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BB1930
: I Believe
Thursday,
5th September 2019
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“Is
that your dog?” we said to the
man walking what looked like
a trail hound.
“I
believe,” he replied.
“Don’t
you know?” we jokingly asked.
“Do you know its name?”
“I
believe,” he replied once more.
“Don’t
you actually know its name?”
we responded.
“Aye,”
he said emphatically and with
some frustration. “I’ve told
you twice. It’s Believe”.
Ah,
the joys of the English language.
The
dog turned out to be a superstar
trail hound, or so we were led
to believe.
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As
so many of our usual companions were away,
it left just Tony and I to uphold the honour
of the BOOTboys.
It was also the opportunity for Tony to
try out his new camera- an ebay bargain.
We decided against dashing round the
Lakeland tops as we didn’t want the others
to be too disappointed about being absent.
Instead we opted for a local walk
where the first and only hill was The Helm
at Natland, all 574 feet of it- a fine viewpoint
none-the-less. Just right for Tony
to put his new camera to the test.
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It
was on the far side where we met a succession
of dogs, all friendly but none with the
attributes of Believe.
We
had to pass through a field with a big black
bull which I don't think should have been
in a field crossed by a public footpath.
Fortunately he had his eyes on something
much more interesting than us.
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A
little further on, we reached the Quaker
burial ground. It is impossible to
say how many folk lie there. Their
belief in simplicity is evidenced by the
lack of grave markings There are a
couple of very old but conventional tombstones,
much damaged and I suspect not of Quakers
but I could be wrong.
After
crossing the A65 near Summerlands we made
our way to Stainton, not helped by the fact
that the OMN mapping software on my phone
was playing up (AGAIN) causing me to make
a navigational error. That was soon
corrected and we reached the hamlet.
More
tombstones are to be found outside the 17th
Century Presbyterian Chapel. It is
now signed as the Stainton Institute but
which doesn’t seem to be much used. Maybe
it is a work in progress. Tony was
more intrigued by the huge straw turtle
in the yard opposite.
The
other oddities of our last visit (BB1307)
have now been removed and / or gentrified.
In fact Stainton proved a pleasant
place to stop and eat our butties by the
bridge over St Sunday's beck. I don't
know which to believe.
Our
route led us to the canal bridge where it
used to run out of water. However
the next section has been dug out, lined
with stones and partially filled.
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Who
has done this? Tony believed it was
the Canal Trust people. I thought
I had heard that it was the folk at Sellet
Hall who seem to have developed their property
into quite an equestrian centre.
The
canal soon returns to its dried up state
until you reach the Hincaster Tunnel. This
is water-filled but not navigable. The
canal path by-passes the tunnel and the
barges used to be propelled through, or
so we are led to believe, by men lying on
their backs and pushing against the walls
with their feet.
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At
the far end of the tunnel the canal turns
north as did we. A new path has opened
up along the canal bed and what was to be
found there took us completely by surprise.
Do you believe in fairies? Probably
not but how about gnomes? Or My Little
Pony Princesses? Here is a stretch
of over one hundred yards where there is
a succession of such things and many other
creatures picknicking and playing amongst
the trees.
We
continued along the towpath through Sedgwick
on to Larkrigg where we took the bridle
path home to Cracalt. No pub there
and no beer in the cellar.
“Sorry,
Tony,” I said. “I can only offer you
a cup of tea. Would you like one?"
“Do
you know?" he replied “I believe
I would.”
Don,
Thursday 5th September 2019
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