TRIP 7: HOD REET FUR ESHDEL Without Any Doubt, to My Way Of

TRIP 7: HOD REET FUR ESHDEL Without any doubt, to my way of thinking, Eskdale is the most beautiful valley in the Lake District. This view is corroborated by St. Alfred of Wainwright in his booklet ‘Walks from Ratty’ (7) where he says: “Eskdale, one of the loveliest of Lakeland’s valleys, descends from the highest and wildest mountains in the district to the sands of Ravenglass in a swift transition from grandeur to beauty, from bleak and craggy ridges to verdant woodlands and pastures watered by a charming river. It is a place of many delights, the finest of all valleys for those whose special joy is to travel on foot and a paradise for artists. Unspoilt by commercial and industrial activity, it remains today little changed since the first settlers discovered and cultivated with loving care this perfect Arcadia in the hills.” (p.3) I bow to the master. This, I believe, was written in 1978 and is still true today. My only quibble with the great man is that I find the upper reaches of Eskdale just as beautiful as the ‘verdant woodlands and pastures’ (see spots 96 & 97): the ridges may be ‘bleak and craggy’ but what about the waterfalls, the rivers, the Great Moss and the shapes of the mountain-tops which speak of beauty as well as grandeur? Photo 1214: Map of Eskdale (Crown copyright 2015, Ordnance Survey FL-GV 166842) Some will object that there are no lakes in Eskdale. True, but there are two very large tarns and many smaller ones that I personally find more beautiful than the great expanses of, say, Windermere, Bassenthwaite Lake and Coniston Water. A unique feature of Eskdale is that it starts beneath the highest mountain in England and ends at the sea. The other main valleys in the west of the Lake District, Lorton Vale, Ennerdale and Wasdale, all emerge from their enclosing hills onto the West Cumbrian Plain several kilometres from the coast, whereas Eskdale, because of Muncaster Fell, maintains its hilly embrace right down to the coast. Its only rival in this respect is Wordsworth’s favourite valley, Dunnerdale, its next-door neighbour to the south. Despite William’s poetic praises, Dunnerdale, for me, is just a bit less than Eskdale in every respect: less imposing origins, too few tarns (it only has Seathwaite Tarn and a few very small ones), too little pasture and too much forest, and a less beautiful exit on Duddon Sands when compared with the Esk Estuary at Ravenglass. Another feature of Eskdale is that it is much less visited than other parts of the Lake District and has fewer books written about it, thus partially justifying my including it in a website on ‘trails less trodden’. My other justification for including these trails is that I have plotted them to follow routes ‘less trodden’ than those in the only two publications I could find on walks in Eskdale. These are in booklet form: Wainwright’s ‘Walks from Ratty’, ten walks from and to stations on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway (nickname Ratty), and Mary Welsh’s ‘Easy Rambles around Eskdale’, ten walks which overlap considerably with those of Wainwright. My occasional references to these works will just use the author’s name or refer to them together as ‘W&W’. These booklets are available at Ravenglass and Dalegarth Stations. Lastly, I should just explain the title of this chapter: ‘Hod Reet fur Eshdel’. I can do no better than the explanation on the back of a postcard of the wooden sign on which these four words have been carved: “Farmer in isolated Miterdale, so frustrated by walkers calling to ask the way to Eskdale, hand-made this explanatory sign. Now has even more callers asking what it means! (Does nobody understand good Cumbrian English?)”. And, I might add, does nobody read a map? The translation is ‘Right way for Eskdale’. I hope the trails and spots I describe will indeed be the right way for you to enjoy this ‘dale less trodden’. 90: Silver Knott, Muncaster Fell W&W both recommend walking across Muncaster Fell from the coast inland “in order to have the finest views ahead” (Wainwright). I did it in the other direction because I wanted to spend time around Ravenglass before catching Ratty back to my hotel. I don’t know about you but when I’m fell-walking, my eyes are down on the path. When I want to admire the view, I stop. In this case, I also had to turn around. Big deal. Because W&W both describe the trail in the opposite direction, I shall have to give you more directions than usual as some parts are tricky to follow. Starting from Irton Road Station on the Ratty line, cross the bridge over the track and head south past Hollowstones. Go through the gate after Forest How and just before the next gate, take the path to your right leading up towards the fell. This reaches a kissing- gate, after which stick to the path near to the wall on your right. This will take you to just below the top of Silver Knott at 174m. On the way up, there’s a great view straight up Eskdale towards Hardknott Pass (Photo 732). This little hill was avoided by W&W, which is a pity because it’s a great view-point and my first spot on Muncaster Fell. There are two tops to choose from. Mine had these views: Photo 1189: Map for spots 90 and 91 (Crown copyright 2015, Ordnance Survey FL-GV 166842) North-East – down a heathery ridge and up green Miterdale to the Scafell Range on the horizon; Miterdale Forest is dark green on the left and Eskdale veers off, mostly unseen, to the right; the ridge of mountains around Upper Eskdale continues eastwards from Scafell (this ridge will become very familiar to you as you explore Eskdale) East – down the same ridge towards Harter Fell on the horizon; to the right, the green fields of mid-Eskdale from Muncaster Head Farm to around Beckfoot South-East – over more green fields around Linbeck to the hills around Ulpha Fell, namely Water Crag, Yoadcastle, Stainton Pike and Whitfell South – over Lower Eskdale and along the West Cumbria Plain towards Waberthwaite and Bootle; Birkby Fell and Corney Fell rise gradually towards the hills around Ulpha Fell; the sea appears in the distance, as does Black Combe Photo 732: Eskdale from the path up Silver Knott South-West – along Muncaster Fell towards Hooker Crag, which obscures the sea and the Esk Estuary West – the sea also appears to the west of Muncaster Fell behind Drigg and Sellafield Power Station; Wainwright always complained that Sellafield spoils the view but where did he think his electricity came from? And anyway, it could be seen as quite attractive, like pieces of a huge chess set placed on the coast North-West – along the West Cumbrian Plain, a patchwork of light and dark green, towards Gosforth; a few foothills rise towards Ponsonby Fell; Lower Miterdale crosses in the foreground North – Irton Pike stands out above Miterdale, beginning a ridge that climbs all the way to Whin Rigg and Illgill Head above Wast Water, hidden behind them Disconcertingly, on the way up to Silver Knott, I met a couple coming down who complained, “There’s no point in going up there, there’s nothing to see”. How wrong could they be? The view takes in the whole of Miterdale except for its estuary at Ravenglass and most of the route of the Ratty line, whose engine steam you may be able to see. Much of Eskdale is on view, too, but not its estuary nor its upper reaches, hidden behind the hills on its northern side. However, for 174m, it’s a varied and wide-ranging view over the dale you are about to explore. 91: Hooker Crag, Muncaster Fell Come down from Silver Knott in the direction of the rest of Muncaster Fell, i.e. south-west. You soon join the public footpath recommended by W&W. This now passes through a ‘depression’ (Wainwright) or ‘flat ground’ (Welsh). In fact, it contains a bog, conveniently ignored by W&W, but negotiable by treading on tussocks. Then the ground rises to a wall which you follow to a gap at the end of a wall that comes in from the left. Through the gap you come to a choice point. The W&W path heads off to the left at about 45 degrees but is not very clear. A more obvious path goes straight ahead and this is the one I suggest you take. It means you will miss out on ‘Ross’s Camp’, a stone table erected by shooters in 1883, which had no appeal for me, and instead you embark upon a much more interesting path between the highest crags of Muncaster Fell – the W&W path skirts to the south of them but does afford views into Lower Eskdale, already seen from Silver Knott. The higher path passes a somewhat incongruous ‘Christmas tree’ (sporting a few baubles in September 2014 – Photo 742) and meanders through patches of beautiful pink and yellow Photo 742: ‘Christmas Tree’ with Hooker Crag in the background scrub on its way to the base of Hooker Crag, the highest point of Muncaster Fell at 231m. There is a short but steep climb to the top, where you may well be assaulted by very irritating flies that seem to congregate on the tops of crags. Once you have dowsed yourself with insect-repellent, these terrific views present themselves: North-East – along the ridge of Muncaster Fell that you have just walked to the horseshoe of mountains around the rim of Upper Eskdale; on the left is Miterdale Forest and Miterdale itself; on the right is the green swathe of mid-Eskdale East – down the southern slope of Muncaster Fell to mid-Eskdale and the hills behind: Harter Fell, Green Crag, Great Worm Crag and the pyramid of Caw on the far side of Dunnerdale South-East to South – in the foreground, the trig pillar of Hooker Crag and the green humps around it; then over a dark belt of forest to the green fields

Load more