Hedgerow Darwin Wasp

March 10, 2026 Mark Richardshiking, Nature13 Comments

A post to almost see off last September. Trigger warning – arachnid photo coming up.

Wednesday Evening

PXL_20250924_161901690 — *Following the ‘western edge’.*

A wednesday evening after work – where am I going to go? Farleton Fell of course!

PXL_20250924_162135361 — *Limestone pavement.*

I’m pretty sure that this will be my last Farleton Fell post for quite a long while – the light evenings were, sadly, coming to an end.

PXL_20250924_162412908 — *A large cairn.*

My ascent route was different again – actually between my previous two. I’d seen this cairn, which is much more substantial than it looks in this photo, on my previous walk and had decided to investigate at the next opportunity.

PXL_20250924_162824296 — *A little further up the edge.*

PXL_20250924_163004898 — *A large boulder*.

PXL_20250924_163122197 — *More boulders.*

PXL_20250924_164201299 — *The obligatory shot looking down the edge towards Warton Crag.*

PXL_20250924_164216370 — *Hutton Roof Crags and Clougha Pike.*

PXL_20250924_172009506 — *Middleton Fells, Great Coum, Gragareth, Ingleborough.*

I sat for quite some time on the top – I think I had tea to keep me going. I contemplated waiting for the sunset, but it was a bit too cold.

PXL_20250924_173535732 — *Sunset over limestone pavements.*

PXL_20250924_174537143 — *Another sunset shot.*

Thursday Evening

PXL_20250925_200027579 — *Giant House Spider. Not actually all that big.*

After a little chat with this house guest, I had a wander down to The Cove.

PXL_20250925_181332215 — *Land art at The Cove.*

PXL_20250925_182044021 — *Heading towards ‘The Beach’. The foreshore which had built up has now completely eroded away again.*

PXL_20250925_181454781 — *Post sunset light.*

Saturday Afternoon

PXL_20250927_115643377 — *A toadstool in Eaves Wood.*

A longer walk this one, through Eaves Wood then down eventually through Fleagarth Wood to Jenny Brown’s Point. It was a fairly grey day and I didn’t take a lot of photos. Not until I encountered this wasp anyway…

PXL_20250927_124251673 — *An ichneumonid wasp*, possibly *Heteropelma amictum*, *or the Hedgerow Darwin Wasp.*

PXL_20250927_124321559 — *Hedgerow Darwin Wasp?*

At which point I took no end. The wasp was constantly on the move, crawling over the nettle leaves and every now and then flying short distances, then beginning to explore the nettles again. What a stunning creature, I was delighted.

Apparently ichneumonid wasps as a whole are referred to as ‘Darwin’ wasps, although the connection to Darwin seems to be through his disapproval rather than any enthusiasm for these species. The wasps lay their eggs inside or on spiders, or other insects or their larvae and the rather brutal nature of this practice made Darwin doubt his faith. In a letter he wrote:

“I own that I cannot see as plainly as others do, and as I should wish to do, evidence of design and beneficence on all sides of us. There seems to me too much misery in the world. I cannot persuade myself that a beneficent and omnipotent God would have designedly created the Ichneumonidae with the express intention of their feeding within the living bodies of Caterpillars, or that a cat should play with mice.”

Personally, I think that the wasps are both fascinating and beautiful. I’m with him regarding cats however, which are clearly the work of the devil.

PXL_20250927_130138365 — *Clougha Pike from Jenny Brown’s Point.*

Where Troubles Melt Like Lemon Drops

March 8, 2026 Mark Richardshiking, Nature, Walking4 Comments

PXL_20250916_161428517 — *Beetham Fell and Haverbrack on the left, Heversham Head on the right.*

Just one post-work walk to report from the third week in September. Guess where I went?
Way up high?
Well….265 metres. Does that count?

PXL_20250916_162201408 — *One of the myriad of paths on Holme Park Fell.*

Little paths like this head-off in various directions, and every time I had to make a decision which way to go, I found myself thinking I would have to come back to try the alternative option. Having said that, that’s not necessarily a particularly easy thing to do because it’s hard both to remember which choices you’ve made previously, and also not to get distracted by an interesting looking path, or some Gentians in the sward (I did take yet more photos) or a boulder or some other limestone feature, or a large cairn over that way…

PXL_20250916_162720457 — *Approaching the limestone pavement on the ‘western edge’.*

PXL_20250916_162836521 — *The limestone pavement.*

PXL_20250916_162945127 — *Following the edge.*

PXL_20250916_162951230 — *The hills of home.*

PXL_20250916_163655134 — *Middleton Fells and Great Coum capped by cloud. No sign of Ingleborough.*

PXL_20250916_163718602 — *Looking down the edge to the hills of home.*

PXL_20250916_163744331 — *A rainbow over Scout Hill.*

PXL_20250916_165545833 — *My descent route.*

PXL_20250916_170939655 — *Holme Park Fell scenery.*

Just 3½ miles. And a mere 150m of ascent*. But that’s the point really, this little hill punches way above its weight and that’s what keeps dragging me back. Having said that, I may have only squeezed in one more visit last year before the clocks went back and curtailed my evening fun.

*Or, as those in the know like to say, one Arnside Knot. It’s a pretty useful guide. For example, my Mungrisdale Common outing was a six Arnside Knots day. I’m trying to get this recognised as a universal measure of ascent, so far I’ve persuaded TBH, my own kids, and old friend The Tower Captain. It’s a start.

In Praise of Walking

March 6, 2026 Mark RichardsPhotography, Walking7 Comments

PXL_20250909_162123267 — *Bit of colour – Haws and Canadian Goldenrod.*

A Tuesday evening, last September. I perhaps should have been venturing up Heversham Head, or Whitbarrow or The Helm or some other Local Limestone Lump. But I just couldn’t resist another visit to Farleton Fell.

PXL_20250909_162454155 — *The ‘Western Edge*‘.

The cliffs on the western side of the hill are tiered so that there are several broad levels between the tiers which can be followed uphill. I followed the broadest and I think the lowest (but I am going to go back to check the latter).

PXL_20250909_163518411 — *The hills of home.*

PXL_20250909_164102195 — *The ‘Western Edge*‘.

PXL_20250909_165020566 — *The ‘Western Edge*‘. The summit from Farleton Knott.

My ascent route has followed the wide shelf on the right, which gives a natural line directly to Farleton Knott.

PXL_20250909_165135174 — *The Lakeland Fells from Farleton Knott.*

PXL_20250909_165141293 — *The Howgills.*

PXL_20250909_171418603 — *Middleton Fells, Great Coum, Gragareth, Ingleborough*, *from the ‘Northern Edge’.*

PXL_20250909_171912872 — *Devil’s Coach Horse Beetle.*

I can’t recall ever seeing a Devil’s Coach Horse before, but after this encounter I saw several more during subsequent September walks. Since they are nocturnal predators perhaps the surprise is not that I hadn’t seen them before, but that I saw several last Autumn. Apparently they are common in gardens. Also, they can give a painful bite, so I shall be a bit more circumspect when trying to persuade one to pose for a photograph in future.

PXL_20250909_172207770 — *Autumn Gentians.*

Gentian flowers which were actually open! I tried photographing the flowers from above, but they were tiny and I couldn’t persuade my phone’s camera to focus on them properly.

PXL_20250909_173631329 — *Grassland – looking to Hutton Roof Crags and Clougha Pike.*

PXL_20250909_173846749 — *Looking across limestone pavement to *Middleton Fells, Great Coum, Gragareth, Ingleboroug*h.*

Paths abound all over the access land on Farleton Fell. There’s a well used path below this limestone pavement which I’ve often followed, but this time I was stringing together a series of much fainter trods.

PXL_20250909_173954209 — *Holme Park Fell terrain – limestone pavement and edges.*

PXL_20250907_183139515 — *Sunset at The Cove.*

Two other walks to report from that week , both short evening outings to The Cove.

PXL_20250911_190424220 — *A different sunset at The Cove.*

PXL_20250914_063644366 — *Two very enjoyable reads.*

‘In Praise of Walking’ very rarely mentions any actual walks but instead gives the scientific research into wide-ranging health benefits of walking. I found it fascinating. Walking helps your brain grow apparently. That’ll be why I can always manage to “while away the hours conferrin’ with the flowers, consulting with the rain”
‘My Name is Why’ tells the story of Lemn Sissay’s childhood, with his adoptive family, and then in the foster system and care homes. It’s eye-opening stuff and another brilliant read.

First Week Back: Holme Park Fell

March 3, 2026 Mark Richardshiking, Nature, Walking16 Comments

PXL_20250904_162813096 — *My walk starts – with a rainbow in the distance.*

My fourth day back – I don’t know what happened on the Wednesday – it was probably raining. Many of my September walks were showery and although I found plenty of sunshine too, I can’t recall any of them being especially warm.

PXL_20250904_163106959 — *Howgill Fells and Middleton Fells, with a shower in between.*

This – just three walks in – is where my Local Limestone Lumps project foundered somewhat – not because I ran out of time, or motivation or evening daylight hours – although all three of those did begin to dwindle as the weeks went on – but because I enjoyed this walk so much that ever after when I fancied a post work hill-walk I found it impossible to think further than a return visit to Farleton Fell.
At which point I should probably explain that the hill I climbed on this particular walk, and which is very prominent in the views from our kitchen windows, has always been known to me as Farleton Fell, but is named on the map and on sign-posts as Holme Park Fell. Two for the price of one!

PXL_20250904_163325840 — *A view over Whin Yeats Farm. Middleton Fells, Great Coum, Gragareth, Ingleborough.*

This then, mainly in pictures, is a love letter to Farleton Fell/Holme Park Fell. (With more to follow!)

PXL_20250904_163853116 — *Limestone pavement and Ingleborough.*

PXL_20250904_164301333 — *More limestone.*

Why is it then that I enjoy Farleton Fell so much? There’s plenty of interesting flora and fauna to observe. A wealth of paths to explore. The views, in every direction, are superb. But those things are all true, to a greater or lesser extent, of other local hills too. I think it must be that the limestone scenery adds so much interest to the foreground of those views.

PXL_20250904_164347159 — *Another Ingleborough view.*

PXL_20250904_165151955 — *Middleton Fells, Great Coum, Gragareth.*

PXL_20250904_165903425 — *Autumn Gentians. The flower on the left is dematerialising.*

Ovr several visits, I only managed to find Autumn Gentians in quite a limited area. The plants never grew clear of the close-cropped turf and the flowers didn’t seem to open very much. None of which deterred me from taking endless out-of-focus photos however.

PXL_20250904_170301814 — *The ‘northern edge’. Ingleborough has disappeared in the cloud.*

Some of the features on Hutton Roof Crags have wonderful names – Potslacks, Blasterfoot Gap, Uberash Breast, The Rakes, Ploverlands. I feel sure that at some time or other locals will have assigned names to many interesting features on Farleton Fell too, but if they did then sadly none of them have made it onto the OS map. In the absence of any guidance, I’ve taken it upon myself to coin some suitable appellations, although ‘northern edge’ is hardly resounding with musicality and intrigue. Must try harder.

PXL_20250904_170310804 — *The ‘northern edge’ the other way looking to the summit and to Farleton Knott on the right.*

On one of my visits, possibly this one, I watched a pair of Kestrels quartering the ground below this edge, occasionally meeting on a small crag hereabouts – I wondered if they were feeding chicks in a nest, or is September a bit late for that?

PXL_20250904_170829325 — *The ‘western edge’. I’m sat just below the summit.*

PXL_20250904_170949353 — *Looking along the ‘western edge’ to Warton Crag.*

PXL_20250904_170957162 — *Hutton Roof Crags Ward’s Stone and Clougha Pike*.

PXL_20250904_171001611 — *Looking across Holme Park Fell to Hutton Roof Crags.*

PXL_20250904_172129772 — *The ‘western edge’ again.*

PXL_20250904_172630313 — *The summit and the ‘western edge’ from Farleton Knott.*

PXL_20250904_172459746 — *The River Kent and the twin humps of Gummer’s How and Birch Fell. The Lakeland Fells are lost in the cloud.*

PXL_20250904_172515481 — *The hills of home and Morecambe Bay from Farleton Knott.*

PXL_20250904_173232217 — *Heading back towards the top – where does that faint path go?*

PXL_20250904_173519707 — *Down the western edge.*

PXL_20250904_173824467 — *The ledge gets narrower in places.*

PXL_20250904_180057738 — *Canadian Goldenrod.*

Canadian Goldenrod is a good deal taller than Gentians. It’s an introduced species. I bet you can’t guess where from? I was surprised to find that it had colonised quite a large area – it must have been spectacular when it was all in flower.

PXL_20250904_180021431 — *Canadian Goldenrod.*

PXL_20250904_180033027 — *Canadian Goldenrod.*

PXL_20250904_182144110 — *The weather closing in.*

I just about beat the rain as I arrived back at my car.

Maybe I’ll revive my Local Limestone Lump Legwork now that the evenings are lengthening again. Or perhaps I should try a real challenge – a route which takes in 13 of them over 55 miles with 8700 feet of ascent? Perhaps not in a single evening after work! (But it omits Yewbarrow, The Helm, Beetham Fell and Haverbrack anyway. Must try harder!)

Spikenard, Gentians, Eyebright, Sandwort

February 19, 2026February 22, 2026 Mark Richardshiking, Nature, Walking15 Comments

PXL_20250830_103135245 — *Ploughman’s Spikenard.*

With the last of our summer skive ebbing away, I went for a wander on Farleton Fell (or, if you like, Holme Park Fell, which is what the Wildlife Trust, who own the land, call it). I was tempted, if memory serves, by social media photos of Autumn Gentians, since this is the only spot where I’ve seen them.

PXL_20250830_103236759 — *Hutton Roof. Clougha Pike in the distance.*

PXL_20250830_103241254 — *Warton Crag and Arnside Knot.*

It was quite some time before I found any Gentians, but I did notice some other tiny flowers in their stead.

PXL_20250830_104122598 — *Limestone Boulders.*

PXL_20250830_104521419 — *A little limestone edge.*

PXL_20250830_105251340 — *Approaching the top.*

PXL_20250830_110132755 — *A Sandwort. I think. There are several.*

PXL_20250830_110429726 — *A Painted Lady.*

PXL_20250830_110755784 — *The Kent Estuary. Hampsfell, Gummer How, Whitbarrow. And on the skyline: Black Combe, Whitfell, Caw, the Coniston Fells.*

The vistas from the top of the fell are absolutely superb, and pretty much every time I come this way, I wonder why I don’t come more often, what with it being so close to home. For once, that thought actually lead to some action on my part, as you will see in forthcoming posts.

PXL_20250830_110801304 — *Arnside Knot and Beetham Fell.*

PXL_20250830_110805267 — *A view along the edge to Warton Crag.*

PXL_20250830_110818716 — *Looking to Clougha Pike.*

PXL_20250830_110827277 — *Middleton Fell, Great Coum, Gragareth, Ingleborough.*

PXL_20250830_110834994 — *Scout Hill, with the Howgills behind.*

PXL_20250830_112103720 — *Autumn Gentians.*

It took me ages to spot any Gentians, but once I did I noticed more plants dotted about. They can grow to about a foot tall apparently, but these were tiny and remained so on subsequent visits.

PXL_20250830_113221042 — *Another view of Ingleborough*, *from Newbiggin Crags.*

PXL_20250830_114104142 — *Middleton Fell etc from close to Whin Yeats farm.*

I dropped down to Whin Yeats Farm to buy some of their delicious cheese from the little ‘honesty shop’ there.
It wasn’t a long walk, about three and a half miles, but packed full of interest. In the evening I was out around home for a stroll to The Cove and Lambert’s Meadow.

PXL_20250830_183101120 — *Later, at The Cove.*

Farleton Fell from Holme

February 3, 2025 Mark Richardscanals, hiking, History, Walking12 Comments

PXL_20241021_113647756 — *Holy Trinity Church, Holme. Locked, sadly.*

The Monday of our October half-term break. I fancied a local walk, but maybe a little further afield than usual. So I drove a few miles to Holme, and set-off along the canal…

PXL_20241021_114648653 — *Lancaster Canal, near Holme.*

PXL_20241021_115721423 — *Lancaster Canal and Farleton Fell.*

PXL_20241021_121453917 — *Lancaster Canal and the M6. No bridge.*

The canal passes under the M6 via a culvert, so there’s no way any boats could pass through, but a b-road further south has already blocked the canal in much the same way.

PXL_20241021_122437445 — *The canal east of the M6.*

The towpath here seems to be well-walked, but I can’t really understand why because when the canal reaches the motorway, the way is blocked.

PXL_20241021_125621241 — *Looking down on Farleton. Heversham Head on the left.*

I’ve never climbed Farleton Knott from Farleton before. The path was a narrow affair through thickets of gorse, but wide enough to just about be comfortably passable.

PXL_20241021_125956060 — *Scout Hill.* *The Howgills beyond.*

Scout Hill is not access land, so I’ve never been up there. Definitely not. That would be trespassing. So there’s absolutely no point searching through my blog archive for an account of an ascent.

PXL_20241021_130307994 — *Another view of Scout Hill.*

PXL_20241021_130856029 — *Farleton Fell from Farleton Knott.*

Farleton Fell, on the other hand, I have climbed many, many times. Although, not since last October. Maybe I’ll drag my brother up there when he visits in a week or two.

PXL_20241021_130901120 — *Warton Crag, Heald Brow, Cringlebarrow, Middlebarrow, Arnside Knot, Beetham Fell.*

There are great views in all directions from the top, but I’m especially fond of the low wooded hills to the west – the hills of home.

PXL_20241021_130952122 — *Middleton Fell and the hills above Kirkby Lonsdale.*

I took a lot of photos of waxcaps that day. There were plenty to photograph.

PXL_20241021_132058985 — *Farleton Knott from Farleton Fell.*

PXL_20241021_132120303 — *Another view of the hills of home.*

PXL_20241021_132151864 — *Looking east across the limestone escarpments of Farleton Fell.*

PXL_20241021_132620376 — *Carline Thistle.*

I found a pleasant sunny spot out of the wind for a late lunch and a brew. Late lunch because I didn’t start my walk particularly early. I can’t remember why.

PXL_20241021_135646337 — *The path to Newbiggin Crags.*

PXL_20241021_140716905 — *Hutton Roof across more limestone pavements.*

I’d originally planned to include Hutton Roof on the route, but it was getting on and I needed to be in Lancaster for a regular Monday night quiz league fixture.

PXL_20241021_140958541 — *A limestone edge.*

PXL_20241021_144108013 — *In the woods.*

From Farleton Fell I descended to Burton-in-Kendal by Snape Lane, a path hemmed in on both sides by hedges. I ought to have known better, it was muddy and very overgrown, largely with head-high nettles. Not my idea of fun.

PXL_20241021_152544052 — *Crossing the M6 again.*

PXL_20241021_154105405 — *Arnside Knot, right of centre and some very wet looking fields.*

Just beyond Burton, I rejoined the canal to take me back to Holme.

PXL_20241021_154223987 — *Another canal bridge.*

I took a lot of photos of bridges, not all of which are here. The bridges all numbered, but I also now know that they are all listed and named too.

PXL_20241021_154411830 — *Lancaster Canal.*

PXL_20241021_154828750 — *House by the canal. An old mill?*

Something made me wonder whether this house was once a mill. Perhaps just its proximity to Holme Mills.

One of the trees in the hedgerow by the house had shed hundreds of apples. I know they look a bit scabby, but I tried the least manky looking one, and it was delicious. Don’t judge a book….and all that!

The large mill pond down by Holme Mills was created in 1790 to serve a linen mill apparently.

PXL_20241021_155931712 — *Another canal bridge.*

PXL_20241021_160310323 — *Holme Coke Ovens*

The coke ovens were on the far side of the canal, so I didn’t have a great view.

P1420067 — *Mating dragonflies reflection.*

Plum Chutney and Almond Tea on Farleton Fell

December 27, 2021December 26, 2021 Mark Richards5 Comments

20210711_111928 — *The Prof on Hutton Roof, heading towards Farleton Fell.*

The day after our Glasson walk we met the Herefordshire Horde* again for a more familiar walk on Hutton Roof and Farleton Fell.

(* Can three people be a horde? The only other term I could think of which would keep the alliteration was ‘host’ but that’s no better. Herefordshire Household? No, that’s no good either. Herd? No.)

20210711_122737 — *Eaves Wood and Arnside Knott from Farleton Fell.*

The pictures show that it was quite cloudy, and according to Andy it was raining early doors, but I remember it being pretty warm and a bit sticky.

Our lunch stop brought a good-natured argument about the relative ‘middle-classness’ of Andy’s plum chutney and my loose-leaf almond tea, brewed using an infuser.

20210711_120950 — *Stove plus the offending* *infuser.*

I don’t think we let the argument go for the rest of the day, not even when Andy climbed into his salt-of-the-earth Beamer to drive home. (See what I did there! 😈😁) Herefordshire Hoi-Polloi?

We didn’t quite make the top of Farleton Fell since we were hurrying to get to our respective homes to watch England lose the Euros final.

20210711_134611 — *Looking back to Farleton Fell.*

20210711_140939 — *Great Coum and Ingleborough from Hutton Roof.*

Another excellent saunter and a precursor of more to come.

Another Tour of Farleton Fell

June 21, 2018 Mark Richards8 Comments

Beetham Fell, Kent Estuary, Whitbarrow Scar and Lakeland Fells from Farleton Fell.

The Explorer Scouts, with A amongst them, were trying out scree running on the slopes of Farleton Fell. Since it would fall to me to either take A and her friends or collect them, I decided that I would do both, earn double the brownie points, and get out for a walk of my own whilst I waited for them to finish. I dropped them off near Holme Park Farm, but since there isn’t much scope for parking there, I drove up to the high point of the Clawthorpe Fell Road and left the car there (near the spot height of 192 on the map at the bottom of the post). After fulfilling a promise I made to myself not so long ago – of which more later – I set off following the wall which forms, initially at least, the eastern boundary of the access area on Newbiggin Crags.

There’s a track here, not marked on the map, close-cropped and with different vegetation than the surrounding area; I would hazard a guess that this is an old track, in long use.

It follows a level shelf which circles the hill and makes for very pleasant walking.

Scout Hill.

It was a gloomy evening, very overcast, but the forecast had said that it would brighten up, so I had high hopes.

Eventually, the track swings westward and climbs a shallow, dry valley with a low, limestone edge on the right…

The grassy slopes below the edge…

Had lots of orchids…

They were mostly quite dried-up and finished. These had me confused at the time, but looking at them now I feel sure that they must be Early Purple Orchids. In the fields around home these have long since shrivelled up and disappeared, but I suppose the extra bit of elevation must be sufficient to make the flowering both begin and end a little later here.

The path brings you to the little col between the twin summits of Farleton Knott and Holmepark Fell. If I’d had a little more time I would have stayed with the path – it drops down to the paths which follow the base of the western edge – but I was conscious of the time, and too tempted by the view from the top.

Farleton Knott.

Looking back down the dry valley, sunshine finally arriving.

Middlebarrow, Arnside Knott, Beetham Fell.

Looking along the edge to Warton Crag.

Hart’s-tongue Fern.

Meadow-oat Grass – I did learn something on my course.

Returning by a higher route on Newbiggin Crags. Ingleborough still in the murk in the distance.

Skylark – I think.

Coal Tit.

The sunshine has reached the hills to the east by the time I was approaching the car again. The wind had picked up too; the little wind-turbine in the centre of this photo was whizzing around now. I’d walked past it twice earlier – the first time it wasn’t turning at all and the second time only rotating lazily.

Screen Shot 2018-04-26 at 22.09.49

Screen Shot 2018-06-21 at 22.09.18.png

You can see on the map above why I’d already walked past the wind turbine twice. I detoured down to Whin Yeats Farm, where there’s a…

…portashop?

An honesty box, a fridge, and milk and cheese for sale…

I’d seen this advertised on a previous visit to Fareton Fell and resolved to try this local produce when an opportunity arose. The next evening, the boys and my Father-in-Law joined me to sample the cheeses…

I think this is the Farmhouse on the left and the Fellstone on the right. Both very tasty. The consensus was that we preferred the Fellstone. B described it as being ‘like Manchego, but stronger’, which is high praise, because he’s very fond of Manchego. I shall be getting those again.

Home from Kirkby

May 30, 2018May 31, 2018 Mark Richards4 Comments

Woods near High Biggins.

Mid-May and the rugby season has apparently come to an end. Or at least, there was an end-of-season award ceremony organised at Underley Park (midweek training is set to continue, seemingly indefinitely*). The ground was extremely busy, with extra-parking laid on, large marquees and a number of enormous trailers on site, not because of the junior rugby awards, but because Hollywood was in town, filming a scene (or scenes?) for a new Dr Doolittle movie. We kept our eyes-peeled, but Robert Downey Junior and Antonio Banderas weren’t in evidence. Due to all the excitement, the awards were slightly delayed, but the assembled families picnicked, played a little rounders and enjoyed the fabulous weather.

The whole event was over by around two, and having anticipated this, I had decided to fulfil an ambition I’d been nurturing throughout the season: to walk home from Kirkby. In truth, this had not been my original plan, but when TBH made a last minute decision to join the boys and I, I hastily threw my rucksack, maps and a change of shoes into the boot. So that when I set off, I didn’t have a route planned, or know quite how far I would be walking. For that reason I chose not to start from Underley Park, but asked instead to be dropped off in Low Biggins, just across the busy A65 from Kirkby.

Cottages in High Biggins.

A short walk brought me to High Biggins, which seemed a very sleepy place and which I don’t think I’ve ever been through before.

A coat of arms in a wall. Linked to High Biggins Old Hall? (Which I missed somehow, I shall have to come back.)

Heading towards Hutton Roof.

Looking back. Gragareth and Ingleborough on the horizon.

Longfield pano.

The hill on the right here is Scout Hill.

Looking back again.

Hutton Roof Crags and Farleton Fell.

Hutton Roof.

I liked the look of this house, on the outskirts of the hamlet, nestled into the hillside and dated 1874 over the porch door.

On Hutton Roof Crags.

Looking back towards the Middleton Fells.

It was hot. Just before she left me TBH asked if I had enough water and I said that I did. I was wrong. This little puddle…

…,rather a surprise on a limestone hill, was no use to me, sadly.

Farleton Fell. Lake District Fells and Howgills beyond.

I’d climbed on to a path slightly higher than the right-of-way shown on the map, but the views were more than sufficient compensation.

Panorama.

Once I met the Clawthorpe Fell Road I followed that for a while, before picking up Snape Lane and dropping down to Burton-in-Kendal. I’ve walked this way more than once before, so was surprised to come across an entrance into the Lancelot Clarke Storth Nature Reserve which I haven’t used before. I shall have to come back.

Field just outside Burton. These shiny, plastic covered fields seem to be a growing phenomena. Is the plastic acting as a sort of cloche?

Burton-in-Kendal.

Sadly, I didn’t read this sign the first time I walked past it. If I had, I could have saved myself a rather pointless out-and-back.

M6 and Farleton Fell. Some people like these things apparently. Sorry there’s no junction, Andy.

Ash tree, finally coming into leaf.

Beetham Fell in the middle distance, Lakeland Fells beyond.

West of the motorway, there’s a tiny lump called Hanging Hill. I suspect the name probably signifies a grim past. The path doesn’t even cross the highest point, but this modest height has really expansive views.

Hanging Hill pano.

Lancaster Canal.

The map doesn’t show a towpath here, but clearly there is one.

I’d followed this DofE party…

…over Hanging Hill. I found out later that they are friends of A and had been lost, which I was wondering about, because it was quite late on a Sunday afternoon now for them not to have finished. The bright rucksack liners are colour-coded so that different groups from the same school can be easily identified from a distance, which seems like a good idea.

I passed through the tiny hamlet of Hilderstone and then through a section of the walk with very flat farmland and numerous ditches, sharply contrasting with what had come before.

I must have been tired when I reached the A6, that’s my excuse anyway, because I temporarily turned the wrong way. I was worried that the path leaving the A6 might not be very well-used, but I found the stile okay and it wasn’t completely overgrown. The first field though, turned out to be thoroughly water-logged, which didn’t seem to deter the Lapwings which I think were nesting there.

White Moss is relatively close to home and has some permission paths as well as the one shown on the map, and yet it’s many, many years since I last walked here.

I must make more of an effort!

White Moss.

Yealand Hall.

High excitement at the corner of Thrang Brow Lane and Storrs Lane…

I think I counted eight or nine emergency vehicles, some of which were unmarked. I don’t know what had happened, but I hope that everyone was okay.

Copper Beeches on The Row.

Incidentally, there were a few butterflies about, and plenty of birds to enjoy, but I didn’t take any photos, because I only had my phone with me, and anyway was trying not to hang about. The walk was a little over 14 miles, which took me a little over 5 hours, which is a good deal faster than I usually walk, but I wanted to get home in time for my tea. Which I did.

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Given that I improvised the route as I went, I think I made some good choices. Next time I walk it, I think I will go over Hutton Roof Crags and down through Lancelot Clark Storth, but otherwise I would probably stick with this route. A pie and a pint in Burton wouldn’t go amiss either!

*Which is a Good Thing. No really, it is a Good Thing. What else would you do with a Wednesday evening in the summer, when the sun is shining and the evenings are long?

Tour de Farleton Fell

April 29, 2018 Mark Richards9 Comments

Being the further adventures of a taxi-Dad. A Monday night, dance lessons for A in Milnthorpe and I decided, once I’d dropped her off, that I would drive over and make another visit to Farleton Fell. It was a gloomy evening with odd spots of rain in the breeze, but too good an opportunity to pass up.

Though I make weekly visits to Milnthorpe, and have often been to nearby Holme, I’ve never driven between them before and I was inordinately pleased to discover that there’s a tiny hamlet named Whasset along the road. I’m not sure why it amused me so much*.

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I’m also quite chuffed with how well this capture from Mapmywalk shows my route, although, it’s annoying that Newbiggin Crags have somehow been labelled as Heysham Limestone Pavement.

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From the Clawthorpe Fell Road, I followed the right-of-way over towards Holme further than we did on our Easter visit, then turned right on a promising trod which didn’t fail to deliver on that promise.

I’d originally intended to come up below the limestone edge, something I must do another time, but this path brought me on to a wide shelf, which gradually narrowed to a broad ledge, part way up the crags.

I followed a Green Woodpecker up the edge. I got one photo, but the bird was just a black silhouette against the sky. They almost always seem to elude my camera. Almost.

Arnside Knott, Beetham Fell, Haverbrak, River Kent, Whitbarrow.

The ledge at its narrowest.

Middleton Fells and Ingleborough.

Summit pano.

Looking back along the edge to Warton Crag and the Bay.

On our last visit, we turned right roughly where I was stood when I took the photo above. This time I carried on.

It was a delightful choice.

Ingleborough from Newbiggin Crags.

My path continued to the right, but the path heading downward looked attractive too and it was clear that the slopes below had several paths to explore.

I’ll be back.

There’ll be other Mondays.

This was quite a high level tour. I also would like to try a much lower one, incorporating a visit to Lupton Beck and Whin Yeats Farm…

…where they make two different cheese with their own unpasteurised milk. I’ve been eating a lot of cheese recently, and when I say recently I’m referring to any period during the last fifty years, but I’ve also been seeking out unpasteurised cheeses, because I’ve read that they are good for my gut microbiome, and any excuse will do me. Local unpasteurised cheese seems like an even better bet. I’ll report back.

*I apologise. This was completely disingenuous. I absolutely know why I was amused. It was the prospect of annoying the residents by getting the name wrong. Whass’at? Whass’up? Was it? Wha’at? No? I’ll get me coat.

Beating The Bounds

A Blog about walking, thinking about walking, reading about walking…….and maybe other stuff

Farleton Fell