Summary

Summits Achieved

Preface

As Shaun and Grizzly trotted into the room, they found Tetley, Southey and Little Eric, looking at the laptop screen.

"What are you on with?", asked Grizzly.

"We are reviewing the photos Dad took on the last walk to Clougha", replied Southey.

"They have turned out fine, so there is sure to be a story", added Tetley.

"Good", said Shaun. "It is just a case of Dad finding time to type it up. The fact that we are walking regularly, means Dad has less time for that, with all the other things on his plate."

"I know", agreed Little Eric. "We will just have to accept that the stories will get behind, but I would rather be out walking."

"It is a case of just having to be patient and I am sure that we will catch up eventually", went on Grizzly.

Looking up, Southey said, "tea! I'm...."

..."gasping for a cuppa", finished Tetley, letting out a bellow of laughter. "You sound just like Allen."

As Southey went to help Shaun fill the mugs, he said, "where is Allen? It is not like him to miss out on tea and cakes."

"I am sure he will be along, as he can smell tea a mile off", laughed Little Eric.

"What is the cake?", asked Tetley.

"I have made flapjack", said Grizzly, "and Little Eric has made mincemeat slice."

"Ooh yummy", cried Allen, as he came dashing into the room.

"See I told you so", said Little Eric.

So all content, with cake and steaming mugs, Allen explained. "I have come from Dad. You will remember that returning from Grit Fell, along the track, we could see the wind farm and behind Whit Fell. Dad indicated then that it would perhaps be our next walk, and indeed this is to be the case, this coming Friday."

"That's just great", cheered Tetley.

Allen then said, "as well Dad is taking us to climb Bowland Knotts, as we can park at the top of the Keasden Road, with only a short walk to the summit."

"Super", cried Little Eric.

"Whit Moor is just behind the wind farm above Caton, which we have climbed to a number of times before. So I suppose we will be repeating the walk from Bull Beck along the river to Claughton and up the hill from there?", suggested Tetley.

"Yes that is Dad's idea, but on the descent he plans to go via Anna's Ghyll Farm as a variation that we have not done before, which also cuts out the road walking through Brookhouse", replied Allen.

"Sounds just great and it will be two more Bowland summits done. Roll on Friday", cheered Shaun, raising his mug.

The Walk

RIVER LUNE, CLAUGHTON & WHIT MOOR

Friday dawned with cloudless skies, and it was to be mostly sunny, on what was perhaps the hottest day of the year so far.

The start point at the parking area by Bull Beck is less that a mile beyond the village of Caton in the Lune Valley. Dad soon got ready, and we were glad to get out of the car park, as due to the dry weather clouds of dust were disturbed every time a car drove in and out.

Crossing the road it was along part of the track of the long closed Lancaster Green Ayre to Wennington railway, now a cycleway and footpath, to exit on to the flood plain of the River Lune, following the waymarks close by the river.

"What a pretty sight those hawthorn trees make", remarked Grizzly.

Beyond a stile, Shaun advised, "we should make for that sturdy footbridge. It crosses the Westend Beck, according to the map."

Just on the far side was this lovely wildflower. "A nice picture to include in the story", said Southey

"Makes a change from sheep", went on Allen, who was keeping his paws crossed that Dad would not snap any such pictures today.

Referring later to our pals Bracken and Moss, they told us that it is Cuckoo Flower or Ladies Smock.

The path now came closer to the river bank and took us past a hut. "I wonder what that is about?", mused Southey.

As we passed, Grizzly said, "I reckon it is a lunch box for the angling association, as there is provision for the anglers to clip their rods into slots in that board."

Strolling on this view of a stretch of the River Lune had Dad getting the camera out again. "Beautiful", breathed Southey.

Crossing another stile the waymark directed us half right to a gate in the fence. Here the muddy ground had been reinforced using some discarded bricks from the nearly Claughton Manor Brick Works. During the recession the plant was moth-balled. Happily with the pick up in house building Hanson, the owners, reopened the plant in 2014 and was the first ever example of ‘de-mothballing’ a brick works.

Sheep were grazing in this next field and Allen's crossing of paws was in vain. "Humph", was all he said.

"We go to the top left, cross the footbridge and it is straight across the next field to the lane", instructed Shaun.

Turning right this took us past houses and to the main A683 road by the The Fenwick.

This had its spell of troubled times during the recession, opening and closing a couple of times, but now in happier economic times, seems to be doing fine in its present iteration as a steak and seafood pub.

Our route was now directly opposite, climbing the track. At a fork Shaun said, "we go right."

The lane now metalled climbed steadily to eventually pass the entrance to Claughton Hall, and in a series of bends then round the edge of the grounds.

At one point Little Eric called out, "I think the gorse will make a nice picture."

The clay for making the bricks is obtained from the nearby quarry being fed to the works below, by means of an aerial ropeway.

"I bet it would be fun to have a ride in one of the buckets", said Southey excitedly.

"Not a good idea, as you would all get rather mucky", replied Dad. "So it is perhaps as well that it is not operating today."

Rounding more bends the path climbed to pass Moorcock Hall, that has been under construction so some years, but now looks like it will finally soon be finished as a number of contractors were working on the interior. Opposite the field was occupied by cows, including this calf.

Looking down the hillside, Allen said, "the route of the ropeway can be seen and a number of the buckets. Beyond is the Lune Valley with distantly the faint outline of Middleton Fell, Barbon Fell and Gragareth almost lost in the haze."

Shortly a gate to the road was reached. "That will be our route for later", said Shaun, "but for now we go through this gate to the left."

The wide stony track climbed gently past the wind farm and on to a gate, where the track continued ahead.

"We have to strike roughly half left across the moor", instructed Shaun.

In 10 yards a grassy track went left parallel to the wall and coming soon to a fork. "We should take the right fork", said Shaun.

This climbed very gently and soon the trig point marking the summit of Whit Moor came into view, Dad taking this shot as we neared it. There are wide open views all round to Morecambe Bay, the Lakeland Fells and Yorkshire fells the prominent hill in the background of the picture being Ingleborough.

There was not much wind, so Southey called out, "come on pals let's sit on top for our picture."

In the haze, Ingleborough is directly behind us, with Pen-y-ghent on the right.

After taking in the magnificent views, we settled in Dad's rucksack once again, and retraced the route past the wind farm to the gate we had taken earlier. Turning left through the gate onto Quarry Road we followed this ever down, passing fields like this carpeted in buttercups.

Away down in the valley to our right, we could clearly see the villages of Brookhouse and Caton and more distantly Halton, backed by Morecambe Bay. The tall thin tower is the Kellet television transmitter mast, which we had passed closely by on a recent walk exploring some of the construction works for the long awaited Heysham to M6 link road.

"Do we go all the way to the end of this road?", queried Little Eric.

"Not today pal", replied Shaun. "We need to look for the access road to Annas Ghyll Farm, which is our route."

After a little while Allen called out, "here it is"

The stony track undulated to a cattle grid. Grizzly called out, "We do not cross but go left to that waymarked gate."

Through this it was immediately left through another gate, then right up the field by the wall.

Beyond a gap stile in the cross wall, Shaun said, "we keep on by the wall on the left and then keep ahead when this drops away."

This brought us by a wall on the right and so to a stepped gap stile, where beyond it was down the large pasture to a stile onto the road.

"It is left down hill towards Kirk Beck Bridge", advised Shaun. Then peering more closely at the map added, "just before the bridge we should go right by houses and then very shortly right on a footpath."

This path was very narrow between the houses that were fairly recently built, ending at a kissing gate into a large field. Across this we passed this redundant stile, which as we were not counting stiles today, we did not insist Dad climbed!

The path now bent left to a stile onto the main road, where it was just a short way left to the start.

BOWLAND KNOTTS from KEASDEN ROAD

To do this summit, it was necessary for Dad to drive to a new start point. This took us via Wray and along Mewith Lane, Bloe Beck Lane and Reeby's Lane its junction with the Keasden Road. Here turning right this was followed for about three miles. Not knowing if there was parking at the brow (which it turned out there was) he parked in a small pull in by and area marked as Mill Stone on the map.

Climbing the road, Tetley called out, "we can already see the trig point, something that does not happen very often at the start."

A track went right, a little way from the substantial wall to our left, on the far side of which was the summit. Rounding a small hill Allen called out, there is a ladderstile over the wall."

"OK", replied Dad, "we will go that way then."

A thin path dropped down to cross a broken wall and then led left towards the summit.

Soon there, Grizzly called out, "come on pals, let's get up on top for our picture."

As can be seen this commands a wide open view, including this towards another ladderstile.

We used this to cross the wall for our return route along a rough path to the road, thus making it a bit of a circular route. On the way we passed a lady and gentleman who were the only other walkers we had seen all day.

"I guess it is time for refreshments Dad", said Tetley.

"Sure is lad, and the nearest is by chance Elaine's at Feizor", replied Dad.

"Well I never", responded Allen.

We got to go in too of course. Dad had a piece of chocolate caramel shortbread and a delicious fruit scone with butter and jam and a pot of tea. It was quiet so he was able to have a nice chat to Elaine. Bay Radio had been to interview the staff, and in a week or so the tearooms will be featured every day for a week with one interview being broadcast each day. The presenter was amazed at the tearooms.

Elaine said she hoped that Dad and Uncle Brian have a nice time at Armathwaite Hall next week. Hannah Booth, Ariane and Hannah Renwick were serving and they made a fuss, especially Hannah Renwick who Dad had not seen for a while as she is at University now.

As we drove home Southey said on behalf of us all, "thanks Dad for another super day!"

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