Allen trotted in the post in paw. "Your Cumbria magazine has arrived Southey and your Dalesman, Tetley."
"Thanks pal", they both replied.
"I can't wait to get reading it", went on Southey. "It was so good of you both to take out a subscription for me. All of you have made me most welcome joining the walking club."
Shaun, Grizzly and Little Eric arrived, carrying the flasks and cake tin.
"Ooh tea", called out Allen.
"Cake too", said Southey, as he went with Tetley to get the plates and mugs.
"I'll give you a helping paw with the tea", said Tetley on his return.
"Thanks pal", replied Shaun.
Meanwhile Grizzly had opened the cake tins. "I have made the orange and peach slice as it seems to have become a favourite. Little Eric meanwhile has done cherry and ginger scones and there is butter and strawberry jam."
"Super" said Tetley, as we all helped ourselves.
"Just scrumptious, Grizzly", said Southey.
Delicious scones too", added Shaun.
So all content, our thoughts inevitably turned to walking. "Dad's not at the shop this coming weekend", said Allen. "I have looked at the weather, and Saturday looks to be a bit unsettled in the morning but improving in the afternoon."
"So we have to decide where to go", mused Little Eric.
"I have and idea", replied Tetley. "Dad took us to Bowland Knotts, but since then our listing has lengthened and there is now Knotteranum to summit. It is part of the same ridge, but to the east of the road, so I thought it would be good to finally get this ridge completely out of the way. We can park at the top of the Keasden road, now that we know there is a parking area."
"Is that all on the day?", asked Southey.
"No pal, I then thought we could tick off Big Hill on Giggleswick Common." He then spread the map out, and said, "look I have devised a circular route. It starts at Giggleswick Station. I have looked at Google Earth, and it clearly shows there is a car park."
"Sounds a grand plan", said Grizzly. "You have saved the rest of us work, thanks pal."
Allen drained his mug, then checked the map again to be sure he had the details in his mind, before trotting off to ask Dad's opinion. "How is it that Allen always goes to ask Dad?", said Southey.
"Well it started when we were doing the Lake District, and some of our routes were pretty challenging", replied Tetley. "Allen is very persuasive, and without fail got Dad to agree. So it has just continued on and become a bit of a tradition."
Well it worked again, as he was soon back, saying, "Dad is happy with our suggestion. Particularly getting all of the Bowland Knotts ridge done for good and all."
"Yippee", cried Little Eric, "roll on Saturday"
The Walk
KNOTTERANUM & GREEN KNOTTS
The time of our departure was delayed as the forecast indicated an improvement in the weather in the afternoon. Now we know that many people criticise the Met Office for their forecasts, but generally we find them to be accurate, however that was not the case today.
Dad took the route as if he was going to Elaine's, but almost immediately on joining the A65, we went right on to the Keasden Road following its steady ascent to the summit at 1385ft. Onwards it goes to Slaidburn, and at one time we think the top was the boundary between Lancashire and Yorkshire.
Getting out Allen said, "brr it's chilly. Not like summer at all."
"Quite" agreed Shaun, "this is the summer that never was."
Dad was soon ready and we were thankful to get snuggled in the rucksack. "OK", said Shaun. "We cross the cattle grid then go left beside the wall."
Knotteranum was soon in sight, but Grizzly's eyes were drawn to a nearer hill to the right. He looked at the map and said, "that is marked as Green Knotts and has a spot height. I think we should consider including it as a another summit?"
"Yes lad, I agree", replied Dad. "We do not want to have to come here yet again. Sensibly it will be better if we climb it on the way back."
Allen pointed out, "there is a wall that bars our way to Knotteranum."
This soon came into view, Little Eric calling out, "no problem, there is a step stile."
To the stile the ground had been rough, pretty trackless and boggy, but now there was the makings of a thin path that drifted left and climbed to the ridge, then turning right along the promontory of the hill.
As we approached the end, Tetley remarked, "there is nothing to mark the summit, and here and that rise ahead look to be of about equal height."
"There is finally a definite path that leads to the farthest", pointed Grizzly.
"What we will do lads, is I will record the grid references and take your picture at each of the rises. Then, when we get home I will measure the map and see which the Ordnance Survey consider as the summit."
"Good idea, Dad", agreed Shaun.
The furthest proved to be at the spot height, and here we are posing there.
"Right lads, now for Green Knotts", said Dad, snapping this shot from Knotteranum.
Making our way down, Dad crossed the stile in the wall again. Then we made directly half left for Green Knotts, climbing to the rib, to follow left almost to its far end, rocky with boulders.
Eyeing them carefully, Southey said pointing with his paw, "that one looks to be the highest."
We were all in agreement, jumping out to settle for our picture.
"Great that's Bowland Knotts totally out of the way", cheered Allen.
Dad headed down and made a beeline across the rough terrain to the road, to then turn right up to the car. During this it drizzled a bit, Tetley saying, "the sky is black and looks full of rain."
We are pleased to say that Dad's timing was impeccable as just after we all got into the car it really poured down. We felt sorry for the gentleman we had met earlier at the car park, who had been dropped off by a friend. He was heading over to Burn Moor, and we could see it was raining in that direction.
"That's part one done, now for part two", said Southey excitedly.
BIG HILL ON GIGGLESWICK COMMON
Driving back, we soon dropped out of the rain. At the A65 it was right, for a few miles to the Settle by-pass.
About half way on this, Tetley called out, "there's the sign for Giggleswick Station."
There was no oncoming traffic so Dad swung right and up the access to the parking. Ours was the only car.
On the road side of the car park a path led right to a road junction. "We go right and under the bridge and the immediately left, on that signed path."
Over the step stile, the path was along by the wall, through a gate and over a step stile in the next wall and towards this old field barn. Littlebank Farm distantly across the fields was our destination for this part of the walk.
"Through the gateway by the barn?", queried Southey.
"No pal", replied Shaun. "We climb the stile on the right, then go left down by the wall."
After the next stile, the next two fields were crossed via a gate and finally to a gate into the farmyard.
Crossing the access road Dad climbed the step stile in the wall, to then cross slightly left to another stile in the wall on the far side. Here cows and heifers were grazing.
"Take a picture Dad", called out Allen.
"You're only saying that because they are not sheep", laughed Grizzly.
Taking a route to the left side of this boggy field, Dad avoided a large pool of water passing to its right, and so on to a gate.
"It's the path climbing right", advised Shaun.
A gate gave access onto a track. Looking about, Tetley said pointing, "now it is left towards that waymark."
"OK lad, but first I just want to walk up a bit to get a picture of that shapely tree. Just a shame it is cloudy, as picture would be better against a blue sky."
From this next waymark the way was down to a stile in a fence to the far side of the field taking the right of two new wooden gates into woodland. A indistinct path led half right up to a gated stile in the wall and into a huge open pasture.
As we crossed Southey said, "what are those pretty blue flowers called."
"Harebells", replied Little Eric.
At the far left corner we exited by a waymarked gate then crossing a grass bridge over a small stream, and a short way left to a wide track, where we were watched a bit warily by some sheep.
"I notice you didn't call out for a picture here", laughed Southey, with a mischievous look on this face.
"Hmph", Allen grunted. "There goes my hopes for a sheep picture free story."
Looking up from the map, Shaun said, "this track is called Swainstead Raike and we follow it left at the fork all the way to the road."
The road was narrow but traffic free, taking us past the farm called Lower Sheep Wash.
"That reminds me of the walk in Crummack Dale", remarked Tetley. "We crossed a stream by a stone bridge beside which was a pool that in times past, the farmers used to dam, for washing the sheep."
"So, by the name, that must have been the case here", replied Grizzly.
"There is a bend in the road soon, and just before our route is left on the track that goes past Upper Sheep Wash", advised Shaun. "So it would seem that the sheep wash was somewhere in between.
We followed access track faithfully, but in reality the right of way was soon right where the meadowsweet flowered in profusion...
...and led down to this narrowest of stone arched bridges, here viewed from the opposite side and just begged to be photographed. "Very suitable for us", commented Little Eric, "although by the looks of it, walkers just follow the access as we did."
"It spans the Rathmell Beck" advised Shaun.
"I wonder if that is the remains of a dam", mused Tetley, "and if so the pool behind the site of the sheep wash?"
On the track again, we passed the farm coming to a junction of tracks. "Where now, Shaun?", asked Little Eric.
"Not on any of the tracks, but sharp right through that gate", was his instruction.
At the end of the field, Dad climbed the step stile in the cross wall, to then walk up to Low Bank Farm. Here we crossed an access road and climbed the steps up the bank to a gate onto another track.
"It's left off this to that gap stile in the wall, over which we will be on Rathmell Common", called out Shaun.
So far the terrain had been fairly easy, but now all was long tussocky grass, bog, and bracken as tall as Dad! A hard trudge with no path and it started raining again, causing Dad to stop and put his coat back on.
"That must be Big Hill, ahead", remarked Grizzly.
"You are right", replied Shaun.
Trudging on Dad headed to this making the initial climb at the right, then turning left to head for the summit. This revealed itself at a brow being further on with a final steepish pull to the flat top.
After a bit of to-ing and froing, the consensus was that the second hump was the summit and undeterred by the rain, we quickly settled for our picture.
The descent was via our upward route, Shaun then advising, "we should keep more to the left and walk by the wall, which will lead us down to the road."
It was then right along the road, passing Sandford Farm and then Lower Wham, where this milk churn stood on the milking stand.
"We have seen countless milking stands at farm entrances over the years", said Allen. "In the days before milk was collected in tankers, this would have been a common sight, the full churns put out waiting to be collected.".
Shortly past here the plan was to leave the road and walk over the fields again. But time was getting on and Dad wanted to go to Elaine's for a snack, so we just opted to complete the walk by sticking to the traffic free road. It was pretty along here as can be seen in this shot of leafy Storth Gill Lane.
It stopped raining along here, so we all had dried out a bit by the time we were climbing the steps to the car park at Giggleswick Station about 16:00. By chance too, seeing one of the very few Sunday trains that was heading to our home town, Morecambe!
Feizor was not very far, so Dad was soon enjoying a large pot of tea and a delicious piece of chocolate caramel shortbread. He had a nice chat with Elaine who came and sat at the table, and also with Emma, Kelly and Sharon.
"That was a good day, despite the rain, "remarked Tetley.
