Exploring Barden

Whilst on holiday last week we had a day out in Wharfedale. After lunch overlooking Barden Bridge we went to loook round Barden Tower, which dates back to the Middle Ages.


Barden Bridge

The Bunkhouse used by walkers on The Dales Way.

Barden Tower.

Autumn colours of the virignia creeper.

View down Wharfedale.

The entrance to the site.

Place Fell

On Saturday 10th October we had our autumn walk with the Wainwright Society. This was from Patterdale to the summit of Place Fell (2154 feet high), from where we descended to Low Moss and down by the side of Scalehow Beck to the shores of Ullswater. We then followed the lakeside path for the three miles back to Patterdale. This lakeside walk Wainwright described in Book 2, The Far Eastern Fells, as 'the most beautiful and rewarding walk in Lakeland'.

I have appended sub titles to the pictures below where appropriate.

Mist in the valleys during the drive over Kirkstone Pass.

View from the top of Kirkstone down to Brothers Water and the Patterdale Valley. Place Fell can be seen dominating the view.

Looking back to Brothers Water and Red Screes on the climb up the fell from Patterdale.

Patterdale with Striding Edge leading up to Helvellyn on the right.

Views from the first rest stop!

2nd rest stop at Boredale Hause.

Views from Boredale Hause.

Deer were descending from "The Nab".

First view of Place Fell summit.

The final appraoch.

The party reaching the summit cairn.

Views from the summit.

Myself on the summit.

Start of the descent.

Looking back to the summit.

Near perfect views after the dark clouds we experienced earlier had lifted.

The descent to Low Moss.

Caroline, our walk leader, and David taking in the superb views.

The rest stop at Low Moss.

The descent by Scalehow Beck.

Scalehow Beck.

View of Glenrydding Dodd and Sheffield Pike.

The walk back along the lake shore.

It had been a glorious autumn day, good walking and excellent company!

A Walk Up To Clifton

After the gales of Saturday we had a walk on Sunday afternoon up to Clifton, north west of Otley, approximately four miles in total from home.

The pictures below show what an excellent day it was with some great views. Sub-titles have been applied to most of the pictures.


Cows grazing in the field above home.

The autumn berries looked spectacular.

"The Spite" - one of our two locals!

Carr Side Farm.

The bullocks seemed interested as we passed.

The Village Hall.

Not sure what the bush is, but it certainly looked spectacular in the autumn sunshine.

View across to Ilkley Moor.

Slopes of The Chevin in the distance.

Storm damage to one of the trees.

Returning down the road towards home.

The local Junior School across the fields.

Plenty of pine cones on one of the trees as we were on the last ¼ mile home.

Otley Folk Festival

On the third weekend of September, Otley always plays host to "folkies" from all parts of the UK and abroad.



This is as part of the Otley Black Sheep Folk Festival sponsored by the famous Theakstone's brewery from Masham http://www.blacksheepbrewery.com/



Pictures below show some of the groups dancing by The Maypole opposite the Civic Centre, singers in The Manor Public House on Walkergate and also in the Beer Garden area of The Black Bull in the Market Place.

Short Break in the Midlands - Broadway & Kenilworth Castle

We had a visit to Broadway, a pretty village to the west of Stratford upon Avon and then finally before returning home spent some time at Kenilworth Castle, much more ruinous than Warwick but with a much more interesting history. For more details about Kenilworth Castle see: http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.16878

Short Break in the Midlands - Warwick

We were staying in Warwick so on our second day of the holiday we walked to the Castle and had virtually a full day looking round it. We were particularly impressed with the Trebucet which fires 25kg cannonballs via a slingshot method and also the Falconry display. The history of the castle is covered in the indoor displays which are included below.

The final eight photographs are at the Warwick Museum which has a very interesting military section and also one of the tudor houses opposite the museum.

Short Break in the Midlands - Coventry

We recently had a few days in the Midlands. On the first day we visited Coventry and most of the pictures below are of firstly the new Coventry Cathedral and secondly the old Cathedral that was severely bombed during the 2nd World War. The final couple of pictures of of the Lady Godiva statue in the centre of Coventry.