NINE
STANDARDS RIGG, BROWNBER HEAD & TAILBRIDGE HILL on
NATEBY COMMON
Summary
Date - 31st March 2009
Distance - 11.5 miles
Map - OL19
Start point -
Road end above
Hartley (NY 799075)
Summits Achieved
Name
Height (ft)
Height (m)
Grid Ref
Nine Standards Rigg
2173
662
NY 8254 0611
Brownber Head
1959
600
NY 8441 0678
Tailbridge Hill on Nateby
Common
1795
547
NY 8030 0538
Preface
Uncle Bob had brought his caravan
over to Hawes for a few days. Yesterday, Dad and Uncle Brian had
met him and Aunt Ann in Settle before going on to Elaines
at Feizor for an excellent lunch. A nice time they all had too.
What pleased us though, was that
when Dad got home he said, "I have arranged for us to go for a walk with Uncle
Bob tomorrow"
"Where too?", asked Allen.
"Finally we are going to climb Nine Standards Rigg", he replied
"It is so called because of the nine large
cairns near its highest point", said Tetley. "We have long wanted to see them."
"As well the plan is to take in lonely Brownber Head, which will be a there and back spur, then circle round to Tailbridge Hill which is the highest point on Nateby Moor."
"Getting there will be great", cheered Grizzly. "It will be the last of the 75 Yorkshire Dales summits from the original list you found Dad."
"It is quite a way to the start, and it promises to be a long day, so we
had better get to bed early to make sure we are properly rested and ready
for the off in the morning", said Shaun.
"Roll on tomorrow is what I say", cheered Little Eric.
The Walk
We heard Dad slam the boot shut having loaded his gear.
"Come on pals", called out Grizzly, "time to get settled in the car."
As Dad drove off, Little Eric asked, "how to we get to the start?"
Shaun replied, "north on the on the M6 to junction 38 at Tebay, then along
that flat straight road that was once a railway line, before climbing up and
over to the nice town of Kirkby Stephen. There we take a narrow road through the hamlet of Hartley, on to its end where it becomes a rough track."
We arrived first and looked
around while we waited for Uncle Bob.
"It's very misty", commented Tetley. "Looks like we are going to be in the clouds as we make the ascent."
"Just have to hope it clears up and we get the views later", replied Allen.
Very soon Uncle Bob arrived and we called out a cheery, "good morning."
"Hi lads here's to a cracking walk together."
We snuggled in the rucksack and Shaun said, "we follow the continuing track."
In a short distance a gate was
reached and just beyond was this impressive seat with the legend
'Rest a while'. So they did!, Dad taking this super picture of Uncle Bob.
The seat is actually dedicated to
the memory of a Brian Saunders 1947 1999. "By normal standards he was quite young when he died", said Grizzly sadly.
So onwards on the track in the left of
the picture, we were soon enveloped in the low cloud. The track
climbed gently on to reach a clearly signed junction.
As you can see we were actually now
on part of the long distance Coast to Coast Walk. This starts at
St Bees Head in Cumbria and ends at Robin Hoods Bay in Yorkshire.
"That's our route", said Shaun. "The ascent takes us via Faraday Gill."
As we climbed up a number of cairns
marked the route. Here Uncle Bob checks the map by one of them.
A very boggy area was reached by a
stream. "Thank goodness there's a bridge", said Tetley.
"I see it comes with its own resident grouse", laughed Grizzly.
The path wound on climbing steadily
but not steeply, and suddenly the cairns came into view looming
out of the mist. Two small cairns either side of the path form a
gateway. "Ooh very mysterious they look too", said Allen.
"It's so disappointing that with then mist we are not able to fully appreciate them", moaned Little Eric. "Nor can you get a decent picture, Dad."
Shaun said, "we have to walk out to Brownber Head and then back here, so let's hope the cloud has lifted by then."
"Whatever let's have our picture sitting on what is probably the largest of the nine", suggested Allen.
As you can see this is in
remarkable condition, due to the fact that it and four others
were rebuilt in 2005. Dad has recently read a book about the
cairns, by Stephen Walker, in which he attempts to establish how
long they have been there. They are mentioned in documents dating
back a few centuries, but it is not known exactly when they were
first erected. Some of these documents are the result of what
were called "perambulations". This was when the agents
of landowners would ride around the boundaries of the
estates meeting with adjoining landowners agents. This
ensured that all knew the extent of their respective lands. Some
of the boundaries crossed "watersheds", that determined
where the water would flow into streams and eventually to form
rivers. In the ancient documents the phrase "As Heaven Water
Deals" was used instead of watershed. We think this is quite
a wonderful description.
That said, we'd better get back to
the adventure, but before settling in the rucksack, Dad kindly took this close-up of us sitting on the cairn.
"Is this the summit?", asked Little Eric.
"No pal", replied Tetley, "we need to take the path south to get to the trig point."
First, however we passed the viewpoint
erected by the Kirkby Stephen Fell Search Team. "Just a shame we
can't see the view", huffed Allen.
Then in short order we came to the summit trig point. "Come on lads", called out Grizzly, "time for our picture to mark the achievement."
"So to Brownber Head now", announced Shaun. "Access
to this 'top' is a long way in any direction but this
is about the best way to approach."
The route is totally
trackless and it was made more difficult by the mist as we could
not see our objective.
"Just as well you and Uncle Bob have your new GPS devices to guide us Dad", commented Tetley.
Setting off we headed for a
particular feature on the ground ahead. There Little Eric said, "do we keep on in the same
direction?"
"No" replied Uncle Bob, "we must swing left."
Just
shows how disorienting it can be in the mist
A number of peat hags had to
be crossed, but Dad and Uncle Bob are experts at this, such are
the number they have had to surmount in the past.
"There's the sheepfold
that is marked on the map", pointed Shaun. "We are about halfway."
"I can see that the land rises ahead towards the summit", called out Allen.
So a steady trudge soon brought us there. Like some other of the Yorkshire fells we have climbed, it is flat and featureless.
Uncle Bob had his GPS in hand and soon homed in on the the spot height position as marked on the map.
"Well", said Grizzly, "definitely not
a summit we will want to return too."
This however was not to be the case,
as we have a very strange story to relate. As well as the flag you
should note that behind us is Dads stick well planted into
the ground.
"Let's have a snack before we head back", suggested Uncle Bob.
"Ooh yes, cheered Allen, rubbing his tummy. "I'm hungry."
"No surprise there", laughed Tetley. "But, it will be nice to have some sandwiches and cake with warming tea, to set us up for the rest of the walk."
Dad also phoned Uncle Brian to see if he was OK.
Lunch over we jumped into the
rucksack and set off to retrace our route. After about 200 yards Dad
suddenly realised he had forgotten his stick.
"Oh Dad!", exclaimed Allen. "Sometimes I think you would forget your head if it were not attached to your
neck!"
"I know", agreed Dad. "Sorry lads."
Then to Uncle Bob he said, "I'll meet you at the sheepfold", as
he turned to return to the summit.
The mist had closed in again and Dad
actually walked past, but the GPS guided him to the exact spot.
"I know were are here because there's that tiny pool of water just in front of where we sat", pointed Little Eric."
To everyones surprise
though there was no stick, and despite casting about a bit we could not locate it. There were no other people around; in fact we were to see no
other walkers at all today.
"What a mystery", said Tetley. "How I wish our Hug detective Padlock Homes was with us to solve it."
"Yes", agreed Grizzly, "but I know he is busy with Ruskin on another case."
"Never mind, it's only a stick. I'm not going to waste any more time. It will not be that much money to replace it, and in these
tough times I'll be helping the economy", stated Dad as he strode off to meet Uncle Bob.
"I can't find it Bob", said Dad.
"It must be somewhere, I just can't believe it has disappeared We must go back had look again."
"No Bob, I can buy a new one. It will not cost that much."
Despite this, he said "I insist."
So back we went across the rough ground for our third visit to the summit! The end result however was still the same, and
so the 'Legend of the Phantom Stick Stealer of Brownber Head'
was born.
When we got home and Dad related this to Uncle Brian, he laughed saying, "I reckon it was a three legged sheep who stole it for a crutch."
The only upside was that it gave
time for the weather to improve, and enable us to see the Nine Standards in all their glory.
"Wow", breathed Little Eric. "What a magnificent sight."
"Just Tailbridge Hill to go" cheered Allen.
"We need to head down roughly south south west", called out Shaun.
This was a was a long descent,
passing by the remains of a building above Rollinson Gill.
"Head on down to the gill", said Shaun. "Then we cross close
to the head of Dukerdale, and rounding that wall to head up to Tailbridge Hill."
A large cairn sits at the summit, marking the highest point on Nateby Common.
"Come on pals, picture time again", called out Tetley
Shaun called out, "ride up on my back Little Eric, we don't want you slipping down a crack."
Grizzly said, "time you appeared Dad."
So here he is striking a good pose by the cairn.
Photo
Bob Woolley (Uncle Bob)
"It's so good the weather has really cleared up", said Allen. "The views from here are magnificent."
At the end of 2006 Uncle Bob and
Dad had decided to set a goal of climbing to all the summits in the
Yorkshire Dales. Dad found on the Internet a list of 75, and
today this summit was the last of these to be achieved.
"With the exception of our pal Little Eric, who was only born in 2008, we had achieved this milestone too. We felt
right proud! Of course other tops have been found and a full list
together with our progress can be found on the summits pages of
our website.
"We make the steep descent off the
fell to that wall to the right and then follow along by it to a gate", instructed Shaun.
Beyond a path was followed first up, and then down, to a house called
Ladthwaite. Before dropping down there was a fine view. The long straight green strip running left from the house is actually a runway for the landing and taking off of the owner's plane.
Joining the access to Ladthwaite after about half a mile or so we arrived at the cars.
Checking the GPS, Tetley commented, "we have been out just a little under 8 hours.
"Would have been at least and hour or so less if Dad hadn't lost his stick", said Grizzly pointedly.
"Sorry", said Dad again.
"It has been an interesting and not a little
mysterious walk", said Little Eric
"A grand day out", said Tetley.
It was 17.00 and Uncle Bob needed to head
straight back to Hawes, so there was no tea stop today! Dad
followed Uncle Bob to Kirkby Stephen and then headed to the M6
and home.
Thank you Dad and Uncle Bob for another great adventure.