Northern Rambler

The Borrowdale valley is stunning. After coming off the A66 near Keswick, I journeyed south alongside Derwent Water before entering Borrowdale. The craggy wooded slopes of Grange appeared on my left and the bare crags of the High Spy ridge on the right. Between the high ground the river Derwent flows through flat pasturelands then between woodlands toward the Lake of the same name. The river is fed by several becks, some of which start in the Scafell range several miles south.  I had booked a pitch on Hollows Campsite, which is nestled below the crags of the High Spy ridge, less than a mile from Castle Crag, the smallest of the Wainwright fells. The cut off for pitching was 9pm. That'll be fine I thought. I even had plans of an early pitch before sauntering up Castle Crag on the evening. Things did not pan out that way. In fact, making it to the campsite in time was a little close for comfort.  I parked on the roadside in Stonethwaite opposite the school. My original plan was ...

This is the first post delving into some of the walking territory in Langho and Billington. This post will be a little brief. Earlier in the year, I went on a short bike ride over the old road that crosses Billington Moor, to get a good sense of the landscape and wider surroundings. There are some fine views on this stretch of road. The start of the ride was the most difficult. I started cycling up York Lane, which is a fairly steep road and I am ashamed to admit that I had to get off and push part way up. At the top of the road is the Lord Nelson pub, which sits at a four lane junction. I'd be heading back here on the route back for a swift pint and I'll say more about it then. Whalley "Old Road" passes the front of the pub and links Blackburn with Whalley. The name of the road is a bit of a misnomer though, for whilst it is older than Whalley Road, which is the main route through the village, the oldest road is the one immediately opposite the Lord Nelson, the ...

Silly me, I was supposed to post this last May as the second part of one of my camping expedition. The first day I camped in Ings and walked the Kentmere horseshoe. Early the following morning, I travelled to the Yorkshire Dales to complete the Three Peaks Challenge. Enjoy! ------------------------- I set my alarm for 6am. I had an early start. The Yorkshire Three Peaks is a 24 mile route taking in the three highest peaks in the Yorkshire Dales: Ingleborough, Pen-y-ghent, and Whernside, which is the highest. The Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge is to complete the route within 12 hours. That's the reason I needed the early start. Because following the completion of the walk I would still need to set up camp. The campsite I was staying at in Chapel-le-Dale required check in by 9pm. Assuming I was going to take up most of the 12 hours, I would need to have set off walking at least just before 9am. When it comes to the challenge itself, I was very intent on completing it within the 12 h...

This is going to be a series of posts in which I explore the walking routes, landscapes, and histories of the area around my home in Langho. Local history is fascinating. When visiting National Trust or English Heritage properties, the history is there in full view, laid out for all to see. But the stories of our local landscapes are often hidden to the untrained eye, and therein lies the intrigue. There may be mere clues - a scar on the landscape formed by past industry or slight remains of an ancient structure. Or often, there is nothing visible, but as is often the case, local history reveals itself in the place names of our maps, just waiting to be (re)told.  I remember several years ago when I first became interested in scouring over old maps of my hometown of Spennymoor. Old maps make for a fascinating read. I was searching around the location of Whitworth Park mine, the first major mine to open in Spennymoor. One would hardly know now that a mine existed here. The area now f...

I don't normally write a post about my plans for the year. But my highly unscientific theory is, if I write it, it must happen! Wishful thinking perhaps, but efficient hill-bagging requires planning. For the most part I will be discussing my plans for hikes, bike rides, camps and other outdoor exploits, because that is the bread and butter of this blog. But at the end, I will write down some of my other aims for the year.  Wainwright Bagging Last year, I bagged 24 Wainwrights, a paltry figure compared to the previous year, but an acceptable one, given that I was less narrowly focused on the Wainwrights last year. The previous year, I bagged 45. My current tally is 124, leaving 90 remaining. If I can put my head down and clock 45 a year, that will be the Wainwrights completed by the end of 2026. To be more efficient, I am currently plotting routes for the remaining Wainwrights. This isn't a straightforward business. In some cases, I have been able to devise routes covering a lar...

Welcome to the annual review! It has been a mixed bag this year. My Wainwright tally has been lower than the previous two years. This is in large part because I did not dedicate as much of my time to the Lakes this year; instead increasing my tally in the Peak District, the Yorkshire Dales and Wales. The theme of 2024 was the three peaks. In May, I completed the Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge. Then in August, I climbed Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon), the highest mountain in Wales which, having already ascended Scafell Pike and Ben Nevis, completed my aim of climbing the three national peaks. I have also probably climbed more hills than ever before this year, the total being 52. Though in part I think this is because I have been more meticulous in recording hills from lesser known classifications, such as Hewitts and Birketts. There were disappointments along the way. Most notably my 'grand' cycle tour which did not end up happening. But overall, it has been a great year for being outdoor...