GLW1709 : Farfield, the Second Half

Tuesday 29th August 2017

We missed the free entry to Farfield Mill by 2 days. If you remember GLW1708, we were there on 13th August and the ticket allows you to come back for free anytime in the following fortnight. It didn't matter though. I'd lost the ticket anyway!

We started, as before, from the mill, heading along the Clough River to Hallbank but this time we turned north across the fields to Green Hollins. Some of these fields presented a damp foretaste of what was to come.

After a short distance along the yellow road along which we had returned last time, we turned left at Greenwood and were treated to a discourse on the different types of sheep, cross breeds and tups used by the farmer. He kept his lambing ewes for 8 years by which time they either crept off into a corner and died or went for meat. You can't be sentimental if you are a farmer.

It was round about Sarthwaite that the trouble started, though first we had the derelict farmhouse to examine.

The plan was to drop down to the Hebblethwaite Hall Gill and explore the footpaths put in by the Woodland Trust. The problem was that it became increasingly boggy as we approached the ravine.

It was quite a drop to the Gill and the ground was slippery. Eventually we found the sharply descending path to the footbridge and very carefully made our way down. Any thoughts of exploring paths up or down the Gill had long evaporated.

Fortunately the climb on the other side was far less challenging.

I knew there were Alpacas down the valley at Ghyllas but I hadn't expected to see that at the Hall. However a posse of young ones was there to greet us. They seemed friendly enough from a distance. I don't know what noise it is you make to attract an Alpaca. All my efforts failed and they stayed away from us.

Further down, we crossed a field in which there was a mother and baby Alpaca. She definitely didn't want to make friends with us, stamping her foot to tell us to keep away from her and her infant.

We then had a short stretch of road work to do, enlivened by blackberries then, as per last time, a little lane led us back to the Mill.

Potentially it would justify the title of a Great Little Walk. Or putting the two walks together an even Greater but less Little Walk. However it really needs to be done when the ground is dry. Not in an English summer.

Don, Tuesday 29th August 2017