BB1122 : Graylings In Flagrante

Wednesday 3rd August 2011

Poor Jamie.  That is how I started BB1114 : A March Through The Mist, reflecting on the fact that here he was on a home visit and the rare chance of an outing with the BOOTboys yet the weather was "not exactly flaming June".

It was almost a repeat performance today.  We had planned a trek over High Street but the threat of thunderstorms caused us to abandon that in favour of a lower level walk around Whitbarrow Scar.

But was he depressed?  Not at all.  Living on Crete, he explained, makes you appreciate a nice damp day!  I remember Margaret and I being out in the wet one day in the Lake District and bumping into a couple of ex-pats from Cyprus who said exactly the same thing.  So here we, the BOOTboys, were at The Howe in the Lyth Valley assembled for the sort of outing preferred by Brits living on Mediterranean islands!  However, from what we could see when we set off, dampness no longer threatened to be a feature of the day!

The "we" did not include John S.  John is suffering from Plantar Fasciitis and he sent the photo shown below to prove it.  I thought the condition sounded familiar then Jamie told me that he had incurred it last year possibly as a result of sitting badly at his computer. When I looked it up on the internet, I realised that I, too, had developed it in 2009.  It is inflammation of what, in effect, is the continuation of the Achilles Tendon as it goes under the foot.  In order to relieve the symptoms, I bought some heel supports, which I still use although I had quite forgotten the reason why!  Get well soon, John.

The "we" who had travelled to The Howe were Jamie, Stan, Tony and me; there to be joined by Mike who lives in the village. The five of us set off over terrain well familiar to Mike, across fields and up through the woods of Whitbarrow Nature Reserve, emerging onto the limestone pavement near the top of Lord's Seat where, in front of the monument, the inevitable team photo was taken.  

To the north we could just about see our alternative destination, not yet rain enshrouded.

Looking north to High Street area

Looking east to the limestone wall

From the monument we headed south, passing several windswept trees.  On Farrer's Allotment, we thought we spotted a butterfly worthy of photographing.  On closer examination, it proved to be two creatures so intent on their activity that they were in no way inclined to fly off, even if they could, which is doubtful in the circumstances! Subsequent research makes me think the variety is a Grayling.

Witherslack Hall to the west

Looking south to the estuary

From the southern end of the Scar, the path drops through the woods to a track leading back to civilisation and eventually to The Derby Arms where we had predetermined to take lunch.

Stuart, who some days before had expressed a wish join us, had woken up to the fact that the outing was today.  His phone call came through whilst on the Scar and we arranged for him to join us at the pub.

What surprised us was that there had been no need to book- the place remained empty. The staff reckoned it was due to it being Cartmel Show Day.  Or was it due to its website having been designed by someone presumably under 40 who does not appreciate that older eyes might have difficulty reading the tiny print?   

A couple of jars and a beefburger later, the six of us were ready for the second stage of the walk.

Yewbarrow and Whitbarrow Scar

We crossed over the fields by Latterbarrow Farm to join the path north, crossing the road to go up the track up Yewbarrow, past Lawns House and its Morris Minor Traveller then over to the Witherslack Hall School for seriously naughty boys and its Edwardian post box.  

Whitbarrow Scar from Witherslack Hall

Normally we would have taken the direct approach up the scar but we decided to head north through the Hervey Nature Reserve and climb the scar by the Bell Rake path- a new route for all of us- a bit like a scree run in parts.  Near the top we passed what at one time might have been a small opening to a mine of some description but to what we could no longer tell.

Crossing over the fell top we could see the High Street range in the distance and wondered if it might have been alright after all.  The cloud had lifted and there had been no sign of the threatened thunderstorms.  Not that it mattered

Looking north to High Street area

Before exiting the woods, we passed the stone with its inscription "Township Plantation 1815 Whitbarrow" alongside an old grinding wheel and further down a reasonable well preserved (as one would expect in this area) lime kiln.

Dropping back down to The Howe, we agreed it had been a good outing and High Street could wait for another day.

Maybe next week?

Don, 3rd August 2011

STATISTICS:

BOOTboys routes ares now being put online in gpx format which should work with most mapping software. You can follow our route in detail by downloading BB1122.

To see which Wainwright top was visited on which BB outing see
Which Wainwright When?

For the latest totals of the mileages and heights see: BB Log.

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Archive

2011 Outings

BB1101 :
Wasnfell Revisited
Tuseday 11th January

BB1102 :
Recuperation Scar!
Thursday 17th February

BB1103 :
A Promenade of Pensioners
Thursday 24th February

BB1104 :
The B Team
Thursday 3rd March

BB1105 :
A Little Bit Of Wind
Thursday 10th March

BB1106 :
A Linthwaite Round
Thursday 17th March

BB1107 :
Home From The Pulpit
Thursday 24th March

BB1108 :
Taking The Brunt
Thursday 31st March

BB1109 :
Up The Spout
Wednesday 6th April

BB1110 :
Not The Royal Wedding
Friday 29th April

BB1111 :
Kentmere Parts 1 & 2
Thurs 5th, Saturday 7th May

BB1112 :
Five Unknown Tarns
Wednesday 11th May

BB1113 :
Gurnal Dubbs Revisited
Thursday 19th May

BB1114 :
A March Through The Mist
Wednesday 1st June

BB1115 :
Brief Encounter
Wednesday 8th June

BB1116 :
Extraordinary and
Lesser Mortals
Wednesday 15th June

BB1117 :
Farewell David Daw
Wednesday 29th June

BB1118 :
West Side Story
Thursday 7th July

BB1119 :
East Side Story
Wednesday 13th July

 BB1120 :
All The Way From Barrow
Wednesday 20th July

 BB1121 :
Suitable For The Guests!
Thursday 28th July

BB1122 :
Graylings In Flagrante
Wednesday 3rd August

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

 Wainwrights

To see which Wainwright
top was visited on which
BB outing see Which Wainwright When?.

To download a log of heights and miles and which Wainwrights have been done by which BOOTboy in the "modern" era, i.e. since the advent of BOOTboys
click on BB Log.