Summary & Summits

Walk Blog

So the day dawned when Grizzly and I would finally catch-up with Shaun and Tetley, on the Wainwright Outlying Fells challenge. These modest fells are close to Kendal, so we started the walk from Uncle Eric's house. He had planned the route and it was full of interest. Walking down the private road off Kendal Green, Dad told us that Alfred Wainwright had lived along here. It was then across pasture, to walk through the Hallgarth Estate, and on over open country passing close to Lane Foot (holiday cottages), to Hollins Lane, where it was left, to walk to the main A591. Along here we passed the impressive Tolson Hall, originally built in 1638 for Thomas Tolson a local tobacco merchant. The east and west wings were subsequently altered in later centuries. Some of the trees in the grounds were showing their autumn colours and looked beautiful. Once across the main road and the Crook Road, we entered the woods and climbed gently up and out, to a gate, then just a few yards to the huge cairn on Cunswick Scar. Sadly it was cloudy so the view to our beloved Lakeland Fells was obscured. Strolling south along the scar, we came to the Underbarrow Road. This crossed, it was just a short ascent to Scout Scar summit, marked by the "Mushroom". This is a stone cross shelter with a mushroom shaped roof. Inside all the fells that can be seen are shown round the rim. Almost without exception we had climbed them all, and we felt rather proud. Below was the beautiful and timeless Lyth Valley, a charming sight. Descended to a cross of paths, going left on a wide meandering track to a kissing gate on to the Old Racecourse. Although not used as such since the 19th century, the track was still clearly discernable. After some road walking, Uncle Eric then took us into Serpentine Woods. An enchanting place with a myriad of paths, wooden sculptures and relics from bygone days. None more so than the sturdy rectangular stone built block. Uncle Eric informed us that this was once the emplacement for Kendal's 1 o'clock gun. From 1873 until the 1930's it was fired to mark the normal dinner time for working men. It was fired by electricity through a telegraph wire from T & E Rhodes jewellers shop in Highgate (the main street). In fact the insulators for the telegraph wire can still be seen high up on the wall on the corner of Highgate and Finkle Street. Descending it was not very far now to Uncle Eric's, but not before we had crossed a path called 'The Tram'. There had once been a tramway here to bring stone from Kettlewell Quarry, which at the time was used to build much of the property in Kendal. It is a grey stone, giving Kendal its nickname as "The Old Grey Town". A fascinating walk. Now for us all, with the exception of out pal Little Eric, just Stainton Pike remains to be climbed, to complete the Outlying Fells.

Allen

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