once, dad was unprepared and mum took full advantage.  You should have heard the taunts.

Buster and Charlie get a paddle in a big puddle

We now had a bit of a problem on how to proceed.  We could try and go around or we could return the way we arrived and have a much shortened walk. Or maybe we could take a third option that involved a bit of off road walking to our right and towards the river.

River Caldew erosion

Decision made, and we get a paddle as we go off-path towards the river.

Turning right we follow a narrow path and yet again we come across a puddle. This time Mum and dad can keep to a high bank and we get to cool our tummies in the cool water –  R-E-S-U-L-T.

The end of the path ...

Soggy wet and lickers full of water, we all rejoin the slightly muddy path after about 30m.

This is where mum and dad became aware of some rather large sploshing sounds coming from in front of us.  Initially they thought that it was birds or maybe a few stones being dropped into the river. However, as we rose up the river bank we were stopped in our tracks as the path had vanished.

The plopping sound was the river bank falling into the water and, if we had any doubt, another bit crumbled right in front of us.

Time to make yet another detour, this time through the long grass and away from the edge as far as possible.  The long grass was full of sticky burs (Goose grass)….Oh boy, is mum going to have fun getting these out!

Butcher in Dalston

We returned to the proper path and back in to Dalston all safe and well, but with big hungries in our tummies.  As it was Saturday all the shops are open in the village including the bakers and the butchers.

Our detective noses soon sought out the butchers, Carrock Meats, helped by the smell of cooking pies and assorted meats.  Mum was sent in for sausages or some smoky bacon.  Next to the bakers a few doors away, for some buns and a cake or two.

Carrier bags now full of goodies, it was off home for a well earned lunch……. and a bath:-(

Until next time

Charlie and Buster

UPDATE

We have just read that the White Bridge, just upstream from our walk today, has been closed due to a void appearing under the central support.

According to the Dalston website the repair may not be carried out until at least June of next year, 2011.

The website goes on to say that ‘ The pier has been undercut so badly that a 2 meter probe plus the diver’s arm were unable to detect the back of the void‘.

Barriers have been welded across the bridge to stop anyone crossing. Lets hope it does not collapse in the winter storms.

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

Bright and early this morning we went to Dalston, in North Cumbria,  to see how many scarecrows we could find.

Caldbeck in North Cumbria was our destination earlier this week as we once again went on our adventures.

This small village is situated midway between Carlisle and Keswick, around 12miles from each.

Caldbeck TV Masts

One claim to fame for this area is the erection of the new television transmitter mast on a nearby fell.

This mast is the third tallest structure in the UK and beams digital tv signals to the local area and southern Scotland.

The digital switchover is complete in North Cumbria, so if you are visiting in your caravan or motorhome you will need a set top box,  as no old fashioned analogue tv signals can be received.

Our walk.

We started our walk just a little way outside of the village as this allowed us a bit of a run before we needed short leads on the pavements.

As we entered the village with the TV masts behind us, we crossed the road and entered Caldbeck village car park, grid ref NY 319398.

Making sure we kept out of the way of any cars, we passed straight through and out the other end bearing off to our right. A slight climb, 30m,  and we came out by the village duck pond.

Path to The Howk, Caldbeck

We must have looked lost at this stage until Dad spotted a sign to our left on a tall gate, around 50m away across another quiet village road.

Passing between some lovely cottages made from former farm buildings, we pass through another gate and onto the path away from the village.

The path is firm, well drained and suitable for buggies and wheelchairs. It does have a slight incline so an assistant may be required.

The Howk, Caldbeck

After around 10 minutes we exited into a clearing with some tall buildings in front of us.

A notice board said we had come upon the Howk.

Situated in a limestone gorge, the only one in the Lake District, is the restored former wooden bobbin mill.

You can only imagine the noise in this enclave when the mill was in full production in the 19th Century.

Power for the mill came from a waterwheel said to be the largest in the country and second largest in the world, according to some reports,  at 3 feet wide, and a 42 feet diameter.

The Howk, Caldbeck

Water for the wheel came from the Whelpo Beck which becomes Cald Beck as it approaches the village.

Carved into a stone, on the big building infront of us was the date AD 1857.

Hardwood copiced from the nearby woodland, was stored in the tall open building to our right. After being de-barked the seasoned wood was turned into wooden bobbins in the main building ahead.

Bobbins were used to store wool, threads and other materials vital to the spinning and weaving industries.  Plastic has since replaced the wooden bobbin.

Charlie in long grass

Flax mills, woolen mills, corn mills  and papermills were among the many industries harnessing the local resources.

Rare lime loving plants can be found in the area including the Shield Fern.

We spot some cows in a field we wish to cross

Charlie found sniffs of many creatures passing through this area.

From above Mum could see the trails in the flattened tall grass however Charlie put his nose to the ground and had a field day.

The path led away behind the furthest buildings and after a steep climb, not suitable for buggies or wheelchairs,  we came upon these young cows.

They were very interested in us and came over to say hello.

Whelpo Beck, Caldbeck

Dad decided that we should not proceed into the field and we returned a little down the path to a small wooden bridge we had spotted earlier over Whelpo Beck.

Water was cascading down between the boulders very quickly.  We ran across the bridge so not to get too scared.

Steps led away from the ‘Fairy Bridge’ upto a field and we could once again have a good run around without mum and dad worrying.

Tiring work - all this adventure stuff ...

Following the path to our left we passed two wooden gates with brass signs on them which read Private, and came upon a kissing gate where we waited for the ‘olds’ to catch up..

Dad’s in built compass indicated we had come out on to a road above the village of Caldbeck, so we headed down the hill to see what else we could find.

Clogmakers in Caldbeck

After passing a field with geese and donkeys in, we spotted to our right a red sign hidden a little by a wall.

Joe Strong and Son, Traditional Clogmakers, Boot and Shoe repairs.

Sadly he was not open and according to the assorted notices on the door, well worth a read if you are passing, he could be in bed, fixing a drystone wall or just closed.

St Kentigern's Church, Caldbeck, Cumbria

In a shop below is a clock maker and repairer, opposite are the public toilets.

Our walk continued towards the village along the B5299, past the Oddfellows Arms and towards the church.

We both put our noses into the air as we could smell food as we passed through here but mum said we had to wait a little bit longer.

Keeping the local store to our left and the pub behind us we came to the edge of  St Kentigern’s churchyard.  A small tarmac path lead alongside the church wall which came out at a bridge.

St Kentigern's Well, Caldbeck, Cumbria

Here we hoped to get a paddle and a well earned drink but the access to the water was  a bit steep.

To our left and just below the pack horse bridge is St Kentigern’s well. St Kentegern was also  affectionately known as St Mungo. The well is referred to in some texts as St Mungo’s Well.

According to tradition it is here that Kentegern, baptized 6th Century converts in the river waters.

Priest Mill, Paddle

A path leads away from the bridge to our right, between the church wall and the river and comes out finally at a place where we can have a drink.

Behind us is the restored Priest’s Mill with assorted gift shops and The Watermill cafe.

The cafe has an open air area to the rear where we stopped and had shared a bite to eat with Mum and Dad.

Roughton Stone, St Kentigern's Churchyard, Caldbeck

Dogs are most welcome, so long as they behave and don’t leave a mess. Previous visitors have included Pepsi and Max

After lunch, a very nice ham and salad sandwich, we returned to the front of the church where we saw this unusual round stone propped up against another boulder.

To the left is a small silver painted sign saying that this is a memorial in tribute to the men and their families who lived and worked in the mines of Roughton Gill for 400 years and who now lay in the churchyard.

Gravestone of John Peel, St Kentigern's Churchyard, Caldbeck

The stone itself was used in the 19th century in its original circular form to process minerals from the mines.

It is well documented that Dad always seems to end up in a graveyard and this walk was no exception.

He had read that John Peel, the famous huntsman, not the radio DJ,  was buried nearby and wondered if he was remembered in the church somewhere.

We stayed with mum outside the church grounds whist dad went through the squeaky gates.

Left.. the mud, right.... The Howk

Sure enough, a white headstone to the left of the main church path, marked where he was buried.

We returned through the village to the car park where we started not before we investigated the path towards Sebergham.

Shall we say that it was very muddy and slippery and will have to wait for a bit of dry weather before we fully explore this area.

It did however result in us taking another paddle to get cleaned off before we got back in the car.

Until next time

Buster and Charlie

Our Saturday walk started at Lanercost Priory outside Brampton in North Cumbria.  From the car park we climbed the steps over the wall and into a field following the sign pointing to Burtholme.

Stile - not easy for dogs

With sheep in the field we stayed on our leads and started following the small yellow arrows nailed to fence posts.

Following the edge of the field and staying away from any livestock our path brought us to a double stile.  

As we have previously mentioned these are often hard for us to negotiate as we have to be lifted over.  Although in good condition the steps were narrow and the top fence bar had barbed wire attached to it.  Mum and dad were almost ready to turn around at this point to avoid us getting into difficulty.

Around 40 sheep were busy munching grass as we made our way along an imaginary path across the deep green coloured field .

A small stream to our left bubbled and gurgled over rocks and along the field edge.  Charlie wanted to go for a paddle but the water looked a bit cloudy and muddy.

Metal grill used to surround the tree

Half way across this field were the remnants of fallen giants.  Once encased in metal corsets two tree stumps were rotting a few meters from the waters edge.  

Sack wall

One of the trees had grown through the bars and before being cut down was seemingly trying to break free of it’s shackles.  

Just as we were about to leave the field, through a proper farm gate, dad noticed that the supporting wall of this bridge was unusual.

The far wall looks as if it has been made from cloth sacks filled with cement and then stacked to form a barrier.

We exited the field onto Burtholme Bridge.  An inscription in the middle of the right hand bridge wall indicates that the bridge was widened in 1937 by Cumberland County Council.

Turning left and past a busy collection of farm buildings we stayed on short leads along the narrow road until we came to a public footpath sign to Howgill.

I wonder which way?

Although indicating this was a proper pathway the conditions underfoot for the next 500m or so were quite bad.  The ground was pitted with holes and we kept loosing our footing as our paws slipped between the blades of grass and in to deep holes left by cattle in the previously wet mud.  

Mum also felt her ankles wobble on more than one occasion as she struggled with the conditions.

Impromptu artwork

A muddy narrow trackway led from this field into the next.  Our only indication of where to go was a yellow spray painted arrow on a tree.

 So up the hill we all climbed like the characters from the childrens tv series TeleTubbies.

Another stile awaited us at the top of the field along with a couple of kissing gates before we exited onto a road towards the small village of Walton.

Just before the climb up the hill to the village we followed a dirt path down to the free flowing water of the river known as King Water.

As we approached the river we passed between some rock sentinels.  Around 20 stone columns had been created around 12 ft apart and in a perfect straight line from the bridge to the far rivers edge.  Each column was around 2ft high and made from river stones place on top of each other.

Old bit of Hadrians Wall

Mum and dad stopped and looked at this impromptu simple artwork and wondered why it was here and who had created it.  We kept our distace and ensured we didn’t knock any of the stones over.

Rejoining the road and a little way further we detoured into a filed to our right where a English Heritage sign caught dads attention.  With the heading ‘Dovecote Bridge’ it seems as if this is the site of a part of Hadrians wall built from Cumbrian red standstone.

Finger Post

To preserve it, it is covered with earth, so all you can now see is a grass mound.

We arrive at Walton and after a quick look around the village, the churchyard  and the village green we start on our way back towards Lanercost.

Our journey back  follows the roads as mum thinks this will be quicker and a little better for our paws.

New lamb and Mum

Passing by fields filled with new lambs we also have an encounter with a tractor pulling a roller that makes the earth shake and mum spots a few interesting plants in the hedgerows.

As it is late, and mum wants to go to bed, we will keep these stories for another installment later in the week.

Until next time

Buster and Charlie