GLW1508 : Pottering About

10th October 2015

I wasn't expecting to have anything particular to report as this outing was intended to be more or less a re-run of BB1532 : The Crash Test Dummies. Wrong!

We saved ourselves the road slog from the Linthwaite by investing £6 to park near the ferry. Unlike BB1532 there was no wait for the ferry. Straight onboard.

On the other side we passed through the courtyard and up the slope to the formerly derelict Claife Viewing Station.

Things have definitely moved on, thanks to the National Trust. Whereas I had been puzzled as to the purpose of the steel girders, now it was obvious. They support a new floor that has been installed. The workmen kindly let me in for a nosey. A curved stone staircase is also now in position and the building is being opened to the public on Wednesday. It should prove quite an attraction.

Next was the climb up through the woods. I was impressed with how well Margaret was going as it is relentlessly steep for quite some distance.

Near the top we could her the rumble of an aeroplane but paid it no attention. Even if we had wanted to, we wouldn't have been able to see anything because of the trees.

Not quite true. Had I know what it was and when it was coming, I would have wanted to and would have made sure we were in an open viewing position such as the Claife Viewing Station. That would have been perfect.

We met a father and son who asked me if we had seen the Vulcan. No we hadn't.

They seemed a little surprised that we should be so badly informed and didn't know that today was the last ever visit of this iconic plane and that it was flying down Windermere. The lad, about 10, proudly showed me the photos that he had taken.

Lucky boy.

Click on photo for Vulcan information

As per BB1532 we dropped down to Far Sawrey, then along to just before the church and across the fields to Near Sawrey.

This time, however, we did visit Hill Top. It was late afternoon and no coachloads of oriental visitors congesting the tiny rooms. It must be thirty odd years since we were last there and we didn't remember that much about it, other than it being dark and pretty much as it was a century ago. No photos allowed inside.

It still remains as it was but what made the visit was how helpful and knowledgeable were the guides. Granny's assessment of Beatrix Potter was that of being a grumpy old lady- that was her recollection of meeting BP, or Mrs Heelis as she then was, who was visiting her sick husband in hospital in York during the war. The guide agreed

Another talked about the pictures hanging on the wall and in particular a couple that looked to my untrained eye very much in the Potter style but turned out to be by Ranulph Coldecott. It seems she also "borrowed" some of his animal characters. Plagiarism is too strong a word but clearly BP was highly influenced by him.

Here are some pictures taken from his A Frog he would a Wooing go .

Reproduced with kind permission of Project Gutenberg

We spent so long at Hill Top that we abandoned the thought of visiting Moss Eccles and Wise Een tarns but returned to Far Sawrey on the BB1532 bridle path and then likewise over the side of the hill to Ash Landing except that we discovered a small nature reserve which made a pleasant change from the road..

Once again, on reaching the ferry, there was no wait and we were soon back at the car, reflecting on what an interesting walk it had been. And yet with all our Pottering about, we forewent the tarns that had been the highlight of the BOOTboys walk. Next time?

Don, Saturday 10th October 2015