Month: October 2024
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Loch Druich: the Lull Before the Storm
Last night, we found ourselves upon the shores of Loch Druich, that serene lull before the delightful chaos of Storm Ashley. One could not help but note the poetic irony of fleeing eastward from natureās wrath, only to reflect on a past replete with violence. Loch Druich, naturally, is more than just a postcard. It…
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Dun Telve: An Ancient Scottish Broch
The Glenelg Brochs, so-called, are of course not actually in Glenelg at all. They are, if one insists on accuracy, in the smaller Gleann Beag, but such a trifling detail is likely of no interest to the modern tourist, who seeks spectacle over precision. Here, there are two of these ancient towers to be found,…
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Pikeawassa
The sun, in one of its rare moments, shines through a gap in the clouds, casting a spotlight upon the charmingly named Pikeawassa, a ridge of modest distinction dividing Martindale and Fusedaleāperhaps two of the quietest dales in the Lake District. What history led to this delightful collision of syllables? The etymology of āPikeawassaā is…
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The Bungalow
Another day, another fell. Todayās offering: Beda Fell overlooking Martindale, a place so tranquil one might almost forget the raucous spectacle of last night, when the local Red Deer stags continued to engage in their all-night rutting contests. Nature, it seems, never takes a night off. Now, let us move on to the red roofed…
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Angle Tarn
I shall be delightfully cut off from the modern world for several days, ensconced in some least known dale of the Lake District, where civilisation has yet to impose its trifles like electricity, mobile reception or wireless internet. A blissful retreat, I assure you. Now, having ascended to Angle Tarnāa really charming spotāI thought I…
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Bracken, Oaks, and their Folklore
Brackenāour most invasiveĀ ground cover, steadily browning itself to perfection. How marvellously it complements this oak woodland on Cockle Scar, on the west-facing slope of Roseberry. Who needs daffodils or bluebells when you can have a decaying fern carpeting your view? And did you know that bracken is charmingly referred to as the āoak fernā? Apparently,…
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Following the Green Dots: An Unclassified Road to Nowhere
Now that the summerās undergrowth is finally abating, I thought it an opportune moment to exercise a rarely-trod right of way past Ayton Bank Farm. One likes to ensure that these landowners are periodically reminded of the existence of such rights, lest they grow complacent. According to the 1:25,000 O.S. Map, the route is marked…
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Hasty Bank and an Old Gatepost
Whenever Iām Out & About, I rarely start out with any sort of plan. There might be a vague idea of a route, but more often than not, I just make it up as I go along. Some might call that reckless, others might deem it inconsiderate or just plain annoying, but I like to…
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A Monument to Ingenuity: The Story of Bransdale Mill
It is said that the waters of Hodge Beck have powered a water mill here in Bransdale since the 13th century. The current range of buildings, a veritable monument to early 19th-century ingenuity, was built in 1811 by William Strickland, a man with grand visions of increasing the millās capacity. To this end, he exuberantly…
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Kildale’s Wet Dig
And so the rains came to St. Hildaās chapel, bringing a somewhat damp close to the archaeological dig season in picturesque Kildale. What mysteries lie behind those enigmatic stone footings ā which bear more than a passing resemblance to a garden feature than to any sacred structure ā must now remain hidden for yet another…