North by North East

the view from roseberry topping

At the beginning of July I went north east for the second year running for a long weekend’s house party to celebrate a milestone birthday for my oldest friend and Uni roommate and her family (14 of us!) in a large house in Skinningrove, north of Whitby.

Skinningrove was part of large ironstone mining area and in fact where we stayed was the old power house for the mine. The mine entrance was just behind the house and is now closed, but the soil, rocks and riverbed in the village are a lovely rich terracotta colour as a result of all that ironstone There’s a lovely sandy beach which is huge when the tide is out and Skinningrove is also on the Cleveland Way, following the cliffs towards Saltburn one way and Staithes the other.

the beach at skinningrove

We did a lovely coastal cliff walk from Skinningrove to Saltburn and back which gave us fabulous sea views. Saltburn is a wonderful old fashioned Victorian seaside town which was bustling with holidaymakers on its immense sandy beach and in the sea. After a restorative cream tea, we headed back. It was very hot but cooler in the evenings so we had barbecues outside for every meal, enjoying a drink or two and the hot tub! ​

We took an early evening trip to Staithes, a pretty fishing village clustered around a busy harbour and spent a couple of hours watching the boats and the seabirds nesting on the cliffs. We also had a wander round Whitby which I've visited several times before, although I went up and into the Abbey this time and got a different perspective over the town and coast.

SALT BURN from the cleveland way

giant wind chime on the cliff just outside saltburn

just part of SALTbURN’S huge beach

pretty staithes

On my last full day there as some of the others were staying longer, we climbed Roseberry Topping near Great Ayton in fantastically warm weather, something I've wanted to do for a while and which was absolutely beautiful. A fairly stiff climb but straightforward and the views were superb.

It was a really enjoyable weekend in an area I’m really starting to fall in love with. A few days of laughter with good weather, good food and better friends.

roseberry topping

roseberry’s panoramic view

Favourite Fell Days: Fleetwith Pike, Haystacks, Brandreth and Grey Knotts

fabulous on HAYSTACKS summit

On a beautiful June day three years ago on Bro's birthday, we decided to tackle Fleetwith Pike, but then extended the walk to take in Haystacks, Brandreth and Grey Knotts to make a fantastic circular walk.

Parking in Keswick, we took the Honister Rambler up to Honister Slate Mine which is a great little bus ride with the added benefits of being able to enjoy the scenery and take the dog. The weather was as perfect as it could be; sharp, crystal clear light, a soft breeze but not too hot and being mid week, not that many people around either.

After a fortifying coffee and the best ever Rice Krispie cake from the mine's café, we set off up the track towards Bell Crags, then took our own slightly off piste route up and popped out above the old Hopper Quarry. A simple, undulating walk brought us to Fleetwith's summit and breathtaking it was too; surely one of the best views we'd seen so far on our walks. We stopped for a while just to drink it all in and took lots of photos, one of which ended up in Trail, The Great Outdoors, Trek & Mountain and Lakeland Walker magazines!

From Fleetwith, it was a fairly straightforward, though steep, descent down towards Dubs Quarry, across Warnscale Beck and then a good, rocky path on up to Haystacks. We had a lunch stop at Blackbeck Tarn, then took another slightly off piste round round Green Crag to avoid the sharp drops which weren’t appealing with a dog straining at the lead. From there it was a good, solid route up to Innominate Tarn where we paid our respects to Wainwright, then hot footed it up to the summit. And hot it certainly was, but there was lovely breeze on the top and the views were just amazing - right down the length of Buttermere and Crummock one way, then swinging round to Great and Green Gable behind with the Ennerdale Valley to the west.

Just beautiful

Fleetwith’s STUNNING summit views

After relaxing in the sun and something to eat and drink, we skirted Innominate Tarn and set off for Brandreth. At a stile in a fence, the path splits, high and low and of course we took the lower route which led away from Brandreth's summit. In our defence, we were distracted talking to a German chap who was walking the entire National Park from west to east and wasn’t too sure of his route.

When we realised we were slightly too far along the lower path, we checked the map and found we were in between Brandreth and Grey Knotts, so we took a direct route straight up and came out on the saddle between the two summits, looking from one to the other like demented tennis watchers.

Having been in this position several times before and ALWAYS making the wrong decision, experience has taught us to backtrack, so back we went to Brandreth, reasoning it would be a lot more effort to come all this way again and knowing that once you're actually on the path, it never seems that far and it wasn’t; really only about 15 minutes to reach the summit plateau, so we were quite pleased with our decision. We lingered a while, before setting off along the ridge back to the summit of Grey Knotts which was very simple and straightforward with fabulous views all around. It was then just a case of nipping back down the nose of Grey Knotts to the mine again.

innominate tarn on haystacks

wonderful views from haystacks on the way to brandreth

brandreth’s summit

A fabulous walk in perfect conditions with some of the best views yet. A great day.

Lake Como

In the travel industry, we have what are called educationals and familiarisation trips. These are essentially free trips provided by tour operators and/or tourist boards to enable you to see and experience the 'product' for yourself.

Educationals involve more looking round hotels and fam trips are slightly more the sort of thing you would do on your own holiday; so some hotel viewings and some sightseeing, to both long and short haul destinations. I have been lucky enough to have had at least one a year and have been to some amazing hotels I probably couldn't afford and even one or two places I might not have otherwise visited. Which is totally their point.

churches clinging to the shore

In the middle of May, I had a lovely three day fam trip to Lake Como. I absolutely love Italy and have been many times, but I'd never visited the Lakes area. My boss knows my love of lakes and mountains, so I was delighted.

Wow, is it spectacular. Ringed by mountains, fringed by sixteenth and seventeenth century villas (and yes, we did see George's!) with tiny villages, markets and churches. It sits almost on the border with Switzerland so you can see the snow capped Alps from Tremezzo. Staying in Como, we took a boat to Como Town, visited tiny villages with narrow alleyways and streets leading down to the water and called into cool, quiet churches perched on the hillsides and lakeshores. We took the ferry over to, and had lunch in, gorgeous Bellagio, famous for its silk and stylish people.​

Carrying on down the lakeshore, we came across the spot where Mussolini was shot, then drove up into the mountains following what was one of the stages of the Giro d'Italia. At the top of the mountain is a tiny church which is a mecca for professional and amateur cyclists as it’s a memorial to those who have lost their lives in cycling accidents. There’s also a large cycling museum nearby. We spend our last evening in Como learning how to make authentic pizzas in an outdoor pizza oven and enjoyed them with a glass of wine by the pool.

beautiful bellagio

the madonna del ghisallo church - a memorial to cyclists

Our last night was at the stately old lady of the lake, the Grand Hotel Tremezzo; a confection of a pile overlooking the lake and backed by pine wooded hills. It was real old school glamour; heavy brocades, deep red carpets, oil paintings and lots of gold. That evening we enjoyed a six course dinner, the highlight of which was the hotel's famous Saffron Risotto with real 18 carat gold which you eat with a gold spoon. Apparently only about 1400 people in the world have eaten it (it is that expensive) and I proudly have a certificate saying I was number 1399!

It's a lovely place for a weekend break. In a shade over two hours you can be at your hotel from leaving London. There is plenty of walking, hiking and rock climbing if you want to be active, but just sitting looking at the view with a delicious Italian coffee keeping an eye out for Mr Clooney is just as good!

looking down on the lake from the mountains

it is work, honest!

Delightful Discoveries

We've been tramping around the Lake District for well over a decade now and have happened upon some lovely areas that I'm sure we wouldn't have if we hadn't been climbing and walking in some of the more remote areas. I thought I'd share some, but keep them to yourself otherwise everyone'll be there!

Back o'Skidda

I'm sure those in the know will be fully aware of this area, but I think it's still fairly remote, a little off the well worn track, very lonely and utterly beautiful. We walked for 10 miles all over the fells there a couple of years back and didn't see a soul all day.

Uldale Common

Dock Tarn

We climbed very steeply up from Rosthwaite on our way to Great Crag and Grange Fell a few years ago and came across this tarn tucked away amongst the bracken. It's a stunning spot to have a lunch break out of the wind and everywhere you look there are amazing views. A little gem.

Dock Tarn

The view from Rough Crag, Devoke Water

Last year we did the round of the six Outlying Fells surrounding Devoke Water and what a belter of a day that was. Warm, sunny and still and only one other person in the distance all day. The views were breathtaking, the walking straightforward - a day that made you glad to be alive. I chose this one because it's just so darn pretty. Actually, the views from all six summits are stunning.

rough crag’s view - not rough at all

Apronful of Stones

This delightful area sits at the base of the sublime Carrock Fell in the northern fells. Coming down from the summit, this is a lovely, quiet, flat area, slightly reminiscent of the New Forest where we lay with our shoes off, eating rehydrated meatballs and spaghetti. What’s not to love?!

Apronful of Stones

Green Crag Plateau

I'm including this because it was unexpected, as well as beautiful, but it was essentially miles and miles of bog. What was unexpected was that you did a fairly lengthy and steep climb up from the Birker Road (we went to Great Worm Crag first of all) and it was almost as though you were in another, secret place altogether; one you couldn't see from the road and wouldn't know was there unless you climbed. We still had a fairly lengthy and energy sapping boggy climb up to Green Crag from there, but it shows there is another, high level Lake District waiting to be discovered.

views from green crag over the bog

The Stanah Gill pool

This is a lovely, tiny glade on the way up or down Sticks Pass from Legburthwaite. There is a tiny waterfall dropping into a lovely crystal clear pool which, on a hot day, is a welcome cooling off point after a long day on the Dodds - just the right size for a large dog or your bare feet.

lovely and cool on a hot day

Favourite Fell Days : Skiddaw, Skiddaw Little Man and Lonscale Fell

views over keswick on the climb up skiddaw

Continuing the next in the set of my favourite and most memorable mountain days, Skiddaw last October sticks in my mind. It wasn't the best weather wise but it was one of those days at the end of a week of high level walking where everything comes together and you feel great. No aches and pains, no tiredness, no effort to be honest; days when you feel you could go on for miles.

crepuscular rays over clough head

The day was misty, a bit murky and blowing a gale at the top. The clouds scudded over the landscape as we climbed, giving tantalising glimpses of the views, then hiding them again. After climbing Jenkin Hill, we reached the plateau that leads to the base of Little Man where it was very quiet, the wind had dropped and the mist had settled. On Little Man’s summit however, the wind hit again with some force; strong enough not to try and get the camera out, so we carried on towards Skiddaw which was completely hidden in cloud at that point but at least you couldn’t see how much you had to climb!

little man on little man

As we approached the final pull up to the summit, the mist lifted and we had amazing views down to Keswick and Bassenthwaite basking in the sun that was eluding us. On the summit plateau (which we had to ourselves at that point), the wind was so strong you had to brace against it, but it was exhilarating. At the trig point though, it really was strong and much colder, so we hunkered down in the shelter for some refreshment and were joined by a fell runner donning more clothing before racing off back to Little Man.

sumimt of skiddaw

the cloud lifting for views of bassenthwaite

back o’skidda

As we made our way back down, the summit became much busier, the sun came out and the wind weakened. We dropped down along the path on Skiddaw's eastern flank towards Lonscale Fell which was pretty flat and straightforward, with views to Blencathra and the Back o'Skiddaw accompanying us all the way.

Lonscale Fell is a fairly easy grassy up and back and, after a bite to eat, a bit of 'off roading' saw us back on the path down to the car again which we did at a jog - it only took 20 minutes or so from there and was good fun.

The best part of the day was the Bean on the Fells van serving hot chocolate with marshmallows, lovely home made cakes. free doggy treats and chatting with others about their day in the hills; the perfect end to a perfect day.

loving it

Conistonishing!

the coniston fells

We've just had a lovely week in the Lakes staying in Coniston village, which we haven't done before. Our four legged walking buddy hasn't been at full fitness recently, so we decided to tackle some Outlying Fells which tend to be shorter walks with less climbing, but have equally breathtaking views. We’ve climbed all of the 'big' ones in this area, so it was lovely to see some alternative views, especially on the eastern shore of the Lake, and we just love the whole Torver Common area, which is great for gentle walks and picnics.

We had a fantastic week and didn't move out of the Coniston area - which is lovely - at all. We had warm, sunny weather all week and the dog did really, really well. We ended the week climbing Walna Scar which, at 2000ft, is the highest Outlyer and afforded us some beautiful views.

I can highly recommend the gorgeous Black Bull’s fabulous roast beef on a Sunday. The Crown, the Yewdale and the Sun Inn all serve great food and are dog friendly. There’s a lovely new cafe called Herdwicks, which has amazing cakes and lots of Hardwick related products for sale, and size of the breads and pastries in the little bakery on Yewdale Road have to be seen to be believed!

admiring the views on the way to the top o’selside

tottlebank height

on the way to yew bank

yew bank’s summit looking to the coniston range

yew bank with black combe in the background

coppermine valley

high lite haw on coniston’s eastern shore

brock barrow’s summit looking down coniston water

walna scar’s fairly measly cairn with harter fell in the background looking like mount doom

It doesn’t have to be pointy to have a point...

common HAIRCap moss

I've read a couple of interesting articles this week; one from Stuart Maconie about the pleasures of walking in the Midlands, an area overlooked by many, and another about the joys of walking on the flat.

We can't all be lucky enough to live close to, or in, one of our stunning National Parks, and lots of us are a long way away from the coast, mountains, high hills or dales and, with work and family commitments, it isn't even always possible to get there on a regular basis; for some, it may just be a precious week or two a year.

However, for those of us who like to walk daily, we sometimes have to choose routes that are convenient and fit into our busy lives. Some people (and I know quite a few) don't actually want to walk up hills and down dales, some will only walk in good weather and some don't like to walk recreationally at all. Bro and I have a large dog who needs a lot of exercise and is walked twice a day. Every day. Even Christmas Day. In rain, sleet, wind, storms, mist, hail, snow, fog or shine.

naturally beautiful

this will all be bluebells soon

We don't unfortunately live that near to a National Park or the coast, but we do have the lovely Oxfordshire chalk landscape to walk in, but inevitably, we have to walk close or closer to home on occasion and these walks, frankly, are not always as inspiring as they might be.

Some routes, because of time constraints, we've done dozens of times in one form or another and we're going further and further afield to try and find new areas. So yesterday, I thought I'd take the camera and do a walk in an area we've been to many many times before and see what there is of interest by looking properly.

It was a flat walk of around four miles in Oxfordshire. To be honest, it did make the walk more interesting and made us pay more attention than usual to our surroundings. As the chap who wrote the article said, there doesn't have to be a panoramic vista, a trig point, a ridge to walk or a peak to bag; you can get as much pleasure walking on the flat, and I’d have to agree.

enticing valleys

great to see new, traditional hedging

home made mounting block

lovely rich soil, but how did that single tyre track get there….?

big skies

Lots is being written at the moment about walking and our mental health and the concerns over obesity, so wherever it is, whatever the weather, whatever you prefer, however long or short, the most important thing is to keep doing it!

Things that go bump in the night...

I love a spooky story. Those that know me know I love anything mysterious, weird, strange, odd or bizarre. So what can I dig out about the great outdoors? These are a few things I've come across recently and one or two I've known about for a while.

The Grey Man of Macdhui

For ages there has been talk of a presence on Ben Mcdhui, the highest mountain in the Cairngorms. There have been no actual sightings, but many reports of strange noises or people being aware of something; hearing footsteps, but much larger strides than their own or crunching behind them. Many theories exist, but perhaps one suggestion is that people are seeing Broken Spectres where, usually in the mist, you see your shadow against the cloud, surrounded by a rainbow but, as many people have experienced irrational and unexplained fear on Ben Macdhui, perhaps there really is something there on that wild and lonely mountain....

The Black Eyed Child of Cannock Chase

Cannock Chase in Staffordshire is an area of outstanding natural beauty, but it also has a slightly less attractive side. Reports of aliens, UFOs, strange lights and the Pigman but also the Black Eyed Child. Photographers and drone footage have captured what appears to be the spirit of a young girl with a pale face and very dark eyes. Stories of black eyed children have been around since the 1990s, many from America, but urban myth or truth, who knows?

The Hellfire Caves of West Wycombe

These man made caves and tunnels extend nearly half a mile into the chalk and flint around the village of West Wycombe in Buckinghamshire. They were dug in the 18th century for Sir Francis Dashwood who founded the Hellfire Club which held its meetings in the caves (the name actually came later - Sir Francis called the club the Brotherhood of St Francis of Wycombe, among others) and their use was most definitely pagan. Rumours of satanic practices, black magic and one unexplained death abounded at the time although no-one knows for sure what actually went on. The caves are said to be intensely paranormally active.

Schiehallion

Schiehallion is mountain in Perth and Kinross which has lots of myths and legends attached to it. It's situated almost smack bang in the centre of Scotland and translates as the Fairy Hill of the Caledonians but not the cutesy, bottom-of-the-garden variety; no, the aggressive type who drag intruders down to the underworld. It's also said to be home to Cailleach Bheur, the hag of winter who freezes everything and everyone who is unprepared. Interestingly, it was also the mountain used to calculate the weight of the Earth (or average density) and was apparently quite accurate (5.972 sextillion tons since you ask - a sextillion is 1000 trillion apparently) 

Black Shuck

Black Shuck, Old Shuck. Padfoot, Skriker, Old Scarfe or Old Shock is said to roam East Anglia; a phantom shaggy black dog the size of a labrador, calf, donkey or horse with red eyes, flaming eyes, green eyes or one eye, an omen of death or misfortune, a terrifying apparition or a benign presence guiding the lost home, depending on where you live. The best recorded story is that Black Schuck appeared in 1577 in a thunderstorm and burst into a church in Blythburgh in Suffolk, ran up the aisle, killed a man and a boy and made the steeple fall through the roof. He then ran out and disappeared, leaving claw marks on the door which can still be seen today. People in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex still claim to see Schuck to this day....

Howden Moor

In March 1997 a strange incident happened over Howden Moor in Northern Derbyshire. Two loud 'booms' were heard, then reports started coming in from people saying they had seen a low flying aircraft, smoke and an orangey yellow glow on the moors. Police in neighbouring South Yorkshire also received similar calls. Military and civilian airports were contacted, but no one had anything flying in that area at that time. The search and rescue services carried out a huge and thorough all night search of miles of moorland but no one found anything at all, and this was from well over a hundred people. The search was eventually called off and it was concluded that there hadn't been a crash. Over the following weeks, people speculated; a UFO being the most popular theory and there were eye witness accounts of strange lights and noises in the sky that night. It was also claimed that a UFO had been tracked on local radar, but no more information was given when pressed. The RAF confirmed they had not been flying that night and hadn't picked anything up on radar. However, no rational explanation has been given for the two sonic booms heard and the UFO theory remains...

Dale Head

My own slightly odd experience was on a beautiful sunny day in June on Dale Head. Blue skies, quiet, warm and not a breath of wind. We had been on Hindscarth and were making our way back up to Dale Head, when we stopped to admire the view down to the Honister Pass and Buttermere. I had taken a photo and Bro was having a drink and we were standing on a small lump of rock when we heard a noise like a rustling Tesco bag. We looked around us to find it, but then realised it seemed to be a wind, and it literally went right round us at about knee height in a circle, moving our trouser legs and the grass but nothing else, all the time rustling loudly and then it disappeared. Very strange.

Sleep tight.

Kites, combes and county tops

I’ve found a few minutes spare to type this blog. In the travel industry, January is our busiest time and it has been really, really manic, but in a good way. Feeling a bit like a wrung rag in the evenings hasn't left much time for anything else so firstly, Happy New Year. Secondly, what thoughts I have been able to muster have turned to holidays for the year, but as those are a little way off, walks closer to home have been on the agenda.

the oxfordshire plain from watlington hill

Here on the north Berkshire, south Oxfordshire border, the weather so far this month (bar a couple of days of unexpected snow) has been really quite good. As someone who used to dislike January and February, we've had a lot of beautiful crisp days with fantastic sun and deep blue skies more reminiscent of spring.

In the south, we don't have too much in the way of big hills; the nearest to us being the Chilterns. Over the decades, we have visited Watlington Hill countless times as it's pretty much the highest point nearest to us, and does have lovely views over the Oxfordshire Plain, some good walks and great places to sit and picnic.

It's an area of chalk downland with mixed woodland of broadleaf and unusually, yew, and is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest for, among other things, butterflies. It's a good place to fly kites or see kites - Red ones to be specific, and there are masses of them - I counted eight the other week. We have two pairs that nest next door but one to us, and once we counted twelve flying around overhead (someone must have put food out I suspect). They are such beautiful birds though, and I love the way they track the dog up and down the garden.

lovely weather for january

Thinking about the high points near us, Bro and I have an app that details various hill lists, and one of those is county tops. We thought we'd try and climb them in the area, and then as and when we travel around. Berkshire's was listed as the top of a road on a housing estate west of Reading, but then as Bowsey Hill, Ashley Hill and Walbury Hill, so we weren’t sure which one it really was. Googling Walbury Hill appeared to be the answer at a whopping 297m, and it has an Iron Age hill fort on the summit, although it’s all on private land, so you can’t actually get to the trig point. We’ve been up there several times and the views are beautiful though. We did 'climb' Bowsey and Ashley Hills (466 and 476ft), but gloss over that; we did.

My overriding memory of Walbury Hill is slipping and falling full length in the mud with Bro filming it and laughing until he saw my muddy bloody knee and at least had the grace to stop laughing, but not to A) help me up, B) give me one jot of sympathy or C) delete the film…

Walbury Hill leads on to Combe Gibbet where there is a replica of the gallows that was originally erected in 1676; a creepy place in the winter when you're the last up there, but beautiful in the summer with far reaching views views and a great starting point for some good walks.

Suffice to say, we haven't really made great headway into the county tops - I think we've done 12 out of 184 but, until we can get up north where it's considerably lumpier, Watlington Hill will do nicely.

more views and with added red kite

Vibrant, Venerable Venice

I hadn't been to Venice since I was seven when I can just about remember eating ice creams in St Mark's Square and a Gondola ride. I'd always wanted to visit again as an adult, but Bro didn't really want to go having been three times already, so he was on dog sitting duties while a friend and I had two nights away.

One of our lovely tour operators treated us to a suite upgrade complete with champagne on ice, at our hotel the lovely Londra Palace, two minutes from St Mark's Square. After an early flight, we had a very James Bond style private water taxi arrival (again, courtesy of said tour operator), dropped our bags off and spent the afternoon wandering all through the main and back streets, loving all the little artisan shops. That evening we enjoyed a complimentary three course dinner courtesy of the hotel this time, which was absolutely delicious.

The next day we took the hotel's courtesy water taxi to Murano to visit the glass factory and wandered the tiny streets browsing the glass shops (yes, I did buy a couple of pieces!) then it was on to Burano, famous for its lace and brightly coloured houses, where we enjoyed an al fresco lunch and a glass of chilled, crisp Italian wine.

That afternoon was spent in the Doge's Palace (we had free tickets as part of our little package) which was stunning, but I found the prison more interesting; crossing the Bridge of Sighs and roaming the dark, narrow passages and peering into all the cells was fascinating.

On our final day we took a water bus the full length of the Grand Canal to the fruit and fish markets and walked all the way back to St Mark's Square, where we joined a pre-booked tour, a lovely generous present from my friend, to go into the secret passages and hidden parts of the Doge's Palace which was amazing!

We visited the medieval prison, the torture room, went up into the roof, saw Casanova's cell and heard all about his escape (I have subsequently read his book which I would thoroughly recommend) and explored the secret passages leading from the prison and the administrative offices to the grand rooms of the palace, where we literally popped out of a cupboard at the end of the tour. We loved it!!

Venice is so beautiful, so unique and so precious and I'm so pleased and thankful to have been able to visit again.

the grand canal

fascinating narrow streets

this was art rather than structural!

glass blowing in murano

colourful burano

houses of every colour in burano

one of the largest rooms in europe with a ceiling by tintoretto, in the doges palace

the bridge of sighs - beautiful from the outside, but it leads to the prison

the reason for the sigh on the bridge of sighs - the prisoners’ last glimpse of the outside

inside the bridge of sighs

casanova’s cell

the medieval leads - the cells just under the roof

the roof holding tintoretto’s ceiling up

Beautiful backdrops beat big birthday blues

the coast to coast path above patterdale

Well, the actual day of my 'big' birthday has just been and gone and I can’t quite believe it. Still, I reasoned that if it really had to happen, then at least I would be in my favourite place. As luck would have it, the weather at the beginning of October couldn't have been better. A slight crispness in the air, crystal clear light and wonderfully sunny with only one day of rain and even that didn't last long.

We had a fantastic week of high fell walking and bagged Great Rigg, Fairfield, High Street, Mardale Ill Bell, High and Low Pike, Skiddaw, Little Man and Lonscale Fell and it was one of those weeks (in spite of my now advancing age) that we both felt really fit and strong, didn't have any niggly aches or pains and could have kept going and going. One of those weeks you remember - despite the birthday (or perhaps because of it) - rounded off by a fantastic, if windy, day on Skiddaw.

On my actual birthday, we were on High Street and Mardale Ill Bell and it was truly magnificent; I genuinely didn't want to be anywhere else in the world, so thank you Lake District for making the day a truly memorable one! The best bit of the Skiddaw, Skiddaw Little Man and Lonscale Fell day was coming down to the parking area and seeing the 'Bean on the Fell's coffee van. Hot chocolate with cream, marshmallows, free dog treats and lots of like minded people discussing their day was just what was needed and a real treat.

GRASmere from the climb up to great rigg

great rigg on the left and the ridge to fairfield

what a place to be on your birthday! on mardale ill bell

low pike from high pike

the view from skiddaw’s blustery summit

Coastal paths and moorland

whitby abbey’s imposing position

My oldest friend and Uni roommate and her husband treated me to a long weekend for my forthcoming ‘big’ birthday, which was incredibly generous of them, so early September saw me on the other side of the Pennines for a change, on the north east coast, basing ourselves just outside Whitby.

I hadn't been to Whitby for what must be about 18 years, or Robin Hood's Bay since I was a kid, so it was lovely. As was the weather. The afternoon saw us wandering the town - up to the Abbey, onto the Prom to see the seals, meandering the narrow streets and browsing the little shops. Then it was across to the other side of the harbour, up to the whale bones, back to the car and on for a meal and something fizzy.

The following day we met up with my friend's sister and her husband (also old friends) who were camping on the cliffs above Robin Hood's Bay and the five of us walked down towards the Bay, but took the Cinder Track, joining the Cleveland Way Coastal Path to Whitby. The Cinder Path is the old Scarborough to Whitby rail line that closed in 1965 and it makes for an easy, flat walk with beautiful coastal views.

the beautiful cleveland way from robin hood’s bay to whitby

fantastic beaches

The Cleveland Way National Trail is a 109 walk from Filey to Helmsley and hugs the top of the cliffs. The views were stunning, especially coming into Whitby with the Abbey ruins looming spookily closer. After lunch on the pier, we took the Cinder Path back to Robin Hood's Bay and enjoyed fish and chips in the sun by the beach.

The next day, three of us went to Goathland, home of the popular Heartbeat series, and did a walk following West Beck up and down the valley to the Wheeldale Roman Road and back over the moors into the village for a cup of tea at the railway station, watching the steam trains.

The weather was perfect, the scenery was wonderful and the company was even better. A lovely way to kick start birthday celebrations.

fish and chip stop in robin hood’s bay

the moors around goathland

Wonderful Wasdale

the country’s favourite view!

We've just got back from another week in our beloved Lake District and this time we decided to stay near Wasdale and climb in that area. We mixed up some higher and lower fells, still picking fairly carefully as the dog is young, but hit a week of really beautiful weather and managed 14 summits in all, as well as visiting Ravenglass, St Bees and discovering some Roman ruins

I hope the pictures do justice to this beautiful and remote area.

a complete round of the six summits of devoke water and not a soul around!

devoke water - a perfect setting on a perfect day

big views down wasdale from little irton pike

a fabulous day climbing great worm crag and green crag - lots of boggy ground but stunning views

panoramic views from muncaster fell

ravenglass estuary

the romas bath house outside ravenglass - the tallest roman remains in northern england

WASDALE head from illgill head

views to the coast from whin rigg

st bees

one for another day!

Making Tracks

green lanes of the KENtmere valley

Having just discovered my first lonning in Cumbria last week, I though I'd look into old trackways a little more and it turns out to be a vast network; in fact the United Kingdom is crisscrossed with ancient paths and tracks.

As well as the longer, more well known paths, there are hundreds of small, secret, almost forgotten pathways that go by many different names: holloways, green lanes, barfs, sunken lanes, greenways, trods, byways, driftways, lonnens, loanins, lonnings, lons, droveways, pilgrimage routes, miners paths, trading paths, packhorse routes, reivers roads, military roads, turnpikes, shieling paths, boreens, bealachs, casans, smugglers paths, timber trackways, corduroy trackways, herepaths, herewags, heargways, toghers, slighes, ridgeways, watershed routes and many more

Huntingstile Lonning, Grasmere

TICKLE BELLY alley lonning, boot

ticklebelly alley

Many follow the natural contours of the landscape; rivers, ridges, valleys; perhaps more solid ground or firmer sand, over mountain passes and through marshy or boggy ground and to fording points of rivers and streams. Many have neolithic origins such as The Ridgeway which was in use 5000 years ago or the Sweet Track which is perhaps 5800 years old. Some are Saxon, some Celtic, lots are Roman such as the Fosse Way or Watling Street and were built over older trackways, some are medieval - the Long Causeway - and some are later still; 17th or 18th century such as the Keighley and Kendal Turnpike or the Sparrow Herme Turnpike.

However, these routes, which also include the Corlea Trackway, Icknield Way, Harrow Way, Pilgrim's Way, Mariner's Way, Saints Way, the Old Way, Broomway, Kennet Avenue, Ermine Street, Dere Street, the Peddars Way and the Devil's Causeway were all well used. The green lanes or lonnings or holloways were more rural; used for driving livestock, travelling between settlements, or were eroded by water, marked boundaries between two landowners and some do date back to the Romans and Iron Age.

Sunken lanes are characterised by quite steep sides and hedgerows, packhorse routes tend to be narrower, drovers routes are wide, trods are fairly indistinguishable, barfs are quite steep and green lanes were unpaved and sometimes only known to locals.

green lanes of the KENtmere valley

the Ridgeway

What is sad today, is that a lot are disappearing; either through a lack of use and have become too overgrown, some are being upgraded to byways, some have become proper roads, hedgerows have being grubbed up to make way for larger fields and these beautiful little corridors through the landscape have been lost  - occasionally just a rut in the landscape is all that's left.

Let's not lose them. Let's search them out and use them. Let's listen to Joni Mitchell and not go down the 'pave paradise, put up a parking lot' route; there are hundreds of better paths to choose.

old woodland paths

now this i swear is a hobbit hole

Favourite Fell Days: Dale Head and Hindscarth

setting off from honister slate mine

At the end of our annual two weeks in June last year, we decided to finish on Dale Head and Hindscarth. It was the most beautiful day as we parked in Keswick and took the Honister Rambler bus up to the Slate Mine which was a lovely, relaxing way to start, and they allow dogs.

Getting off at the mine, we decided to be civilised and have a cup of coffee first (in reality, an excuse to have a piece of their superb Rice Krispie cake). Suitably refreshed, we headed back towards the Youth Hostel and strode briskly up the path opposite; I say briskly, but we were sloshing with coffee and Krispie cake at that point, so it was more of a stroll. As you gain height towards Fox Fold, the views start opening out with Honister Crags dominating the near ground, but also over to the Helvellyn range and across to Bowfell and Great End.

the views opening out as you climb higher

the mine paths

dale head looking towards skiddaw and blencathra

just stunning

The path continued upwards hugging the fence to our left and wasn't really too steep although longish, and it was quite warm. As you begin the final pull to the summit, the path gets a little steeper, but it's soon over and you’re on the flat summit plateau. There's a huge, solid cairn and the views down the Newlands Valley and to Skiddaw are truly breathtaking.

After quarter of an hour or so, we set off along Hindscarth Ridge following a well trodden, easy path with the most amazing views all around us, especially of Fleetwith Pike, and the views down into our favourite Buttermere Valley. In the bright sunlight, it was all just stunning and such a pleasure. The route to Hindscarth's summit drops down off Dale Head but is otherwise flat and the summit was easily reached quite quickly. We spent some time there enjoying the views, the peace and the sun before making our way back to Dale Head again to spend more time there again, enjoying the views.

We had some sandwiches on the top, a bit of a fully clad sunbathe and an interesting chat with Duncan and Yvonne Booth, the organisers of the 10 in 10 challenge (www.10in10.org.uk) who were planning the next route. After that, it was sadly time to turn our backs on the beautiful views and begin the easy descent to the mine again, just in time for the return bus.

from dale head looing towards hindscarth

on the ridge to hindscarth

buttermere and crummock water views opening up from the ridge to hindscarth

hindscarth’s summit

back to the start again

A truly memorable day. Low on effort, big on reward, fantastic views, warm sun, peace and quiet. Just what you want.

Except more Rice Krispie cake.

Lakeland Part 2: The Low Hills

newton fell north looking towards the fells

STAVELY fell’s views of windermere. a fabulous little walk

As the dog is still so young and tends to get over-excited at, well, just about everything, we mixed up our walking days on a recent visit to the Lakes. We had one or two longer days, some non climbing days and tackled some of Wainwright’s Outlying fells which are ideal as they’re short, gentle walks for him and have great views for us.

We also had two or three days of torrential rain and so made those the non climbing days and these were spent in and around Grasmere and Ambleside and visiting Keswick Mountain Festival, which was a first for us and a lovely way to spend a morning. All in all, for the dog’s first proper walking holiday, a lovely mix of fells; 15 in all.

keswick mountain festival with ominous clouds - it closed in the afternoon because of high winds

windermere views from todd crag

lovely stone bench to sit and admire ullswater

beautiful ullswater from heughscar hill

newton fell north - on the way to the motorway!

Lakeland Part 1: The High Hills

views from harter fell

We've just come back from two weeks in the Lakes. It was the dog’s first proper walking holiday, and even though he's been three times already, he was too young to take on proper walks at those time. This blog focuses on the high fells and the next one will detail the lower fells we tackled.

The first day saw us climbing Sticks Pass to Stybarrow Dodd (which Bro and I had climbed before without a dog in a bitterly cold, sleety/rainy whiteout) and on to Watsons Dodd which completed the Dodds for us whilst enjoying fantastic views of the northern fells.

We did quite a long walk up to Caudale Moor and on to Hartsop Fell and back, taking refreshment at the Kirkstone Inn on the way back, enjoying the open fire and lots of like minded chat with fellow walkers. The dog did amazingly well on a fairly soggy day on Shipman Knotts and a howling gale on Kentmere Pike, and we enjoyed a great, sunny walk up to Harter Fell overlooking Haweswater, where we joined two ladies who were completing their round of the 214 Wainwright fells, taking their photos and celebrating with toffee vodka. A mostly sunny fortnight with a couple of days of rain made for great walking weather and we did 15 mountains.

The dog was brilliant; fearless, enthusiastic and unfazed by anything. Except sheep. And cairns. Oh, and boulders. And rustling bags…

the northern fells from sticks pass

on to watson’s dodd from stybarrow dodd

second time for us on stonycove pike/caudale moor

approaching HARtsop fell from caudale moor looking to ullswater

the KENtmere valley

the KENtmere valley

the gatesgarth pass from harter fell looking across to BRAnstree

haweswater from harter fell

PERFECT,,,,

Orchids and Nature Reserves

On late May Bank Holiday weekend, Bro and I did something we've never purposefully done before. Visited a nature reserve. In fact two nature reserves and in areas we know very well and have walked in many times over the years, but they're really, really tucked away; to the extent you probably wouldn't find them if you didn't know they were there. Which is exactly the way they want it I expect.

I also did something I've never done before which was to look actively for wild orchids. I can't remember ever seeing, or realising I'd seen one, before. I grabbed an information leaflet at the very small visitor centre and we set off, but, as is our wont, we turned the whole afternoon into a walk, trying to make it longer and longer as we were off the the Lakes a few days later.

poor dead mole

Consequently, we saw some beautiful views, vast woodlands we'd never visited and a huge area of wildflower common we'd missed, but we didn’t actually see any living creature or anything resembling a flower. The dog, crashing around in the undergrowth, blew any chance of seeing butterflies, deer or rabbits and the only thing we did see was a dead mole…

Back at the car, I was a little disappointed in my nature spotting abilities, when an older man came over and asked if we'd seen one of the three orchids that were in the reserve just under a bush as you left the car park. He also said he was bursting to show someone the other, rarer orchids he'd found, which was kind of him and I jumped at the chance.

We went through a small nature garden behind the little visitor centre, up to a tiny gate and there, behind a fence, was a small, delicate looking plant he told me was a Lady Orchid and next to it was a Fly Orchid. They were beautiful and so unusual. He suggested we visit another Nature Reserve nearby where there were great drifts of them including the very rare Monkey Orchid. We did go the following day and I must say it was a lovely way to spend two afternoons, seeing well known areas from new angles and spotting beautiful flowers. Even Bro can now identify a Common Spotted.

We just have to keep the dog and his great feet away - he couldn’t care less…

lady orchid - like ladies in bonnets

fly orchid

common spotted orchid

the very rare monkey orchid

twayblade orchid

beautiful pyramid orchid

hybrid lady/monkey orchids

Pen y Fan-tastic!!

views on the climb up

Three days after getting back from Halkidiki, Bro and I took advantage of a couple of mid week days off to go and climb Pen y Fan in the Brecon Beacons. It'd been on our to do list for a while and it's an area we really don't know at all, so it would be an interesting couple of days.

We booked into the dog friendly Craig-y-Nos Castle Hotel which is the very atmospheric, gothic former home of opera singer Adeline Patti, world famous in the 1800s. It's also haunted and the TV programme Most Haunted filmed an episode here. We weren't in the main castle building, but in what we suspect were the former stables, so we didn't hear, see or feel anything untoward, which was both a relief and a shame.

That afternoon the sun came out, and after lunch we walked in the 40 acre Craig-y-Nos Country Park in which the hotel sits. There are lots of gentle, well marked paths to follow, a visitor centre and tea room with benches and picnic areas, so it's a lovely place to spend an afternoon. We, of course, took the steepest, longest path up and above the park and were rewarded with some lovely views of the Upper Swansea Valley, then wandered back down following a woodland path through huge banks of wild garlic and bluebells next to the bubbling River Tawe, which was magical.

craig y nos castle hotel

river tawe in craig y nos country park

the upper swansea valley

huge drifts of wild garlic

The next morning we were up and off early so as to get a space in the parking area at the foot of Pen y Fan which we’d read can be really busy. Pen y Fan is the highest mountain in the Brecon Beacons and South Wales, at 2907ft, but it’s a straightforward and obvious path as part of the Beacons Way up to the summit, and one that requires no navigation.

It was a beautiful day and the clarity of the light was stunning. The path is easy but steepish and it's pretty much 2 miles up and 2 miles back. As you near the col between Corn Du and the Craig Gwaun Taf ridge, the path reaches its steepest, but then levels and runs along the base of Corn Du as you turn north eastwards for Pen y Fan.

The views were jaw dropping. Huge, glacial valleys dropped away on either side of the ridge and there were views right across to the Bristol Channel, Swansea Bay, the Black Mountains and the Cambrian Mountains. It was still and warm and perfect, although quite busy for a Thursday morning.

The last, easy pull brought us onto the wide, flat summit plateau of Pen y Fan itself, and its wonderful panoramic views. Beware the incredibly sheer, steep drops if you venture too close to the edge though! We spent a good half hour up there and made our way leisurely back down, in time for a pub lunch after a really enjoyable morning's walk.

summit panorama

cribyn from pen y fan

the steep side of corn du

beautiful views from the summit

huge glacial valleys

pen y fan looking to corn du

the path down

Halkidikilcious!

young olives

I've been very lucky and have just returned from a work trip to Halkidiki in the Macedonian region of mainland Greece. We flew into Thessaloniki Airport and stayed just outside Nikiti at the beautiful Danai Beach Hotel for two nights, then moved on to Ouranoupoli for two nights at the Eagles Palace Hotel.

The Danai Beach is one of the Leading Hotels of the World group and was a stunning, marbled oasis of calm and elegance set in beautiful gardens.  The nearest village is old Nikiti which is a sleepy little place of traditional houses and a thriving beekeeping industry, together with the ubiquitous olive trees for their fruit and oil. The coastline is unspoilt and quiet, with sandy beaches although it's a little early in the season for swimming in the sea - for me, anyway. I did brave the unheated pool at the Danai Beach, but it was painfully cold until I started swimming!

the view from my balcony at the danai beach

beautiful clear sea

the old town of nikiti

nikiti

Eagles Palace is a larger, resort style hotel near the town of Ouranoupoli in the north west of the region and we were lucky enough to have a villa with private pool each which was a treat. I was lucky to have an end villa, so I had a 360 degree panorama to look out onto from the living room, terrace, bedroom and even the bath tub!

the view from my villa at eagles palace

the small harbour at ouranopoli

From Ouranoupoli we had a morning's walk through olive groves and past small vineyards and farms to the ruined Zygou Monastery and on to the last beach on the Mount Athos Peninsula where women are allowed.

At the furthest point of the peninsula, 2000 monks live in isolation, the largest male-only area in the world. Even female animals are banned. We wandered down the beach and peered through a large chain link, barbed wire topped fence through to the empty beach on the other side and yes, police do patrol the area and yes, it would be up to 10 years in jail for breaching the rules. Male tourists are allowed to visit the monastery though.

I did catch a glimpse of Mount Athos in the distance and saw Mount Olympus near the airport with its snow covered top; in fact, the whole area is very mountainous and lush.

the ruins of the zygou monastery

young olives

i’m afraid this beach is out of bounds ladies

this one is fine though!

Lots of wonderful Greek food, Greek wine tasting and amazing hospitality made for a really interesting visit to a beautiful, unspoilt area.