WINTER WALKS IN THE Abbeydale Park Bowling Club. Annual Dinner and Presentation Night at Abbeydale club on HOWGILLS Friday 24th October 2003. (BLESS EM) This has certainly been a great year for outdoor Trophy winners. Hargreaves Cup (singles championship) pursuits yet still the average tourist has still Winner Alan Wright ventured abroad in search of the sun. Runner Up John Perkinton. It has been rather high hat to take holidays in our own green and pleasant land. There are still plenty of Roebuck Cup (doubleshandicap) unspoilt areas that are hardly visited and with great Winners Graham Torry & Alan Wright scenery to explore. Most keen hill walkers will have Runners up Alf Sceats & Bill Alty tramped our own Derbyshire moors and dales plus the Lake District fells. How about a complete change to Hallat Egg Trophy (singles handicap) explore the almost unknown tract of high ground known Winner Alan Jenkinson Runner Up Graham Torry as the Howgills. This area of approximately 40 square miles lies between the Lake District and the Yorkshire Curvaceous Cup (singles handicap) Dales National Park. The original county of Winner John Perkinton Westmoreland had a magic ring to its name but now Runner Up Graham Torry this region is part of . The perfect base is the lovely old world town of Sedburgh, known for its fine Leslie Hulse Trophy (Vets singles handicap) public school. Winner Joe Wood Hereabouts are plenty of hotels, caravan parks and Runner Up David Reeves guesthouses. This area was always one of my favourites, I would love to Kenneth George Shield be able to tramp these grand little hills just once more, Winners Mike Cross/ Jack Jackson/Bill Alty unfortunately the old legs will not function again. Even the Runners Up Audrey Eyre/Paul Frost/Martin Hayes celebrated late hill walker and author Alfred Wainwright chose the Howgills as his very favourite region. These rolling Harry Johnson Cup hills are teeming with interest yet are hardly known by the Winners Paul Frost/Ken Gore/Tim North average tourist. The name comes from the tiny hamlet of Runners Up Margaret Green David Reeves /Frank Young Howgill, which lies, to the south west of the area. The first hill, which dominates the town of Sedburgh, is Autumn Shield known as Winder at 1550 feet. The views are grand as we Winners Alan Jenkinson /Alan Wright stroll along the ridge to Arant Haw, Calders and the high Runners Up Mike Cross /Pauline Jenkinson point of at 2000 feet, which is the hub of the whole region. Pause to take in views of the Lakeland Fells to the Answer to Brain Teaser (page 4) west, eastwards the whole of the Yorkshire Dales and to the Brigadier Simpson, Artillery, £6, - whisky. north the Pennine hills. You will probably never meet another Colonel Rogers, Infantry, £1, - brandy. soul on these enchanting hills. Major Tait, Engineers, £9, - gin. Wander at will over easy connecting ridges to White Fell Captain Powell, Signals, £5, - whisky. head, Bush Howe, Blease Fell, Yarlside, Great Dummacks, Lieutenant Quist, Cavalry, £3, - beer. and Randygill Top. The area is interlaced with connecting sweeping valleys such as Bowderdale, Langdale and Westerdale. Wild ponies and sheep graze along these slopes. The infant river Lune rises on the slopes of Green Bell on its journey to join the river Rawthey near Kirby Lonsdale to finally empty into the sea below Morecombe Bay. Rocky escarpments give added interest around Carlin Gill and the spectacular waterfall of Black Force, plus the highlight of Cautley Crags and Cautley Spout, one of the finest waterfalls in . Down at the valley base from here is the Cross Keys Hotel noted for its scrumptious ham and eggs meals. These lonely hills still make for easy walking; their secret is entirely to able to roam at will with complete freedom. Who could imagine that the congested M6 motorway only splits this area from the Shap Fells through the Lune Gorge just a short distance away and yet we have stepped into another world apart. Once you have sampled the delights of these lovely fells you will want to return to explore more hidden corners. Purchase a 2.5” to the mile Ordnance Survey map of the area.

Lace up your rambling boots and step into paradise. John C. Barrows. 11