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BB2522
: Where Eagles Used To Fly & Dixon's
Three Jumps Wednesday
18th June 2025
A walk from Mardale was planned recently but put on the
backburner due to a grim weather forecast. This week, the forecast and expected
turnout was good, so the plan was resurrected. Sadly, unexpected events
resulted in three having to pull out at short notice leaving just Robert and
myself. ‘"’m fit if you are" said Robert, so off we set.
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The Far Eastern fells are a favourite so you won’t be
surprised that the first two BB walks started from Mardale Head. One of the
attractions was to try to spot the eagles nesting in Riggindale, but sadly they
are no longer. There is some rewilding with Scottish sea eagles in England so
here’s hoping we see them again.
[Another
attaction on BB0402,
for me at least, was sighting
the Haweswater fairy. Ed.]
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Robert has been on High Street once before when he joined
the Comitibus many years ago to complete, on my part, unfinished business by
walking the Roman Road from the Queen's Head at Troutbeck to the Queen's Head
at Tirrel: BB0617.
However, the classic and
only direct route to High Street is the Rough Crag, Long Stile ridge from
Mardale Head, so that was today’s objective.
It was a glorious day with fantastic views in all
directions and we ascended Rough Crag to Caspel Gate easily, where we stopped
to admire the views and take on water.
Robert was
photographer-in-chief and his Relive (see below) is an excellent reflection of the day.
Whilst we enjoyed the views and short water break, it was a mistake on my part
as my thighs stiffened up which slowed me considerably on the shorter climb up
the Long Stile Staircase. Staircase being a definite misnomer!
We admired the views and took a blissful long leisurely
lunch in the sun reclining on the the High Street wall just beyond the trig
point. There were only two other couples in sight and, Skylarks apart, you
could hear a pin drop. Suddenly a man appeared with about a dozen mixed breed
dogs who I thought must be a dog walker. As he got closer I was surprised to
see none of the dogs were on leads, and more surprisingly, he had total control
of all the dogs who posed whilst he took photos. Was he a dog whisperer?
[Robert: The dogs were amazing. None of them
on leads but totally obedient. The chap was calling out to each dog by name for
them to pose for his High Street trig point photo.]
From High Street we headed down Racecourse Hill towards Mardale Ill Bell. From the
eighteenth century at least the Annual Mardale Shepherds meet used to hold
horse races on this slope, and as well as climbing over two thousand feet with
horses, they also lugged barrels of beer with them for the festivities.
Respect.
We stopped at Blea Water Crag to admire the view of Blea
Water.
The spot is also known, locally at least, as Dixon Three Jumps after an
18th century huntsman who fell down the cliff but miraculously survived, albeit he was totally scalped and covered in
bruises. He managed to get to his knees and whispered in broad Westmorland
dialect the way the fox had gone finishing with ‘Ill be wi ye syun’ before
collapsing. The hunting Dixons were unlucky or careless as another member of
the same family fell and was killed on Striding Edge and there is a plaque
commemorating him.
We descended quickly to the Nan Bield pass then followed
the path to the lovely tarn of Small Water.
The name doesn’t do it credit as
it’s effectively a hanging valley twin of Blea Water. To the west side of the
tarn are several small slate huts. These are made with some seriously large
pieces of slate which must have taken several men to lift. I’d always thought
they had been erected by shepherds for shelter but an alternative view is that
they were used by merchants in the days when Nan Bield was an important trading
pass. Whoever used them, they must have been small, as you have to crawl into
them.
From Small Water it was a short walk to the car and on to
the Tap. A perfect end to a cracking day.
Stan,
Wednesday 18th June 2025
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