The
Westmorland
Way

 

WW17:  Holme To Arnside

Wednesday 8th December 2010

There are some days that are just too sparklingly good to waste.  Even with us both being full of cold, the combination of the cloudless skies and the snow covered ground was too great a lure despite the seriously sub-zero temperatures.  In fact, the coldness was part of the attraction in that it was holding the snow as powder.  It was the opportunity to complete the Westmorland Way in very different and memorable conditions to any we had experienced in the earlier stages.

Even the drive to Arnside to leave a car there was memorable for the sparkling scenery. 

Arnside panorama

After returning by Sandside and Milnthorpe to Holme in the other vehicle, the first couple of miles to Beetham might have been a bit of a bore, or at best non-remarkable.  Today, however, even the most mundane field was transformed into a super-white showground. 

Sandside

Holme field, Farleton Knott behind.

Having had to make a late start, we were getting hungry and we were delighted to find a welcoming bench by the side of the stocks in the middle of the village.  Just the place to have our sandwiches.

Beetham School

Team picture by the stocks

Heron Theatre, Beetham

Beetham Church

After  Beetham, we entered the cold woods, went past a derelict house and over to Fairy Steps.  Perhaps I should explain that this is a cleft in a limestone cliff offering a very narrow and steep path down to a lower level.   I have been there many times over the years, but never with snow on the ground.  It did make negotiating the descent trickier than normal but added to the magic of the place.

The derelict house

Through the cold woods

Panorama from Fairy Steps

The fairy on the steps

Back into the woods

After passing through light woodland, we emerged at Hazelslack Tower and then continued over fields, crossing under the railway line to follow a very cold, sunless path to the outskirts of Arnside. 

Hazleslack Tower

Reception committee

The Wway then climbs through Hagg Wood at the back of the houses to emerge on the Silverdale Road by the cemetery.  The official route heads south along the road to climb the Arnside Knott from near Arnside Tower. 

Margaret was getting tired and the light was starting to go and perhaps we should have aborted and headed straight down to the village but the guide book spoke of an alternative, permissive path which I took to be a short cut to the Knott.  With hindsight, that was probably a mistake.  And it definitely was a mistake to miss the snow concealed path that led to the open area below the Knott.  The consequence was that I was taking Margaret higher and further away from our objective and, understandably, she was not a happy bunny.  We retraced our steps and found the side path out to the Red Hills field just in time to enjoy what remained of the sunset. 

Sunset at Red Hills

Kent Estuary with viaduct

From there it was straight down to the village and the Bay View café to get a hot drink and food into us both.  I remembered the days forty years ago when I lived in Arnside, just around the corner.  My landlady, Renee, worked in that café and would bring home for me something from the kitchen.  She was a lovely lady but unfortunately we had a sort of clash of personalities.  I was always taught that if someone makes you a meal, it is good manners to finish it.  She was of the school that if someone finishes a meal, then they can't have had enough.  So the inevitable plate escalation started.  Then one day, when my waist line was already bulging, she brought home for my tea triple ham, egg and chips.  It was time to move into Kendal and get my slimness back!  No such problem today.  Just a nice coffee and slice of cake which cheered us both up.

The end of the Wway

The Wwestmorland Wway has been a Wwonderful Wwalk through very varied countryside, some familiar, much not.  Rather than the 7 days and 95 miles suggested by the guide book, we had taken 17 days and 134 miles and it had all been wworthwhile.

But it is now time to move on.  Our next objective is the Furness Way which conveniently starts in Arnside (just why is a mystery) and them works its way loosely around the old Furness boundary before heading off west for Ravenglass.  What this space!

Don, 8th December 2010

 

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Statistics

Today

Cumulative

Distance in miles:

6.9

134.4

Height climbed in feet:

754

16,249

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 These pages log
the progress of
Don and Margaret
along the
Westmorland Way.

 

 Click on the photos
for an enlargement or related large picture.

 

The
Westmorland
Way

 

WW00:

Index

 

WW01:

Appleby
to Rutter Falls

 

WW02:

Rutter Falls
to Gaythorne Hall

 

WW03:

 Gaythorne Hall
to Maulds Meaburn

 

WW04:

Maulds Meaburn
to Hardendale

 

WW05:

Hardendale
to Shap Abbey

 

WW06:

Shap Abbey
to Knipe

 

WW07:

Knipe
to Askham

 

WW08:

Askham
to Pooley Bridge

 

 WW09:

Pooley Bridge
to Howtown

 

 WW10:

Howtown
to Patterdale

 

 WW11:

Patterdale
to Grasmere

 

 WW12:

Grasmere
to Ambleside

 

 WW13:

Ambleside
to Windermere

 

 WW14:

 Windermere
to Underbarrow

 

 WW15:

Underbarrow
to Natland

 

 WW16:


Natland
to Holme

 

 WW17:

Holme To Arnside

 

 

The Washing Lines

and other items

as seen by Margaret:

 

 

 

 

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