Southey and Tetley trotted into the room, to find Allen with iPad in paw and a smile on his face.
"You're looking chipper, pal" said Southey.
"That's because there is a walk down for Wednesday with Uncle Eric, and according to the Met Office the weather looks to be fine. A mild day starting off cloudy then sunnier later."
"It's so good to be walking with Uncle Eric again. Covid certainly put a dampener on life and while Dad was able to get out and take us on walks, Uncle Eric had to be more careful", said Tetley.
Where are we going?", asked Southey. "Do we need to come up with and idea?"
Allen replied, "no pal. Uncle Eric said he would devise a route. Silverdale was mooted."
"Likely then on paths we have walked before", went on Tetley. "However it is such a lovely area, we never tire of repeating the routes."
"Well, I think tea and cake is in order to complete our looking forward to Wednesday", cheered Allen.
Tetley let out a bellow of laughter. "why am I not surprised, tea belly and cake stuffer."
"You are just like Dad", said Southey. "Mind you I love tea and cakes too, so I am your partner in crime as far as that is concerned."
As if by magic Allen's prayers were answered as Shaun arrived with the flasks and Grizzly and Little Eric brought the cake tins.
The mugs were soon filled, Shaun saying, "of course it is our Ramblears tea."
"I can tell", said Tetley taking a sniff, then downing a mouthful. "Delicious."
Little Eric meanwhile had the lids off the tins. "There are Chorley cakes with butter from Grizzly, and I have made chocolate coated flapjack."
"Ooh lovely", cheered Allen and Shaun taking one of each.
Southey then produced another tin. "I have made sultana scones, and there is butter and raspberry jam."
"Ahh", thanks pal", said Grizzly as he helped himself. "You are ace at scones."
Tetley updated Shaun, Grizzly and Little Eric concerning the walk.
Grizzly said, "Dad will be speaking to Uncle Eric tomorrow night, so we will find out more of the route then."
"Here's to a lovely time with Uncle Eric", cheered Little Eric, raising his mug in salute.
"Amen to that", we all replied.
The arrangement was to meet at Eaves Wood car park in Silverdale, at 09:30. Arriving about 10 minutes early and there was just two other cars parked.
Grizzly said, "in the summer this gets very busy, and we have seen cars having to park on the road."
Uncle Eric arrived and we called out ", good morning, nice to see you."
"And you lads" he called back.
Our pals Barnaby and Lee, always come along to day hello to Uncle Eric. This is because Barnaby went to work with Dad every day, and Dad worked with Uncle Eric for a number of years.
As they got ready a gentleman pulled in next to Uncle Eric, and they got into conversation.
He asked, "where are you walking."
So Uncle Eric outlined the route. "Through the woods to Elmslack then down to the Cove and to Silverdale and Woodwell then via Silverdale Green back to here."
The gentleman said, "that will be nice. I am a National Trust volunteer and a number of us are cutting back vegetation on paths today." He then said, "do I see Teddy Bears?"
"Yes", replied Dad. "I am a collector and this group go on all the walks and have done for years and some have climbed all the fells in the Lakes and Yorkshire and have explored the Howgills."
We think he liked the idea? He responded saying, "I have done the Wainwrights too."
The conversation over, Little Eric said, "come on pals let's get settled in the rucksack, as Dad is nearly ready."
As Tetley had surmised the route was to be on paths we had all walked before, and initially this was through the gate at the rear of the car park, Dad and Uncle Eric striding out along the wide track.
Soon we arrived at a t-junction with this three-armed signpost.
"Turn left", advised Shaun.
The wide path through glorious woodland was followed, ignoring paths off right signed to the Pepper Pot. "We visited that with you Uncle Eric", commented Allen.
"That's right", replied Uncle Eric.
Soon we passed three large concrete structures. Grizzly said, "they must have been for water catchment, like the one on the slopes of Summerhouse Hill. These are in much better condition. As the man who wrote the book on walks in this area intimated, water was a precious commodity, before the days of mains supply."
"It still is", replied Southey. "The reservoirs in the Lake District are very low for the time of year due to the long dry spell. We need rain and lots of it to fill them up for winter."
The leaf strewn path led on beside a tall wall to the left. Here Uncle Eric pauses to check his notes on the route.
"Those are last years leaves. There will be lots more soon, as autumn is coming", commented Shaun.
The track led to the narrow road at Elmslack, Shaun pointing, "our route is straight ahead through that narrow stile.
Our progress was temporarily stopped however by Little Eric calling out, "look a wall post box. Please take a picture for the story and my collection." Peering he then said, "it dates from the reign of King George VI."
Striding on the route now took us past large houses set up on the hillside with super views towards Silverdale, and along narrow walled paths to exit onto the road to Arnside, and follow it to a sharp right bend.
Uncle Eric said, "left here."
The narrow lane descended, soon bringing us to its end at the Cove.
"What a super view to Grange, shining in the sunlight", called out Southey.
"It is possible to walk on the beach, but it looks to be rather muddy from the recent tide", said Dad. "Probably better to take the cliff top path."
"I agree", replied Uncle Eric.
This led into fields. "That's a nice view to the imposing tower of Silverdale church. I know we have included this shot in other stories, but it is worth taking again today", said Grizzly.
Onward the path led via a stile and steps to Stankelt Road. Allen pointed, "look there's the Silverdale Hotel. This was where Dad had his so called Damascus moment." (NB: this picture was taken on another walk).
He went on, "on a visit when Dad first came to live here in 1981, he saw a teddy bear like Gladly. But he could not afford to buy him as money was very tight then. When he had saved up, he found to his dismay the bear had been sold. However a leaflet was provided and Dad was able to get one by mail order. This was our pal Gladly, who with Fred who came along 6 months later, are our joint chief hug bears."
In this picture, Gladly, on the right is seen with his brother Fred, on the occasion of Gladly's 40th birthday on 14th August 2021.
"Just think", said Tetley. "Had you not seen the bear at the Silverdale Hotel, you might not have started collecting, and we and all our pals may never have been adopted."
"Aye lad."
"And", said Shaun, "our club would never have been formed, and we would not have been on all those wonderful adventures."
At the road, Shaun said, "turn left and rounding the bend go ahead at the junction to then almost immediately go right on the narrow lane."
The lane was short, and soon we were on a delightful path through more glorious woodland, that eventually brought us to Woodwell where there is this fenced and overgrown pool.
"No water, due to the prolonged dry spell", commented Southey. "Mind you, I think it could do with clearing out."
Grizzly said, "the pool was originally fed by water filtering into that trough below the cliff. It catches the water filtering down and emerging from the roof. This was once the main water supply for the village and a drovers' watering spot."
We sat a while here, and Uncle Eric outlined our next walk from Milnthorpe. This would take in the section of track bed on the long closed Hincaster branch railway, that we had not walked.
"Ooh that sounds lovely. I can't wait", enthused Little Eric.
Starting off again, Uncle Eric said, "the route is left."
"We normally go right here", countered Shaun, "but let's see where the path left leads."
After about 50 yards it appeared to end, and looking up at the cliff, Allen said, "we have to climb the rocks to the top."
"I don't fancy that" replied Uncle Eric.
"We can avoid it by returning to the pool then taking the path below the cliff with the fields on the right", replied Shaun. "A short slope will bring us to the top by the road. Our route then is right along the top of the cliff."
As we walked along Tetley commented looking at the towering Woodwell Cliff to the left, "there are some huge limestone boulders."
The path along the top of the cliff is rough and rocky and with many tree roots, so we took our time for Uncle Eric's sake.
This exited into a large clearing the signpost directing us right then ahead to enter woodland again, to eventually be faced by this door into a house garden.
"We've passed here many times, and I have always wondered what the garden is like beyond it", mused Allen.
Here it is right through the gap stile, Uncle Eric striding the fenced path.
This soon became a wide track left leading to the road at Silverdale Green. Uncle Eric said, "we go right here."
"Yes" agreed Shaun, "then we want the second left, The Green."
Opposite Little Eric called out, "look there's Silverdale Green post box. This one is older dating from the reign of King George V."
Along The Green we strolled past the houses, one being the pretty Crinkle Cottage that dates from 1552, according to the stone over the door.
Later Grizzly looked it up and told us, "the building is possibly mid 16th century, although the date stone is not original. The cottage was sold in 1952 the new owners being told 'it's about 400 years old'. Accepting this they recorded it in the new date stone. According to Garnett in 1994 the building was previously called Cray Cottage."
"I like the design of the nameplate", pointed Little Eric.
At the end of the lane, we walked the narrow stiled path between gardens into a huge field. "We cross this to the far right corner", advised Shaun.
Looking distantly ahead, Dad pointed, "there's the Pepper Pot. In all the many times we have walked this route I have never noticed this before."
Grizzly reminded us, "it was built to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria."
There's signs of the autumn colours in some of the trees below", pointed Shaun.
As can be seen sheep were grazing here, and much to Allen's chagrin two posed for Dad.
"Hmph, there goes my sheep picture free story again."
At end of field, through one of the many kissing gates today, the path went right round the end of the wood to the road.
"Right here, then soon take the signed path left."
Tetley piped up, "Uncle Eric do you mind if we stop here to have our picture taken sitting on the wall. We have to appear at least once in every story."
"No problem. I'll just walk slowly on while your Dad takes it."
Before this Dad said, "we do not go through the gate into the field where the cows are, but climb the gap stile into the field on the right."
After the photo shoot, we caught Uncle Eric up, who said, "it is all one field."
"So it is", replied Dad.
We headed across keeping to the right of some trees to another kissing gate, and beyond up the next field to a kissing gate on to The Row.
Here, we walked left, Southey pointing, "there's that cow statue. We have seen that a few times."
The houses along here are all different and probably built at different times over the years.
"The Row leads to a junction where opposite is our start car park", said Shaun.
This was now completely full with cars on the road. "Probably many are associated with the National Trust volunteers, I guess", commented Grizzly.
"That was a lovely walk, Uncle Eric", said Allen. "We never tire of these paths."
"Glad you enjoyed it", he replied.
Here's to our walk with you next week", cheered Little Eric, "weather permitting."
