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" The Pine and the Sheepfold " Date & start time: 15th April 2020. 3.45 pm start. Location of Start : By the red phone box, Loweswater, Cumbria, Uk. ( NY 143 211 ). Places visited : Foulsyke, The Lonesome Pine and the sheepfold. Walk details : 1.9 mls, 700 ft of ascent, 1 hour 5 mins. Highest point : Above the sheepfold, 1000ft - 307m. Walked with : Myself and the dogs, Dylan and Dougal. Weather : Sunshine and blue skies, slight haze and a slight breeze. |
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Three weeks of self-isolation completed, mostly sane and coping due to the fine weather. We've got the food cupboards sorted more or less, with a cash and carry collection from Caterite (they normally serve the pubs and restaurants) and a first time delivery from Sainsburys this week. Lorton Shop has been useful too for fresh milk, eggs and local veg. A big thank you also to Oakhurst Garden Centre who have re-opened on a delivery-only basis and supplied the compost for the greenhouse bed, some plants and extra seeds. Meanwhile back at home I've taken the chance to sweep out the shed and take out the saw bench to cut a few logs. [ If you haven't seen this type of saw horse before it is brilliant, as the chainsaw locks in place and then hinges to cut the logs No carrying the weight of the saw and no bending down to hold and cut logs.] Consequently, after chopping and stacking, we're ready for next winter and it is only April ! The only problem with sweeping out the shed is that you find tins of paint in lost corners, to remind you of jobs you've not yet done. The shed needed painting again as it hasn't been done for a few years . . . first to move all the items stacked around the outside.
What with the logs, the painting and the sunshine . . . I'm in need of a good cup of tea (again). The other job which fell into place whilst in the shed was checking the outside freezer for last year's garden produce, in order to make sure we finish it all before this year's fruit and veg come on-line. These are the freezer containers from the last few weeks to go into temporary storage. Hopefully they will be re-filled in the coming months. - - - o o o - - - On Wednesday afternoon I took Dylan and Dougal on a walk to the Lone Pine just visible above the woods in the left hand picture.
The large manhole cover in the field is where the Foulsyke supply pipe leaves the main Ennerdale Water Pipeline that flows through the valley. The hole in the turf . . . well they could have made a better job of the re-filling !
Above the wall is a very old artificial pond but the water has broken the retaining wall and nature has reclaimed the triangular pool. It features as a walled enclosure on the map but is not named. Only local word-of-mouth gives a clue to its use as a fish pond for the "Grand House". At the top of the next field, in front of that grand house, we reach the top road. Two cyclists stop during their local exercise regime to admire the view. A note on the chair says "By all means use the seat but it is not being cleaned by the owners, so be aware that others use it too" I talked to our neighbour over the wall when I went over to Looking Stead, my eye caught by their lovely Cherry Tree. With no local events at present, it is nice to stop and chat once in a while and keep in touch with neighbours. On the track around the back of Foulsyke and heading for the tree . . . I know there are lots of them, but I'm looking at the one up on the fell side. The southern end of the Low Fell ridge, the classic viewpoint up the Buttermere Valley is from the top. Walking up above Whinny Ridding Wood and we meet up with the ponies . . . or should I say they come over and met up with us. No polo sweets to give them this time, but for the first time ever one of them tries a dog-treat biscuit. It went down well enough that they had a second. Normally they are not fussed, but the dogs would have been had they known what I was giving away ! The classic Crummock Water and high fells view, as seen from above the woods.
That reminds me . . . Dougal lost that ball somewhere in the old winter bracken up here . . . we'll keep an eye out for it next time we're up.
This took me about half way up the fellside, to the old round sheepfold hidden on a slight bluff. The flat area on the steep-sided fell hardly shows from below and you have to know it is there before you can find the stone structure. Best viewed from a little further up still, where you get more of an idea of the perfectly round nature of the sheepfold. I retraced my steps to take a panoramic picture from inside the fold. Not sure it worked out too well as the wall has grassed over in places so the 360 degrees of stonework is not complete. Still the view is nice, give it a try . . . click here or on the photo above for that 360 degree annotated panorama.
We're 'out of the woods now' normally implying an easing of difficulties. Today it just means we're back into the warm sunshine.
Rose Cottage and the main Quarry field plantation at the end of our walk. - - - o o o - - -
Finally two from the garden . . . first another "visitor" or should I say "resident" of the flower bed, a delightful field mouse. Secondly in the same flower bed, some Muscari, commonly known as Grape Hyacinths. - - - o o o - - -
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Technical note: Pictures taken with either Ann's Panasonic Lumix TZ60, or my Panasonic Lumix Gx8 Camera. Resized in Photoshop, and built up on a Dreamweaver web builder. This site best viewed with . . . inspiration for new angles on old walks. Go to Top . . . © RmH . . . Email me here Previous walk - 13/14th April 2020 - The Boathouse and the Cutter A previous time up here - 2nd/6th June - Garden, The Howarths and Ling Fell Next walk - 18 - 19th April 2020 - Latterhead and Whinny Ridding
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