Carlisle & District Rambling & Fellwalking Club

Walk & Event Reports

Sunday 13th August 2017

B Walk

Threlkeld Circular

11 Miles Grade 3

Leader: Ian Rowley

Reports by Heather Perrin & Ian Rowley

Photos by John McKay & Ian Rowley

Heather's Report

This was a cracking good walk, with great walking weather and at least eleven miles to go. Twenty two of us set off through various fields and lanes to start the walk along the Old Coach Road, nicely undulating, a good path and close up views of Blencathra and Lonscale Fell.  Immediately above us was Clough Head. A few miles along brought us to a bridge where we ate our lunch, and then a couple of miles further on we turned left onto the bridleway. Now this was two miles of the wettest, soggiest, squelchiest walking some of us had ever done – and what fun it was! Well done Ian for discovering this.

No way could horses or cyclists have navigated this route. 

Finally, after a bit of road, bit of field we had the most delightful walk by the River Glenderamackin to take us back to

Threlkeld and the tea room.

Thank you Ian for a completely new and enchanting walk

Heather

Ian's Report

Honesty is almost always the best policy so the walk description for today came with a clear health warning about crossing the impossible mire of Sandbed Moss. Despite this 22 hardy walkers entrusted their lives to the only person known to have traversed the bog twice and lived to tell the tale.

It’s probably rare for a bog crossing to be the highlight of a walk but from the feedback I received this was clearly the case. I heard at least one person say, “Whose brilliant idea was this?”

Any way the rest of the walk was also most enjoyable following the disused railway tracks out of Threlkeld and climbing the “Old Coach Road” that gave stunning views of mighty Blencathra set against a clear blue sky. There was time to muse on how not one, but two disused railway wagons came to be placed 1400 feet above sea level on a remote fell side and time also to take in the grandeur of Lakeland fells displayed to their best advantage on a fine, almost warm, summers day.

After reaching dry land a footpath sign warned that the way we had just descended was not suitable for wet horses  (or perhaps horses after wet weather) Luckily we hadn’t bought any horses, wet or dry, with us and so we proceeded back alongside the Glendermackin river to Threlkeld and welcome cups of tea and pints of ale.

Thanks for everyone who joined the walk.

Ian