BOOTboys

BB2130 : Ding Dong!

Thursday 19th August 2021

It’s 11 o'clock on Wednesday night. The phone rings. It’s the paramedic from the NHS111 help line. I had phoned earlier about my problem. I was worried it might stop me going out with the BOOTboys. We have an interesting chat about the offending Trombiculidae.

You might know them better as Harvest mites.

Or maybe Chiggers.

If this is still a mystery (or even if it isn’t) I suggest you consult Seasick Steve on the right, here. He’ll tell you all about them.

Click on his picture and you will hear him explaining the problem and imploring:

Leave me alone, little chiggers.
Don't lay your babies on my legs

Anyway, the para-medic and I have an interesting chat about biting beasties. He tells me then when he is bitten, he hits himself to stop him scratching. I tell him I am practicing air-scratching. He recommends moisturising cream. He tells me that the military protect themselves against such creatures with the help of the Avon Lady and her Skin So Soft lotion. Apparently insects don’t like it.

It's now Thursday morning. It's been a very itchy night, but I feel ready to risk whatever Orton can throw at me even though I haven’t yet heard the Ding Dong of the Avon Lady.

We spend some time just looking round the village and its old church. Inside is a row of three ancient bells. Ding, Dong & Doyynngg.

We set off through fields and up to Orton Scar. I have my trousers tucked into my socks to stop any more of the little chiggers climbing in.

On the top of Beacon Hill stands the Queen Victoria Jubilee Monument. In case you didn't know, this is an obelisk that celebrates the Jubilee of Queen Victoria.

Or to be more prosaic:

On the 21st June 1887
this Ancient Beacon Fire was here Kindled
by the Loyal Subjects of Crosby Ravensworth and Orton
to Commemorate the Jubilee Year of the Beneficent Reign
of her Gracious Majesty Victoria Queen and Empress.

Our next objective is to cross one of England best Limestone pavements, Great Asby Scar, in search of Castle Folds. This is what is left of a Romano-British walled, stone hut circle settlement.

You can easily see the outline of some of the buildings. Indeed we have lunch using one of them as a bit of shelter from the wind.

However, it looks much more impressive from above as you will see if you click on this link for The Megalithic Portal.

Now we wander on to High Pike and its five guardians. These are cone shaped cairns of uncertain age.

The comitibus is Martin, Robin, Tony and me so we can’t make use of them all for our team picture. I suppose we could tie Holly (Robin's dog) to the far one but somehow she manages to appear twice in the photo below so maybe we would have to build a sixth cairn!

We retrace our steps gingerly across the glints and crikes (sounds better than clints and grikes) then continue to visit the trig point on Knott. I WhatsApp a photo of its plate, BM 10674,. I thought that after all the interest in these things earlier in the year (BB2101 for example) someone might be interested. No-one responds. Have I found one too challenging?

At the bottom of the hill is more history, the Gamelands Stone Circle. It is over 3,000 years old.

There are something like 40 stones, all fallen, in a circle of diameter about 100 feet. You can see it much better from the sky, hence the Google Earth picture, right.

Or for a full 360° panorama visit Gamelands Circle.

A disagreement erupts as to whether they were for astronomic predictions, the gathering place of the tribe or a monument to the dead. Maybe all three?

Back in Orton, we all buy chocolates for our loved ones at Kennedy's shop. I am starting to itch again. It is no surprise that we eschew the WAVERLEY Temperance Hotel in favour of The George. We sit in the beer garden reflecting on the day and all the mysterious history we encountered.

I arrive home desperately trying hard not to scratch.

The doorbell chimes.

Ding dong.

It’s the Avon Lady calling.

She hands me the Skin So Soft.

I must tell Seasick Steve.

Farewell Little Chiggers. You’re not going to get me again.

What’s more, I will be the sweetest smelling BOOTboy ever.

Or as the Master of Suave, Leslie Philips, would have remarked:

I say ..................... Ding Dong!

Don, Thursday 19th August 2021

Comitibus: Martin (+ Holly), Don, Tony (+ Holly), Robin

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Route: Map: OS 1:50k

STATISTICS	BB2130 : Ding Dong!
Date:	Thursday 19th August
Features:	Orton Scar, Great Asby Scar
Comitibus:	Don, Martin, Robin (+ Holly), Tony
Distance in miles (Garmin):	8.3
Height climbed in feet (MM):	995
GPX track	BB2130.gpx

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BOOTboys 2021

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