BB1442 : In a Valley Let Alone

Thursday 27th November 2014

In a Valley Let Alone sounds as if it should be the title of an epic poem but, as far as I am aware, it is not.  It is the title of the report of a walk around the Winster valley. Posted on the EveryTrail website by Skelwithpad, it provided the multiple inspiration for today.

Firstly, the forecasts weren't too clever.  In fact, the prevalent word was "murky" and we didn't fancy going high and not seeing anything.

Secondly, the fact that Skelwithpad had posted his tracklog gave us the opportunity to test our gps skills by using them to follow someone else's route.

However, I had a third reason to choose this outing. Skelwithpad mentions that in the 19th century the Gilpin Valley was home to a number of "clockmakers", mostly notably at Bryan Houses.  

No pun intended but that rang a bell.  Clockmakers. Winster.  He must mean the Barbers.

I like grandfather, or to give them their proper name, long-case clocks and the Jonas Barbers of Winster, father and son, were as fine a pair of clockmakers as you were likely to find in the north of England. There is a book dedicated to them by B. W. Cave-Brown-Cave and some superb examples of their workmanship at Abbot Hall in Kendal.  

I was intrigued to see Bryan Houses.

I didn't have to wait long.  We parked at the Holy Trinity Church, then, leaving its exploration for later, set off south following the GPS trail.  

Looking across the Winster valley to the fine houses

Three hundred yards later we were there at Bryan Houses.

"Bryan Houses" by Tom Dearden

From the road, it is difficult know just which buildings were part of the clockbuilding business.  Basically there is an old house plus outbuildings and a cottage, all looking in good order.

The house is a British Listed Building, being  described as 17th century with limewashed rubble walls; graduated green slate roof; stone rendered chimney stacks at ridge to left and at eaves to right. Two storeys. Six panelled door under stone built gabled porch with slate roof and side benches.

There was little point in delaying our walk further so we followed the Skelwithpad trail as it led us up Crag Lane.  When we passed through a lightly wooded area, the Garmin was struggling to know which way we should be going but it was pretty obvious.  Once across the A5074 it really got confused and tried to send us up the wrong path only to then tell us, Duke of York style, to go back down again.  From then on, however, it more or less behaved itself though it did have momentary lapses.

Way to go

Watching Bull

Would you eat these?

Watching Owl

The Skelwithpad Trail led us up over the wonderfully named Bow Mabble Breast "white road" and along other quiet paths and roads through pleasant countryside north then west to return to the A5074.

It was here that Martin suggested a different route onwards, one that would take us to a viewpoint that was new to me.  The gps experiment had worked and we now knew how to use the Garmin to follow someone else's trail.  Also that trail appeared to be heading into territory that we believed not to allow public access so Martin's diversion seemed a good idea.

His route led us through Bellman Houses and Bellman Ground before turning south to the very impressive Rosthwaite Farm complex, complete with its horses, statues, pond, hens and a pal of Tony's working on the garden.

Rosthwaite swans

Rosthwaite prancer

We left the path to climb to the top of Rosthwaite Heights.  This offers a different perspective of Windermere from that of either Gummer's How to the south or Orrest Head to the north- a sort of half-way house.  It is a fine viewpoint.

Looking north over Windermere

Our decision to stay low was vindicated by the lack of sight of the top of Coniston Old Man.  It was indeed somewhat murky but nevertheless a good place to take lunch (although, for Tony, nearly an hour too late).

Comitibus :  on Rosthwaite heights

Ghyll Head reservoir fisherman

Our route back led us past Ghyll Head reservoir and along to the Birks Bridge Ford.  We didn't need to cross it but spent a while playing ducks and drakes, skimming pebbles across the River Winster.

Ducks and Drakes across.....

.....River Winster ford

Playtime over, we headed north on the footpath to the Georgian looking Winster House where we joined, left erroneously and rejoined the Skelwithpad Trail.

Winster House

looking back across the valley

Soon, we were back at the church.  

Holy Trinity Church, Winster

This we examined before jumping in the car to be driven five hundred yards to the Brown Horse.

The return home was enlivened by John deciding that we ought to drive through the Birks Bridge Ford, so we did.  And then we did it again the other way round as we hadn't needed to do it in the first place. And then we went home and the valley was let alone once more.

Don, Thursday 27th November 2014

 

 

STATISTICS:  

BB1442

Date:  

Thursday 27th November

Distance in miles

9.4  (Garmin 62s)

Height climbed in feet

1,319 (Memory Map)

Features:

Winster Valley, Rosthwaite Heights

Comitibus:

Don, John Hn, Martin, Tony

 

Blue is the Skelwithpad route.  

Red is the BOOTboys trail.

 

 

BOOTboys routes are put online in gpx format which should work with most mapping software. You can follow our route in detail by downloading bb1442 .

To discover which Wainwright top was visited on which BB outing - although it may not be that up to date - see: Which Wainwright When?

For the totals of the mileages and heights (ditto) see: BB Log.

Photos have been gleaned from many sources although mostly from me!
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