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BB2510
: Men of Distinction
Friday
13th March 2025
A man of
distinction with his bell, his staff and his little pig. That’s St Anthony for you, possibly the first
Christian hermit and the founder of monasticism. He is also the patron saint of charcoal
burners which probably explains why the small church hidden away at Cartmel
Fell is dedicated to him.
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You can see
him with his pal, St Leonard, in the 15th century stained glass
window at the east end, beyond the altar.
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It’s a while since we last visited him but his church remains as characterful
as ever with its boxed pews for locals of distinction and its three tier
pulpit.
This was our
starting point for the ascent of Gummer’s How.
First stop- The Monument on Raven’s Barrow. Just why it is so called has, so far, eluded
me. There is no inscription and I
have found nothing
relevant to its name on the internet. It
is simply a large cairn with an in-built seat overlooking the valley towards
Whitbarrow Scar. Perhaps it was intended
as a throne for a local man of distinction?
Or a place for three silly BOOTboys to pretend that’s them?
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Next stop, the
barn, otherwise known as Heights Cottage.
Often we have paused here for lunch but today it was too early, even
for Tony. It didn’t prevent us having a
break to absorb the sun.
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Having
completed our fester, we pressed on past the attractive Middle....
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and Sour How
tarns.
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A cow had just given birth at the
farm. Now for the BIG CLIMB.
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It’s not really
a big climb up Gummer’s How but it has all the makings of such other than its
length. The path rises steeply and there
is the opportunity for a bit of a scramble on the higher parts if you are so
inclined. We were.
It's
worth it for the views of the Howgills.....
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the lake.....
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and the Coniston Fells.
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We
found a more sheltered place to have our butties whilst
contemplating who Gummer was and how is it that it’s his How. Gummer is an old Anglo-Saxon or Germanic name
dating back in England to the 13th century at least and can be
interpreted as Man of Distinction. There
have been quite a few distinguished Gummers over the centuries. Who our Gummer might have been, I have yet to
discover. His distinction remains a mystery.
On the way down
we met a rather strange man. I think “distinctive” a more appropriate term than
“distinction”.
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He was dressed in a black
coat and carried a huge camouflage patterned rucksack which he claimed weighed
25 kilos and I believe him.
He said he
intended to camp for the night on the top of Gummer’s How, not in a tent but in
a hammock swung between two trees. Good
luck to him. There are no trees on the
top of Gummers How.
He pressed on, bent
almost double under the weight of his sac.
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There is
little more to report except to note Bellis Perennis.
No,
not a lady of distinction but
a flower that I didn't recognise.
Fortunately
Terry has an app that knows
such things.
Later,
back at the car, he had fun
on a kiddie’s sliding rock whilst Tony and I admired the intricate plaque
created by local school children.
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As we entered the Hare & Hounds, a glamorous woman in a tight dress jumped up and,
pointing at us, started swinging her hips, singing. “The moment you walked in the joint, [boom,
boom] I could see you were Men of Distinction, real big spenders. Good looking, so refined, wouldn’t you like
to know what’s going on in my mind?”
Tony looked
panicked. “I only came in for a p-p-pint,”
he stuttered. Fortunately Martin then
entered and explained to the lady that it was a case of mistaken identity. In tones reminiscent of Life of Brian’s
mother he told her “Now you listen here.
They are not Men of Distinction, they are just very silly BOOTboys”.
Don, Thursday
14th March 2025
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