Allen and Tetley were sitting quietly, reading a magazine, when their peace was shattered by Southey dashing into the room, calling out, "I have news about a walk."
"Now just get your breath back", said Allen, "then you can tell us."
Well his tale had to wait as being tea time, Shaun, Grizzly and Little Eric arrived with the cakes and flasks.
"Ooh tea", cried Allen, going to get the mugs and plates.
"I'll lend a paw pouring the tea", said Tetley.
"Thanks pal", replied Shaun.
"So what's the cake today?, asked Southey.
It's a scone day", replied Grizzly. Little Eric had made fruit scones, while I have done cherry and ginger."
"There's butter and raspberry jam too, of course", added Little Eric.
So all content, Tetley said, "now you can tell us the news, Southey."
"Dad has said we are walking on Sunday. Not wanting to have to drive too far, he has decided to repeat the walk from Ings taking in School Knott and Grandsire. For me it will be my first time doing this walk."
"And" interjected Allen, "you will bag three Wainwright Outliers. The two named summits and the unnamed one at 247m."
"Yes", agreed Southey. "Another reason why I am really looking forward to Sunday."
"If the day is clear we should get some fine views from School Knott of Windermere and the fells beyond", commented Shaun.
"Well here's to Sunday", cheered Little Eric, raising his mug.
We woke to find a the day dry, and with less wind than of late. It was to be quite sunny too, something that has not been the case lately. Almost a month of spring has passed, but it has really felt like winter.
"Dad will be going to Café Ambio", after the walk, so we had better pack a picnic, that we can have in the car once we get back", suggested Tetley.
"OK", replied Allen. "I'll give Grizzly and Little Eric a hand.
"Thanks pal", said Grizzly.
So with Dad ready we dashed out to the car, and then he pulled out of the drive.
It was quite and easy journey, Tetley commenting, "it is Easter next week. The roads will be very busy then."
Reaching Ings, Dad turned left into the large car park by Cafe Ambio. Soon ready, and us settled in the rucksack, we headed off.
Walking past the cafe we then took the narrow village road, past the church.
This lane crosses a bridge, over a stream that runs behind the houses.
Soon we turned left along the narrow road, passing through one of the gates across it.
"There aren't many gated roads left these days", said Allen. "Cattle grids have replaced the necessity for them."
Passing beneath the railway bridge, Shaun said, "if you take the grassy trod up the bank you can cut off a corner."
"Thanks", replied Dad.
An added advantage was seeing this pretty pool.
On the road again, Southey suddenly called out, look at that sheep with large upright horns. I have never seen anything like it before."
"It's a Jacob sheep", informed Shaun. (well he would know!)
And here in close-up.
A footpath was signed at the corner, but Shaun called out, "Dad has decided we will take the next, a bridleway."
"A few minutes later Southey called out, "there's the signpost."
The path meandered across the grassy pasture towards a gate into woodland.
It was pleasant strolling through the wood, if the path was a rather muddy. No problem to us being tucked in the rucksack.
Hearing a drill like noise, Allen said, "that's a woodpecker."
Leaving the woodland, shortly we came to Whasdyke Farm. Passed the house and joined the road only to leave is very soon where it turned sharp right.
"We go on ahead here across the pasture", instructed Shaun.
Ahead was Schoolknott Plantation, entry to it being shown below.
A lovely stroll through here, these bare silver birch trees making a nice picture against the sky.
Exited at the far side and kept onwards quite soon reaching a junction, with the path coming up from Windermere.
"We go left", said Shaun.
Now climbing it was not long before we had reached the rocky outcrops at School Knott summit.
"Wow", cried Southey. "What a superb view", as he looked down on the town of Windermere with its namesake lake beyond and the fells.
"Take some more please Dad, for the story", he implored.
Dad zoomed in, and Allen provided the description, "that is Bowfell, Esk Pike, Allen Crags with Lingmoor in front, then Pike o'Stickle, Harrison Stickle and Pavey Ark."
Then this of the Fairfield Horseshoe.
We all spent a little while longer taking in the fantastic views. Grizzly said, "it just goes to show that you do not need to be very high to get such views."
Southey then said, "we had better have our picture taken."
"Of course pal. We have to record you summiting this hill", confirmed Little Eric.
Getting settled, Dad shouldered the rucksack and headed down to School Knott Tarn.
Part way, Dad wanting to check we were all safely tucked in, he slipped the rucksack off, and in doing so dropped his map cover, that he had omitted to fasten to the clip.
None of us noticed, and it was only after we had crossed the head of the tarn, climbed the awkward stile and started across the lower slopes of Grandsire, that he realised what had occurred.
"Darn", said Dad. as he turned back to retrieve it.
"Oh dear", said Southey. "What a nuisance."
"Yes", agreed Dad, "but it will hopefully teach me a lesson. I am not attaching to the clip because I am only carrying the printed sheet of the walk rather than the full map. Still that is no excuse."
This retrieved, and over the slopes of Grandsire, it was straight on up the steepish slope to the stone wall being the 247m unnamed summit. Shaun said, "although it looks that there is higher ground over the wall at that rocky outcrop, which is on private land, the OS show the spot height by the wall on this side."
"Time for our picture again", cheered Southey.
"Right", said Shaun. "We go back down, then pick up a path right to Grandsire."
Just before taking this, Dad stopped to get this nice shot.
The path led through a gate and on up the ridge to drift finally a little left to the cairn at Grandsire summit.
"Yippee", cried Southey. "That's all three done", as he scrambled out with the rest of us for the obligatory picture.
By the wall behind we descended right to join the main path, and go left through Hag End and along the access to the road. "It's a good job the main gate is open, as it would be rather challenging getting through the gate presumably originally provided for pedestrians", remarked Tetley, with a laugh.
Turning left and through a gate across the road, Shaun called out, "we take that signed path left."
This led across grass to a stile over a fence into woodland. This was exited via a stone step stile to pass the house called Yews.
"It's across the access via those stiles", pointed Shaun.
Beyond the route was waymarked via two kissing gates and on to cross a wide plank bridge and so to the road, by a stream and trees.
Turning left the road was followed back to Ings and the car, with at one point this dramatic view of Red Screes.
"That was a super walk", said Southey. "Thanks Dad and pals for doing it again, so I could bag those summits."
"You're welcome pal", said Little Eric.
So we had our picnic in the car, while Dad went to Cafe Ambio. He had a Tuna Mayo sandwich with salad, then a cheese scone, all washed down with tea and extra hot water.
A grand day out.
