BB0829 : Mosedale Cottage Revisited

Wednesday 3rd September 2008

Enthusiasm was definitely lacking as the four of us set off with yet another typical summer’s day having been forecast- i.e. pouring rain.

Once again we had decided there was no point in driving long distances not to be able to see anything so we opted for Longsleddale.  

The approach to Longsleddale

Unfortunately, we soon found our way blocked by a refuse wagon.  We anticipated a rather slow 4½ miles up the valley but the driver did the decent thing and pulled over at the next stop.

I had quite forgotten there is a small church, St Mary’s, in Longsleddale so we stopped to inspect it.  Although there were much earlier churches on the site, this one dates from 1863 apart from a small cupboard door inscribed 1662.   Strangely there was no organ or piano.  Do they have a karaoke machine for hymns?  

We parked near the splendid bridge at Sadgill.  It was actually quite dry as we started walking up the valley, although strong winds and wet under foot and with plenty of low cloud.  Our intention was to climb the Gatesgarth Pass and at its top turn right for Branstree.

The Sprint was trying to live up to its name as we climbed.  Near Brownhowe Bottom, we stopped to admire a little bridge under which it was flowing when Tony spotted a memorial stone to Denys Beddard, 1947 - 1985, on the inside of the bridge structure. Unfortunately we know no more about him! [See Afternote]

As we climbed Gatescarth Pass we noted what would be our return route from Mosedale and on the skyline we could see a group of people.  Or was that what they were?  They were very static.

Once we left the path to attack Branstree, I had a rush of blood to the head.  Half way up were two people.  Could they be reeled in?  Or am I too old and sensible these days? Nah!  I had to give it a go.  Inspired by Only Men Aloud, I turned their innovative version of my climbing song, Bread of Heaven, up to full volume on the internal speakers, played at double speed, and off I shot.  The climb was rather longer than I had appreciated but that was to my advantage. So was the fact that they kept stopping.  Even so, as the Duke of Wellington said, it was damn close run thing and I just got over the stile at the top before them!  Aah, the joys of youth!

In fact, I was so far ahead of the others that I thought I had time to wander over the western side of the hill to photograph the High Street range and Haweswater and get back before they arrived.  Actually, it was a rather silly thing to do as I was out of sight and had they reached the top and not seen me, who knows what they might have assumed? Pressed on to Selside Pike?  Gone down to Mosedale Cottage?  Dropped dead with a heart attack?  Consequently I decided to return before I had a view of the valley bottom, which was a good call as I arrived at the summit just as they were approaching.

Tony spent some time trying to decipher the wording on the trig point base (he likes that sort of thing).

We had our team photo at Artlecragg Pike Cairn.  By now the weather was starting to close in.  It was raining in all directions bar overhead.  Time to head down to the Mosedale Cottage for lunch.  It then turned wintry.  The rain that arrived came in big cold lumps, almost hail; it was not exactly pleasant.

As we dropped into the valley, the weather abated somewhat.  Nevertheless it was a relief to reach the cottage (where we had similarly sheltered and lunched on BB0812).  

This time it was warm inside- someone must have had the stove on recently- so we lingered longer for our break than might normally be the case.

We emerged to a reality check- it was raining.  Initially the climb up Mosedale in the wind and rain was a slog but then a strange thing happened.  I discovered I was actually enjoying the conditions.  Don’t ask me to explain it; it was bizarre but true.  I suppose that in part it may be because once you are wet (and not cold) you no longer worry about getting wet and in particular there is no longer any point in avoiding puddles (of which there were many)- you might as well splash right through them like a five year old boy! Tony and Bryan felt the same.  Not so sure about Stan!

When we reached the top we discovered that the folk we had seen on the way up were in fact fence posts- no wonder they had been so static.  At the junction with the Gatescarth Pass path we found we had to ford the beck which was in full spate or find an alternative route down.  Fortunately I remembered that it crossed under the pass at the bridge with the memorial so as long as we were able to negotiate the left bank, we would be ok.  And we were.

Travelling down the pass was much trickier than going up.  There was much more water about, streams that earlier had been trickles were now challenges, the Sprint was no longer just trying- it was positively Bolt-like and the stones on the path were at times lethally slippery.

Nevertheless we reached the car safely, wet but in good spirits.  Strangely it had been a satisfying outing.  And then it really started raining. The A6 back to Kendal was, in parts, more like a river than a road. But then, it is still summertime.  Roll on Autumn!

 Don, 3rd September 2008

Afternote:

Many months later, 31st March 2010 to be precise, I received an e-mail from a lady in France who wrote:

I have just been browsing the net and came across your report of a walk in 2008 up Longsleddale.  You mentioned the memorial plaque to Denys Beddard (1917-85) on the underpart of a bridge. 

Denys Beddard was my father.  He and my mother retired to the lake district - my mother having been born there - although they had lived in many other parts of England and Scotland during my father's working life in medical administration.  My mother (now nearly 90) still lives in the Lake District.  I, as you see, live in France and sadly don't get back to the Lakes very often.

Sue S.

Thanks, Sue, for explaining the mystery of the plaque.

Don, 31st March 2010

If you have Memory Map on your computer, you can follow our route in detail by downloading BB0829.

For the latest totals of the mileages, heights and Lakeland Fells Books Wainwrights see: Wainwrights.

If anyone wants to claim other peaks, please let me know and I will submit them to the adjudication committee!

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Archive

2008 Outings

• BB0801 :
  Avoiding the Graupel;  
  Wednesday 16 January
• BB0802 :
  Lyth in the Old Dogs;
  Tuesday 22 January
• BB0803 :
  That's Lyth;
  Sunday 27 January
• BB0804 :
  Tony's Memory Lane;
  Wednesday 30th January
• BB0805 :
  Fell's Belles!
  Thank You Mells
  Wednesday 6th February  
• BB0806 :
  The Langdale Skyline
  and a Fell Race!
  Wednesday 13th February
• BB0807a:
  An Outbreak of Common Sense;
  Thursday 21st February
• BB0807b:
  Askham Fell and
  the Lowther Estate;   
  Thursday 13th March
• BB0808 : 
  Thanks to the MWIS
  Wednesday 19th March
• BB0809 :  
  High Street and Kidsty Pike
  but no Fairy
  Friday 28th March
• BB0810 :  
  Prelude to Spring
  Wednesday 2nd April
• BB0811 :  
  Spring in Lakeland
  Sunday 6th April
• BB0812 :  
  Wet, Wet, Wet Sleddale to Mosedale Cottage
  Thursday 10th April
• BB0813 :  
  What's It All About, Tony?
  Thursday 17th April
• BB0814 :  
  The Hidden Mountain
  Tuesday 22nd April
• BB0815 :  
  The Bowland CROW
  Thursday 1st May
• BB0816 :  
  High Cup Nick:
  The Gurt La'al Canyon
  Wednesday 7th May
• BB0817 :  
  Travelling Light
  Wednesday 14th May
• BB0818 :  
  Pensioners’ Day Out
  Thursday 22nd May
• BB0819 :  
  The Northern Tip
  Thursday 29th May
• BB0820 :  
  The Bannisdale Horseshoe
  Wednesday 11th June
• BB0821 :  
  Black, White or Grey Combe?
  Thursday 19th June
• BB0822 : 
  Thunder on the 555
  Thursday 3rd July
• BB0823 : 
  We'll Give It Five
  Thursday 10th July
• BB0824 :
  Shelters from the Storm
  Thursday 17th July
• BB0825 :
  The Big Wind-Up
  Wednesday 23rd July
• BB0826 :
  Tony’s Third (and wettest) Alfie
  Wedmesday 30th July
• BB0827 :
  A Visit to Mud Hall
  Tuesday 19th August
• BB0828 :
  The Tale of Randy Gill
  Tuesday 27th August
• BB0829 : Mosedale Cottage Revisited
  Wednesday 3rd September
• BB0830 : Mist Over Pendle
  Wednesday 10th September
• BB0831 : Luncheon Chez Monty
  Thursday 2nd October

 The Comback Trail

• CBT01 : Helm, direttissimo
  Monday 22nd September  
• CBT02 : Cunswick Fell and back in the dark!
  Monday 29th September  

BOOTSKIboys

• BskiB08 : Bootski Boys in the Sella Ronda  
  23rd February - 1st March

Click on the photos for an enlargement or related large picture.

Wainwrights

Bryan has kindly produced a log of which Wainwrights have been done by which BOOTboy in the "modern" era, i.e. since the advent of BOOTboys.  

To download the Excel file click on Wainwrights.  

If anyone wants to claim other peaks, please let me know and I will submit them to the adjudication committee!

BOOT boys

This page describes an adventure of BOOTboys, a loose group of friends of mature years who enjoy defying the aging process by getting out into the hills as often as possible!

As most live in South Lakeland, it is no surprise that our focus is on the Lakeland fells and the Yorkshire Dales.

As for the name, BOOTboys, it does not primarily derive from an item of footwear but is in memory of Big Josie, the erstwhile landlady of the erstwhile Burnmoor Inn at Boot in Eskdale, who enlivened Saint Patrick's Day 1973 and other odd evenings many years ago!

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