BB2127 : Was it Dvořák’s 9th Symphony?

Wednesday 7th July 2021

As Stan and I were climbing up to Arant How, why was it that I could not stop thinking about the Czech composer Antonín Leopold Dvořák?

Something was nagging at the back of my mind.

It was market day in Sedbergh- quite unexpected- so we had been unable to park in the centre.  Instead we had to go up the hill to park the car- something we regretted later.

The day was fine and the ground drier than anticipated.  

We were making good progress.  From Arant Haw and up along the Dales High Way.  

However, as we crossed the strangely named Rowantree Grains Fold to Calders and on to our target, the Calf, that 9th symphony was still gnawing at me.  Like my memory, the summit pond was totally dried up.

The route back was to be alongside Cautley Spout.  Neither of us liked the man-made path as the slabs were too narrow and covered with small stones that acted like marbles.  The descent was very steep and my legs are still aching, I am so out of condition.  Stan, of course, skipped down.

Cautley Spout was impressive, despite the shortage of rain.

 We stopped for our butties, enjoying the peace beside one of the lower falls.  I remembered now.  It was the beautiful Largo.  I wondered if the folk in the iron age settlement would have liked it.

Our return used the track featured by Wainwright as part of his Pennine Journey.  It is an ancient bridle path, frequently passing through short tunnels of hawthorn trees.  

I found myself thinking, not for the first time on BOOTboys outings, of Paul Robeson.  

Of course!  The Largo was based on an African American spiritual, a version of which he had recorded.

After passing through a couple of scruffy farmyards, the path drops down to the River Rawthey which we followed back to Sedbergh where waiting for us was that cruel climb back up that hill.

Back at the car, I phoned home.  I suddenly realised I had it all wrong.  That tune.  That song.  It wasn’t Dvorjak.  It wasn’t Paul Robeson.  It wasn’t his spiritual “Going Home”.  It was Baddiel and Skinner's Three Lions. It was "It's coming home".

 “Margaret,” I sang “We’re coming home, we’re coming home, BOOTboys coming home!”

There's people reading this report.  They think it's all over.  It is now!

Don, Wednesday 7th July 2021

Afternote;  For the benefit of anyone happening to read this years after the event (or currently living on a different planet) who find themselves totally baffled, it might help if I explain that today was the day of the semi-final of the EUFA European Football Championship and England were playing Denmark.   And if you haven't done so already, do click on Three Lions.

Kendal Walking Festival

Bryan, who is one of the organisers, confirms that the Kendal Walking Festival is going ahead this year, but in a slightly different format. In order to cope with the uncertainties around Covid they have made all the walks local and free. Doing it that way means it can be cancelled at short notice with minimal cost.

So instead of the Kentmere Horseshoe this year he has put together a 14 mile / 2,200ft walk around the Scars.  

Click on the picture to the right for the brochure

 

Route:  

 

Map: OS 1:50k

STATISTICS

BB2127 : Was it Dvořák’s 9th Symphony?

Date:

Wednesday 7th July 2021

Features:

The Calf, Cautley Spout

Comitibus:

Don, Stan

Distance in miles:

11.0

Height climbed in feet:

2,909

GPX track

BB2127.gpx

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