Scout Scar, Helsington Church, Brigsteer Woods

Easter Monday was a bit of a wash out. We stayed in and played more games and chilled. Eventually, when the rain paused briefly, Andy and I set out on a wander around Eaves Wood. Of course, the weather had just been lulling us into a false sense of security and it was soon drizzling, and then chucking it down again. Everywhere was clarted up with mud again and, almost inevitably, one of my slips led to a proper both-feet-in-the-air-arse-in-the-mud pratfall. By that time I think we were both already considering giving up and heading home, but that banished any doubts and we made a beeline for dry clothes and hot tea with me looking and feeling like Swamp Thing.

I didn’t take many photos. Just one in fact, of some puddles in our driveway…

The Tuesday was forecast to start in much the same way, but then brighten up. We’d already arranged to meet The Tower Captain and his daughter S for a walk; the Surfnslide crew decided that they would stay another day to squeeze in one more walk and catch up with TTC. I didn’t fancy another walk in the rain (I’m not sure anyone else was all that keen either) so we elected to wait for the weather to improve before we set off. We were just finishing our lunchtime soup, watching it still rain through the kitchen windows, and cursing the forecasters, when the rain finally stopped, right on queue. We left a car at the southern end of Brigsteer Woods, piled into the other two cars and parked those in the smaller of the two car parks on the Underbarrow – Kendal road. That car park is in a small, old quarry. Almost inevitably, the DBs saw this as a brilliant opportunity to do some climbing and scare the wits out of the rest of us.

A very small climb soon brings you out on the highest part of Scout Scar, which has marvellous views of the higher hills of the lake District.

We were a sociable group of ten, or twelve if you count TTC’s two dogs.

This…

…is The Mushroom, a shelter built in 1912 to commemorate the Coronation of King George V. The inside of the rim of the roof has a pictorial topograph which picks out the many hills and places which can be seen from this relatively modest top.

Scout Scar panoramas. Click on these, or any other photos, to see larger images on flickr.

Almost inevitably (there’s a theme emerging here surely?), despite the sunshine, there was a cold wind blowing. Little S thought maybe he could use his coat to glide on it.

Unlike Whitbarrow, on Scout Scar there’s a path right along the edge. We were walking south, away from the Lakeland fells, but the temptation was always there to turn back to admire the view along the edge back to those hills.

Not that the view the other away was at all shabby…

Scout Scar, Kent Estuary, Arnside Knott.

Arnside Knott, Lyth Valley, River Gilpin, Whitbarrow. Meadow Ant mounds in the foreground.

The ‘new’ wetland at Park Moss.

St. John’s Church, Helsington, built in 1726.

These painted Royal coats-of-arms are a feature of the small, rural churches in this area. Both Witherslack Church and St. Anthony’s on Cartmell Fell have them too. This one is the coat-of-arms of King William IV, crowned in 1830.

Mural, painted in 1919 by Miss Saumarez.

Park Moss and Whitbarrow Scar.

The paths through Brigsteer Woods were something of a quagmire, not surprisingly after a day and a half of rain. But there was some compensation in the form of the daffodils which fill some parts of these woods at this time of year.

A short walk, but one packed with interest.

We had to rush back, not just because the Surfnslide party had a long homeward journey to undertake, but also because TTC had one final treat for our long-weekend planned, to wit a trip up the village church tower. I made it as far as the first floor…

 

…but declined the rather spindly looking ladder and the balancing act around the bells above to get to the roof. The photos I took didn’t come out too well, but The Tower Captain really looks in his element here doesn’t he?

Fool’s Day in Brigsteer Woods

There was a time when I considered the limestone hills of Furness – Hampsfell, Whitbarrow, Yewbarrow, Cartmell Fell and Scout Scar – this little snippet of the White Peak, overshadowed by the higher hills of the neighbouring Lake District, to be my weekend stomping ground. These days there are more calls on my time, and when I do head away from home for a walk, I tend to follow the crowds to the Lakes or the Dales.

I do still occasionally get to Brigsteer Woods, especially at this time of year to see the daffodils which crowd the woodland floor. But I ought to come more often, it’s only a 20 minute drive from home.

The daffs are probably near the end of their flowering period, but there’s plenty of other things to see…

The Bluebells are starting to flower.

There’s plenty of Wood Anemones too.

I walked past a patch of brambles and a host of insects lifted and hovered briefly before apparently going back to their sunbathing. At first I took them for Honeybees, but they were Drone Flies I think, or most of them were; a hoverfly which imitates a bee.

Almost every bramble leaf seemed to have a resident fly.

In fact, I soon realised, every suitable spot was occupied. It was like being on a busy beach in midsummer.

They weren’t all hoverflies, I did spot a marmalade coloured bee, I suspect a Tawny Mining Bee, but wasn’t fast enough to get the photograph which might have confirmed that fact.

Once again, there were Chiff-Chaffs, merrily chiff-chaffing, and this time I did even manage a picture, although not a great one…

And another Roe Deer buck, which was calm enough to stand and stare at me for long enough for me to take a few snaps.

Through the trees I could see the shimmer of what I took to be light reflected on water. The Lyth valley has had problems with flooding in the past, but surely the weather hasn’t been that bad of late?

I’d forgotten reading about the creation of a new wetland and a hide by the National Trust team from the Sizergh Estate.

Mute Swan

As luck would have it, the sole occupant of the hide was one of that National Trust team, watching the mere patiently through a sizeable telescope. He told me that these swans, over the back of the new wetland…

…were Whopper Swans, although given the quality of my photograph, I think I shall have to take his word for it.

Two squabbling Coots briefly raised a cacophony.

I liked the view across the pools to distant cloud-cloaked Lakeland hills…

Little Egret.

Whitbarrow Scar.

Scout Scar.

The dike behind the hide was fringed with a very verdant crop of Ramsons, or Wild Garlic.

And growing in the dike, I think that this vigorous plant may be Celery-leaved Buttercup…

Violets.

More Ash flowers.

Blackthorn blossom.

The hedge here was thronged with birds, Great Tits, Blue Tits and a pair of Jays but they led me and my camera on a merry, fruitless dance.

Park End Farm had a small orchard of what I took to be the Damsons for which the Lyth Valley was once famous.

From Park End Farm, I climbed up to Wells Garth. Which gave me a different view of both Park End Moss and Whitbarrow Scar.

A bird of prey hovered overhead.

From the outline and the colours, I assume that it’s a male Kestrel, although at first glance I thought it was something larger.

Yellow Archangel.

From Wells Garth a number of options present themselves. A favourite of mine used to be to continue from here on to Scout Scar. You could also climb up to the tiny Helsington Church. But I needed to take the most direct route back.

Kent Estuary, Arnside Knott and Whitbarrow Scar.

Friends had bought me a ticket for an am-dram production of Up Pompeii!. And a very enjoyable fest of innuendo, double entendres and unadulterated smut it was too. Titter ye not.

Brigsteer Woods Revisited

In the afternoon of my morning stroll around Eaves Wood and Haweswater, I was operating a Dad’s taxi service, dropping A off with our friends who live near Crossthwaite at the head of the Lyth valley. I managed to persuade the boys to join us, so that we could visit Brigsteer Woods on the way home. After a slight navigational error, I opted to take them to the little fell church, St. John’s at Helsington, first. The church is not particularly old and has little to recommend it, except for it’s splendid situation, with open hillside all around and a great view of the Lyth valley (when it isn’t hazy due to an unseasonal heatwave). The churchyard is a pleasant and peaceful spot however,

At Brigsteer Woods, we did almost exactly the same walk as the one we did here twelve months ago. Once again, the principle reason for visiting is the fabulous carpet of wild daffs.

 

 

But this year, other flowers were ahead of where they’d been last time. Wood anemones were flowering…

 

And whereas last year we found just one bluebell with a flower spike which had evidently almost opened, this year lots of the bluebells were in full flower.

 

There were chiff-chaffs singing in the trees again – another sure-fire indication of the arrival of spring. I even managed to get a photo of one, but from such a great distance that it isn’t much use.

The boys were on great form and charged around playing imaginative games and finding things to climb over, under and all about.

 

Hopefully, they’ll never feel that they are suffering from Nature Deficit Disorder.

They were very excited when they found large blotches of scarlet elf cup on a mossy fallen tree trunk – probably the same spot where we saw it last year.

 

I brushed this chap out of my hair…

 

…is it a crane fly?

 

I’d originally planned a shorter walk, but got carried away by the boys enthusiasm. Besides which they’d run all the way down to the bottom of the hill (the half-way point) without giving me much chance to make alternative suggestions. The low sun didn’t bode well for the barbecue we had planned however…

Brigsteer Daffodils

 

After dragging ourselves away from the excitement of carpet shopping, we took the kids to Brigsteer Woods. A walk in the woods is always a big hit with them – almost immediately they found a fallen tree trunk laying over a dip which provided an opportunity for feats of daring, balance and agility. The strange little woven-stick buildings I walked past on my last visit were also popular.

From an adult perspective though, the most striking thing was the ubiquity of great drifts of daffodils. Apparently, once upon a time this was a common sight all across Britain, and the reasons that such displays are much less common now are not fully understood.

The whole wood is access area and is criss-crossed with paths. We found a route which took us down, down, down to the right-of-way which runs along the bottom edge of the wood and then another track which brought us back up the hill, eventually back to the car. (If you plan to make a visit, be warned that the right-of-way doesn’t pass through the best areas for daffodils.)

Chiff-chaffs were singing in the trees overhead. Underfoot we found more violets…

This one has the nectar-guide lines. The leaves were tiny and not much use to me for identification purposes. We couldn’t detect a scent. I think that I found the stipules though…

…which have hair-like teeth. The spur was darker than the petals. I think that this is early dog violet.

Although daffodils provide the principle entertainment at the moment, it was clear that there will be a succession. Some area were completely colonised by ramsons….

And it looked to me as though there will be a good display of bluebells too. We even found a solitary scout leading the way….

There were wood anemones and primroses too.  Everything was moss-covered, even the smallest saplings were wearing shaggy socks….

In the shade of a mossy fallen tree we found some large scarlet elf-cup…

Down by the path we also had a ‘Lord of the Flies’ moment when we found a skull mounted on the branch of a small tree….

B was delighted….

…and has brought the skull home with him to add to his bone collection. Judging by the size and the teeth, which all looked like molars, I’m guessing that this is a sheep skull, although I suppose that it could be a roe deer.

The Creative Use of Odd Moments

Only short walks to report on of late. Train station commutes, with the regular accompaniment of the sound of drumming woodpeckers. One afternoon last week, I took a little excursion to Brigsteer Woods on the other side of the estuary. When I left the house it was raining, on the way it began to clear and there was briefly a rainbow. When I parked the car at the edge of the wood the sun was shining. Where I entered the woods there were a number of odd structures (see above).

The principal reason for heading this way was because this is probably the best daffodil wood that I know. Sadly, although there were no end of daffs on display, the flowers weren’t open.

The sky was looking pretty ominous and by the time I finally found some open flowers I was being pelted with hail stones.

 

 Hail stones on moss.

Leven’s Hall

Later that same day, with the light fading, I was in the Milnthorpe area, acting as Dad’s taxi. I drove up to Leven’s Bridge and had a short walk along the Kent.