Threlkeld Camping Trip (Part 1)
Over the weekend, I went on a solo camping trip, staying at Low Hollows camp-site, about a mile to the east of Threlkeld. The site was much larger than I expected. It offers a great vantage point to admire Blencathra in all its glory. The site seemed packed with fellow north easterners. Unsurprising, perhaps, given its extremely close proximity to the A66.
This was a two day expedition. The main aim was to tick off the remaining members of the Skiddaw group. I did this on the second day and will discuss it more in part 2. On the first day, I made a couple of stops to tick off Wainwrights on route to the campsite. My first stop was the village of Hartsop. At the car park, I got talking to a geordie who was travelling in a campervan with his wife. He told me that he was on his third round of the Wainwrights and gave me some advice for the following day's walk when I planned to do the Skiddaw group. He asked me which fells I was doing today. I told him I was doing Hartsop Dodd and Caudale Moor. He was doing the same, but in reverse.
The walk up to Hartsop Dodd was very steep; in parts I was crawling up the grassy slope. As I got further up I saw that over the fence boundary there was a much more amenable path that would have made the ascent much easier. I joined the path and continued up to the summit of Hartsop Dodd. From here followed a fairly steady walk south up to the summit of Caudale Moor.
Before descending the mountain I passed a cairn with a christian cross sticking out of its crown (marked "monument" on the OS map). There are two plaques on the cairn, one of them now very weathered and virtually impossible to read. The other plaque, much more recent, contained the following words:
Also his son
William "Ion" Atkinson
Died 2nd April 1987
Aged 83 years
I made the obvious inference that the more weathered plaque, whose writing I could not decipher, must have been put up earlier in commemoration of William (Ion) Atkinson's father. Since returning from my expedition, I have done a little digging into this and here is what I have found (see the link at the end of this post for more information). William Atkinson's father was Mark Atkinson, the landlord of the (recently closed) Kirkstone Pass Inn, which is situated, as the name suggests, on the Kirkstone Pass road beneath Red Screes.
On Saturday 14th June 1930, Mark Atkinson abruptly passed away. In his will, he made instructions for his body to be cremated "and my ashes enclosed in a box and buried on the top of Caudale Moor, facing the Kirkstone Inn, and a cairn of stones and a cross erected at the place of burial."
His request was executed by a procession of those who knew Atkinson, including his son. The green Lakeland slate bearing Mark's epitaph reads:
Hic Jacet
Mark Atkinson
Of
Kirkstone Pass Inn
Died 14th June 1930
Aged 69 years
Mark's son, "Ion," followed in his father's footsteps, taking over the Kirkstone Inn and was well regarded in the local area, becoming, in 1933, the annual "Hunt Mayor" of Troutbeck. Among the various impacts his father's death had on him, it caused him to bring to an end a pass time of his which his father deemed to be dangerous. In Mark Atkinson's will, he writes of his "express wish that my son Ion shall desist from motorcycling." By all accounts Ion complied with this request. Isn't it interesting though, that almost a century onward, driving through the Kirkstone Pass I see a sign highlighting that over 50% of the accidents on these roads involves motorbikes.
******
Shortly after visiting the monument, I made my way down the fell following a footpath alongside Caudale Beck. I then walked along a wooded footpath alongside the main road, passing brothers water, to make my way back to the car. Next on the agenda was Gowbarrow. I managed to get parked on the roadside opposite one of the National Trust Car parks. The walk up Gowbarrow was quite steady and it didn't take particularly long. On route back I stopped at the village of Dockray for a pint.
I needed to check into the campsite by 5pm, so I decided to drive to Low Hollows to set up camp after which I intended to go back out and tick off another fell. Low Hallows is immediately off the A66 near Threlkeld. It is quite a large site and was very busy. Driving down the narrow road which bisects the site, I came to what presumably was an old barn but now being used for camping facilities. A man was standing outside, greeting incomers. "Did you book online?" he asked. "Yes." "Just drive to the bottom field and set up anywhere." No checking name, booking reference or anything. I could have probably gotten away with not booking at all and just showing up.
The big selling point of this site is its vantage point for admiring Blencathra. Its towering height and broad shoulders dominate all in its surroundings. In setting up camp, I positioned the porch of the tent to face toward this Lakeland favourite; a perfect view when enjoying my morning coffee.
After setting up camp it was getting a little late. I decided I had time for one more fell, but it needed to be a short one. Little Mell Fell was a perfect option. This small fell was only a 20 minute drive away. The fell is largely derided by Wainwright on account of it being out of character for the Lake District. I get what he means. The fell is solitary and lies at the north east edge of the lake district. It is a round, grassy dome with few, if any, distinguishing features. Its solitary nature makes it difficult to incorporate within a circular walk. On the other hand, its small stature allows you to get to the top quickly and with relative ease, ideal having already done a hard day's walking. It also offers a decent vantage point for admiring other fells and, to the east, offers views out to the north Pennines.
Upon returning to the campsite, I put my blow up matrass, pillow and sleeping bag in the tent, before leaving once again. This time, around a mile's walk from the campsite alongside the river Greta, before coming off and crossing the A66 and walking into Threlkeld. The walk was mostly quiet aside from when I passed an inebriated gentleman in the company of two women on the banks of the river. We begin chatting. Recognising my accent, he asks me where I am from. "Spenny (Spennymoor)" I reply. "Oh aye," he says, "we're from Seaham." Seaham being a coastal town near Sunderland at the mouth of the river wear, a river which winds alongside Spennymoor, which has featured in some of my walking posts. The man was pleasant enough but obviously very drunk and seemed a little volatile. He also gave the impression of someone who might turn a bit nasty after too many (but I may be wrong). So when he asked whether I wanted to join them "for a can" I declined, saying I was off for a pint in Threlkeld. This perked his interest. "There is a pub around here? How far away is it like?" The pub was just under a mile away, but I decided against telling the truth. "About three miles mate" I replied. "Oh, it is a bit far that like." I said my goodbyes and proceeded to follow the river.
Threlkeld is a popular destination for walkers, offering good routes up Blencathra. I wasn't here for walking though, but rather for the consumption of alcoholic beverages. Threlkeld has two pubs, the Horse and Farrier and the Salutation Inn. I went in both. The Horse and Farrier is by far the more popular. It has a better selection of ales and more in the way of food. But I enjoyed my pints in both of them. After a couple of ales, I made my way back to the campsite and to my tent.
Normally I like to sit back and watch a film before bed when I go camping. But this night I was tired and hit the hay early. I had a busy day to follow...
Further reading:
For more detailed information on the Mark Atkinson monument on Caudale, see this brilliant blog post by Lakeland Tales from which I learned about the history of this landmark: Lakeland Tales and Histories: Caudale Moor, Kirkstone Inn, and the Atkinson Monument. (scafellhike.blogspot.com)
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