We spent a glorious Easter Saturday last year walking around Eskdale, one of the most picturesque valleys in Britain. 
Starting at the car park by Trough House Bridge, we strolled along the banks of the River Esk then climbed up to the impressive falls of Stanley Ghyll Force. On the way we popped in to visit the beautiful little church of St Catherine’s. 
The building was much restored in c19th but still retains its simple charm. This beautiful valley is about half an hour’s drive from Sykehouse Cottage and you can find more information from the local website if you click here.
Category Archives: Lake District Nature
Where history and nature meet
How marvellous! Here at Sykehouse Cottage we just love the cabinet of curiosities that is Kendal Museum. The place houses the Kendal and Westmorland Galleries, the World Wildlife Exhibition, The Lake District Natural History Gallery and The Hamer Mineral Collection.
The late John Hamer was a potholer and mineral collector. He collected one of the most superb and extensive mineral collections in the North of England. This collection exceeds 2000 pieces and includes specimens from disused mines in the Lake District, where mineral collecting is now banned, and other regions of northern England. This invaluable collection is available for research and enjoyment by both geologists and those who are just fascinated by beautiful minerals.
A spectacular display from the collection together with a complete catalogue, original note books, display charts and a map locating mine sites are featured as a new permanent display at Kendal Museum.
If you would like to know about opening times and current exhibitions, click on a click to their website HERE.
A little Goldsworthy.
Slits Cut into Frozen Snow, Stormy … Blencathra, Cumbria, 12 February.
I notice that Abbot Hall Art Gallery’s talk next Monday 2 February, 2pm, is on their series of Andy Goldsworthy photographs. Goldsworthy’s pastoral style of land art has fallen rather out of fashion lately though I still hold his Sheepfolds and Grizedale Forest’s Taking a Wall for a Walk in great affection: they sit quietly, playfully, in the Cumbrian landscape, making me appreciate the art of stone walling. On our picnic walks from Sykehouse Cottage, we still enjoy making a little “Goldsworthy” every now and again. Usually “fallen stars” of sticks, sometimes flags of leaves and twigs, occasionally balanced stones on river beaches. Little Goldsworthys appeal to the scavenger, the creative and the mark maker in us all.
Taking a Wall for a Walk – Grizedale Forest
The Gallery holds talks about works in their collection every Monday exc Bank Holidays which are included in the admission price. Abbot Hall is well worth a visit if you are in the Kendal area. For further details of their events and opening times, please click on this link to take you to their website.
Swimming in Coniston Water
With the long stretch of fine weather this Summer, the tribe judged it perfect conditions for a dip in Coniston Water – without wetsuits. Hurrah! So we sough
t out our favourite beach on the east side of the Water and loaded up the car with picnic boxes, blankets and dogs. It was a fabulous afternoon and the water was warm enough for the most hesitant of our party. Some of us swam out far enough to greet passing canoeists whilst others were content to paddle at the shore line. Wild swimming is so much more fun than a chlorinated swimming pool with little fish nibbling at your toes and fronds of weed stroking your legs. If sea water swimming is all citrus sparkle and salt dust on skin, fresh water swimming is as soft and silky as strawberries and cream …
Birk’s Bridge to the Newfield Inn
We started at the NT car park just above the beautiful Hobbit-like Birk’s Bridge and headed into the forestry land, marked on the OS map as Dunnerdale Forest and by the Forestry Signs as Hardknott Forest. Much of the wood that was described by Wainwright as “young plantations” has now been cleared and neatly stacked up making for a rather beautiful, if working, landscape. The Commission is now replanting the forest as a mixed deciduous rather than the stark fir crop to reflect the changing purposes of these fells.
We used the level forestry roads rather than the narrower public footpaths as they are lovely for chatting whilst walking. 
Good progress was made across the forest to Grassguards Farm with its little concreted ford. Here we picked up the Grassguards Gill bridleway down into the beautiful gnarled trees and river walks around Wallowbarrow. Here, we took the opportunity to lob some rather large stones in the river before retiring to the Newfield for half pints of CatNap and something-and-chips. 
The walk took one hour 40 minutes and we were helped by another member of the family was waiting to provide a lift to retrieve cars rather than having to walk back after a rather heavy meal!
Wainwright’s Pictorial Guides: “all the little trees on this map”.
The charm of these guides undoubtedly lies in Wainwright’s personal touch with painstakingly detailed heather covered fells and minute contour lines; carefully annotated compass view points; and multiple approaches to each summit. But amongst all this obsessive detail, Wainwright does relax every so often and the hard work is leavened by a joke or two such as: “TAKE CARE DO NOT START FIRE and so waste the effort spent in drawing all the little trees on this map. The Forestry Commission, too, will be annoyed.”
Wainwright’s sketch of the Summit of Coniston Old Man includes details and descriptions of “Tourists looking for Blackpool Tower”, a regimented line of Boy Scouts and “a Solitary fell walker, bless him, looking north to the hills.”
We hope you will find your own favourite vignettes whilst planning your walks!
For further information about Alfred Wainwright, please follow this link to the Wainwright Society.
Wainwright’s Fourth Volume: “Heaven fallen upon the earth”
In the Personal Notes at the end of his Fourth Volume on the Southern Fells, Wainwright noted that “there had been a clamour for Book Four ever since the first in the series appeared” because these fells “just happen to be a bit of heaven fallen upon the earth.”
This orange striped volume is the one we use the most and it is dedicated to: “the hardiest of all fell walkers, The Sheep of Lakeland, the truest lovers of the mountains, their natural homes and providers of their food and shelter” … and, sheep like, the chapters scramble up and down the thirty fells of the Southern Lakes from Scafell Pike to Holme Fell. He includes the direct route to Coniston Old Man: “this is the way the crowds go”; plus the one via Boo Tarn: “a climb for … the discerning walker” and one ascent from Torver with its view of Dow Crag, “one of the grandest rock-faces in the district”.
We hope you enjoy planning your walks!
For further information about Alfred Wainwright, please follow this link to the Wainwright Society.
Wainwright’s Pictorial Guides: fireside companions.
In Sykehouse Cottage there is a complete set of the 50th anniversary edition of Wainwright’s Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells. These seven little hardback books contain the most magical evocation of fell walking I have ever encountered. Each of the seven volumes is dedicated to a different group of people or animal: map makers, dogs, solitary wanderers and each book has a personal note at the end. And this warm and idiomatic approach to the fells is continued throughout the books which are hand drawn – and handwritten (!) – guides to walking the fells.
The walks are catalogued with a wonderful combination of description and maps, complete with contour lines, tussocks of grass and little trees and personal observation. Poring over these little black and white drawings and humorous asides draws you from your armchair into the vast green fells of your imagination and makes you want to jump into this Lilliputian world of Wainwright and bestride the fells like Gulliver. As Wainwright himself puts it: “this book has been written, carefully and with infinite patience, for my own pleasure and because it has seemed to bring the hills to my own fireside.”
We hope you enjoy planning your walks!
For further information about Alfred Wainwright, please follow this link to the Wainwright Society.
Silecroft Beach in the High Winds
In the high winds of October this year, team Rigg all drove down to the beach at Silecroft. This long stretch of pebbly beach is a favourite of ours: an excellent spot for a “blow” with the children. There are never many people here just a couple of stalwart fisherman with high rods planted in the stones and their long lines stretched into the waves.
This trip was particularly exciting as we fought against the blustery winds and stepped through the foam which was flying across the beach from the sea.
Only 8 miles away from Sykehouse Cottage, it has a car park and stone steps leading down to the shore. No café but there’s sometimes an ice cream van parked up in the Summer.
Wild Water Swimming
Swimming in a river or lake IS different. It doesn’t taste of chlorine for a start. And isn’t crowded. The water has a smooth soft quality that slides around your skin.
I only swim on hot Summer days.
The water coming off the mountain tops is still much colder than you think. Even in August. But there are many places up the Duddon for a dip or a paddle – and then a leisurely recovery on a hot, flat stone. I take old sandals to paddle into the water as pebbles can be sharp under foot. Crocs or flip flops disappear surprisingly fast on the current.
Okay, you will need a wet suit and more stamina than I have: but how about attempting the Great North Swim on Windermere? This is now the UK’s biggest open water swimming festival and happens in June every year. Follow this link if you would like more details about it.
Sykehouse Cottage 