More Walks - Weather Improving

Sunday - 23 September



We went for a drive to check out the starting points for some of the up-hill walks Brian wants to do. Lunch at a pub in Horton in Ribblesdale and walked around the village and up the road to where one of the three highest peaks in Yorkshire walks begins. Misty and wet so refrained from doing it today, but the forecast is for good weather all next week! I’ll believe it when I see it.


Saturday - 24 September.


Left Cowan Bridge about 8.30 am in anticipation of having a longer look at Lancaster before meeting Joan who was arriving on the train from London around 11.00 am. Managed to get some of the items we had been looking for, but no joy with wine glasses. Since we have been here we have managed to break three. This is due mainly to the fact that there is a porcelain sink in the kitchen and like tiles on kitchen floors, porcelain sinks are very unforgiving!


It was still cold and wet when Joan arrived, so after a brisk walk from the station we headed inside for coffee at Nero. Then a long walk trying to find the fish shop we had discovered before meeting Joan – at least she saw a bit of Lancaster. Turned out it was in the market so we managed to get the makings for Brian’s delicious seafood chowder for dinner at Cowan Bridge.


She and I went for a long walk up the road that Brian and I did on the first Sunday we were here. Got high enough to see the sea, and by the time we were there the weather had changed and was starting to clear.


Sunday 25 September


We ended up staying up late watching the end of the movie Calendar Girls followed by a 10 years on documentary about the creation of the movie and all the people involved. It was very entertaining, but very late when it finished. Joan said that when she eventually got to bed, her mind was full of that, plus all that we had chatted about, but it was the squeaking fire alarm that had kept her awake for most of the night. I was very apologetic. Upstairs there are fire alarms in every room plus two in the hall way and Brian has been trying to track the problem down for a week. He thought he had it sorted but unfortunately for Joan he had not! We will have to get new batteries before Tim and Hazel arrive!


Sunday morning was fine and sunny but a cold wind. Decided to explore Morecombe before Joan was due to depart Lancaster later that afternoon. None of us had been there although Brian says he was there when he was a young bloke on the lookout for girls. Wandered around a market full of clothes and had a look at the Art Deco style Midland Hotel. Walked out on the stone jetty and along the sea front, but were not terribly impressed. Glad we went, but won’t be in a rush to go again. Did notice that there are different supermarkets down there where we might be able to buy some replacement wine glasses!


Monday 26 September


Another warm, fine and sunny day. Decided to do the Haweswater walk. This is a dam created by the flooding of the village of Mardale – similar to Jindabyneand Adaminaby in the Snowy Mountains. We had walked around part of it when we did the Coast to Coast walk in 2002, but I didn’t remember too much about it because we came into it from Patterdale and that had involved a long climb up to the top and then a long walk along the top) before we finally found a way down to the water and then on into the village of Shap. It was the longest days walk in 2002 about 28 kms, and all I can remember about it is being so tired I could not be bothered to get the camera out to take a photo the ruins of Shap Abbey. Today was a breeze and only 20 kms. It was even warm enough for us to sit down and eat our crunchy bars for lunch something we never did on the Coast to Coast. The walk back along the eastern bank was by road but the plus was we were able to stop in at the Haweswater Hotel for a drink.

Tuesday 27 September


Another fine sunny day – warmer than yesterday! Drove out to Horton in Ribblesdale and started the walk up Pen-y-Ghen (694m –the 3rd highest peak in Yorkshire). I went up to the first stage, but decided against going any further as it was pretty steep. Brian continued on and said that it was easier than Mt. Cooroora, but I’m not into doing steep uphill walks anymore, so I returned to the village and explored it and waited until he made it down again.