Walks 33 what’son Walks , High Sweden Bridge and Stockghyll Force

Points of interest back down through this wooded continue up along the track across valley towards Ambleside before the rough hillside for 500 metres AMBLESIDE lies at the northern turning off across fields into the (crossing an old tumbledown wall tip of and is the neighbouring valley of Stock Ghyll. after 250 metres) to reach a gate in gateway to Lakeland’s highest fells Here, hidden in woodland, is the a wall across your path (the track and mountains. The Romans spectacular waterfall of Stockghyll becomes a path as you approach recognised the strategic Force where the waters of Stock this gate). After this gate, walk importance of this site and built a Ghyll Beck cascade as a braided straight on for a short distance to fort in AD79 near the confluence of channel down through a narrow reach a junction of paths the rivers Brathay and Rothay to ravine with moss-covered rocks and (waymarker post), with an protect the trade routes of High overhanging trees creating a overgrown pond on your left and Street to the north and the delightful scene. the outcrops of Low Brock Crags Wrynose and Hardknott passes, ahead. Turn right at this path which led to the Roman port of The walk junction and follow the path down Ravenglass, to the south-west. to soon reach a ladder stile over a However, it was the Norse farmers From the entrance to Rydal wall, after which carry straight on who first settled in Amelsate, 1 Road car park (on the north side down alongside the wall on your Walk Information which means ‘pastures by the river of Ambleside along the A591 left to reach High Sweden Bridge sandbanks’, and began to farm the towards Keswick), turn right along across Scandale Beck. Distance: 8km/5miles rich riverside meadows. During the the main road towards the centre of Time: 2-3 hours 17th Century, Ambleside began to Ambleside to quickly reach a mini- Cross the bridge and follow the Map: OS Explorer Sheet OL7 develop into the town we see today roundabout, where you head left up 3path to the right alongside the Start/Parking: Rydal Road car park, after gaining a market charter in along the Kirkstone road (Smithy stream to quickly join a track. Ambleside. 1650. During this period, the first of Brow). After a few paces take the Follow this straight on (to the several water-powered mills were first turning to the left (Nook Lane right) alongside Scandale Beck on Refreshments: Plenty of choice at built alongside Stock Beck to leading to Low Sweden Bridge) and your right to soon reach a gate in a Ambleside process commodities such as corn, follow this lane straight on heading wall across the track. Head through Terrain: Clear tracks and lanes almost cotton, paper and wool from the out of Ambleside, passing the this gate and follow the track all the way, with undulating rough local Herdwick sheep. The mills buildings of the University of straight on down through the ground in places. The descent to High were still in use well into the 20th (Charlotte Mason wooded valley for 0.75 km to reach Sweden Bridge is quite steep. Century. One of the most famous buildings) for 0.75 km all the way to another gate, after which continue Caution: Take extra care walking on houses in Lakeland is the 17th reach Nook End Farm at the end of along the enclosed track leaving icy paths. Century Bridge House, which was the lane. Walk straight on through the woodland and Scandale Beck built as both a bridge across Stock the farmyard (passing the behind meandering across pastures reach Kirkstone Road. Turn left up about 100 metres. Then, just after a Beck and summerhouse and apple farmhouse on your left) to reach a heading gradually down for 850 along the road for 200 metres then bench on your right, turn right store for the long-demolished double green gate at the end of the metres to reach a gate on the edge take the farm lane to the right along the enclosed path to quickly Ambleside Hall. It is arguably farmyard, where you head straight of Ambleside (and the start of a immediately after Sunny Bank reach a revolving wrought-iron England’s smallest house and on down along the track to quickly metalled lane). Cottages. Follow this lane to reach gate that leads into the woodland of during the 19th Century, a chair reach Low Sweden Bridge across Roundhill Farm. As you reach the Stockghyll Park. After the repairer, his wife and six children Scandale Beck, set in a wooded Head through this gate and end of the lane (just beyond the revolving gate, follow the clear lived in it. The discovery of the ravine. 4follow the enclosed lane straight farmhouse, and before the double path straight on to soon reach the scenic charms of the on for 75 metres to quickly reach a gate that leads into the farmyard), viewing area for Stockghyll Force by the Victorians and subsequent Cross the bridge and follow the junction of lanes where you turn head through the small gate to (waterfalls), where you follow the arrival of the railway at 2track straight on for 75 metres left along a lane (signpost), passing your right at the end of the lane path to the left (steps) heading Windermere heralded the main then bending sharp right and rising Eller Holme house on your right. that leads out onto a field. After the down through the woodland, with growth period for Ambleside when up, with the wooded ravine of Follow this lane straight on to soon gate, follow the path zig-zagging the ravine of Stock Ghyll Beck to numerous large villas and hotels Scandale Beck down to your right, reach another junction of lanes (by down the hillside to reach a large your right, to re-join the road on were built using local slate. to reach a gateway in the top Eller Side and Eller How), where wooden bridge across Stock Ghyll the edge of Ambleside. Turn right corner of the field. After the you carry straight on along the Beck. along the road and follow it back From Ambleside, our route follows gateway, follow the track sharp left lane ahead and through the into Ambleside, where you turn a track up into the beautiful valley alongside the wall on your left gateway to Eller Bank (signpost Cross the bridge and follow the right along the main road through of Scandale to reach High Sweden then, as you reach the corner of the Kirkstone Road). Follow the wide 5path straight up the hillside to the town to Rydal Road car park. Bridge. This simple stone structure field and a wall across your path, path straight on to soon reach a join a lane at the top of the field. spans Scandale Beck, a fine follow the track to the right small wall-stile/metal gate just Turn right along this lane, over a Mark Reid example of a centuries-old heading up across the field beyond the end of the houses that cattle grid then follow this lane Author of The Inn Way packhorse bridge, built without alongside the wall on your left to leads out onto a field. After the heading gradually down through guidebooks parapets to allow fully laden horses reach another gateway in a wall wall-stile, head to the right up the valley of Stock Ghyll Beck for to cross unhindered. The bridge across your path at the top of the along the edge of the field, over a 1km all the way to reach a cattle formed part of the old packhorse field. Head through this gateway wall-stile then on to reach a gate in grid across the lane on the edge of trail between Ambleside and and follow the track straight on, the field corner just after a barn (at woodland, with the houses on the NEW winter skills course, March Patterdale via Scandale Pass. The winding up across the rougher field the bottom corner of woodland). outskirts of Ambleside ahead (sign 2/3 – Scotland. Get the skills you bridge has a wonderful setting (wall now just across to your left) Head through the gate and follow Grove Farm, Stockghyll Lane, need to enjoy winter hillwalking amidst waterfalls and trees. From for 250 metres to reach another the track straight on along the Ambleside). Cross the cattle grid teamwalking.co.uk this bridge, we follow a lovely track gateway in a wall, after which bottom edge of the woodland to and follow the lane straight on for Countrydiary Birdwatch

VEN in the coldest days of winter, only place in the garden where slugs are SNAPSHOT of how visitors to our Europe. More details are available from when deep snow lies on the ground, welcome, performing a useful task in bird tables and feeders are coping in rspb.org.uk/birdwatch. E recycling plant material, and they tend to A there’s one place in a garden where the bad weather will be provided this Bad weather, particularly snow cover, can it’s always warm. Compared with the share the surface layers of the heap with weekend by the RSPB’s 34th annual Big bring arrivals of birds from even colder conditions around it, the temperature the woodlice. On the surface you’ll also Garden Birdwatch, billed as the world’s areas of Europe. Over the past few days, inside an active compost heap is positively find the most numerous compost animals biggest bird-watching event. Its scale can be Arctic species, including glaucous gulls, tropical, allowing the animal life within to of all – springtails – which are only a few judged by the fact that last year 600,000 have appeared at Hartlepool, Consett and St live and breed all year round. millimetres long and can catapult people, including 90,000 schoolchildren, Mary’s Island and a rough-legged buzzard The most numerous animals are usually themselves into the air if they are recorded nine million birds. disturbed. Finally, roaming through the was reported at Lockwood Beck reservoir. brandling worms, also called tiger worms Participants are asked to watch their surface layers, there are carnivorous on account of the red and pink stripes gardens for one hour on Saturday or Sunday A slavonian grebe was a big attraction at centipedes – the hunters in this complex around their bodies. They tend to live near and to record the highest number of each Hartlepool marina, well south of the normal community. the core of the heap, moving in and out species present. Since the event began in regional wintering area off north depending on the heat that develops there. The secret of maintaining an active 1979 it has mirrored major changes in bird Northumberland, where I watched nine In black compost bins that heat up on compost heap and its wealth of mini-beast populations. Some, including blue, great from the Heugh on Holy Island last sunny days they’ll often crawl out of the wildlife is to ensure that the moister and coal tits, blackbirds, goldfinches and weekend. compost altogether and gather in a cooler materials, such as vegetable peelings from collared doves, have increased greatly, but Bitterns can become more obvious during spot, under the edge of the the kitchen, are mixed with more fibrous others, such as starlings, house sparrows freezing conditions which force them out of bin lid. The outer layers of material such as dead leaves and chopped and song thrushes have slumped. In 1979, an reedbeds, and a single was seen regularly at the compost, that tend plant stems. This ensures that the average of 15 starlings were found in each Saltholme. I mentioned recently how to be drier, are often product is crumby, nutrient rich compost garden, but that fell to only three last year. home to woodlice that will benefit the garden, rather than a waxwings are often referred to as that feed on sticky, slimy mass of partially decayed Snow and freezing temperatures could supermarket birds, attracted to berried rotting material. make this weekend even more interesting shrubs used in car park landscaping. True plant material. with more unusual species in gardens. to form, the largest recent local group was Compost heaps are also the These include fieldfares, redwings and 47 behind Aldi at Yarm. Phil Gates brambling, all winter visitors from northern Ian Kerr