HALF A LEAGUE ONWARDS........ 6.5 MILES
LIGHT BRIGADE :- Danny, Anthony, Mike, Jim and John.
With a light drizzle falling we set of from the main car park on Beacon Fell and headed for the Triangulation Post at the top.
Looking back towards the car park and cafe area.
We passed briefly through the "Fitness" area stopping long enough to take a "Non-Bridge" photo.
High up in the trees was a huge dragon fly. Almost like a still from "Walking with Dinosaurs".
Then a little less scary... an owl.
A little further up the path another sculpture. Someone commented, "That's a wise old bird"but did not enlighten us as to which of the two figures he was referring. I Don't think that the owl is nearly eighty though.
Here we are at the Summit of the Beacon.
When the music stopped Danny was out. Only one on a seat. Sorry Danny them's the rules.
Down now to cross the one way road encircling the fell.
Then off through the fields hoping to reach Waddecar Scout camp.
When John and Anthony visited it as Boy Scouts it was always known as "Wood Top".
Over to our right as we walked were the Bowland fells with Parlick and Fairsnape topped with clouds.
After weeks of sunshine and dry weather the recent rain has left some quite wet areas. Difficult to see but in the photo below water is bubbling up out of the land drains
Anthony and Jim, in an effort to avoid the water climbed round the roots of a tree.
Out of the fields and back onto what amounted to a drive leading to several rather expensive looking private houses.
As we gathered ourselves together we were passed by group of youngsters on their Duke of Edinburgh expedition.
With the tree clad Beacon Fell behind us we set off down the drive to look for the River Brock and Waddecar camp
Clouds clearing away from Fairsnape and Parlick so there was a promise of a good afternoon. The promise was kept .
A closer view of Parlick.
We now followed the road as it passed the old post office and the narrow road leading to Bleasdale Circle, a wood henge thousands of years old. Our past walks have visited it several times.
We were heading for "Jack Anderton's Bridge " where we could drop down to the foot path alongside the River Brock which in turn would take us to Waddecar.
Anthony insisted there was an easier way and led us through a gate and down to a small stream which he was convinced was the River Brock !!!! It was not more than a few minutes before any evidence of a footpath disappeared. On the other side of the stream perhaps ? We crossed over but no path was to be found there either.
The terrain become increasingly difficult until we arrived at this
"Hammer Horror" tree. We stopped for lunch and to consider our next move as the way beyond this tree looked impassable.
"Half a league, Half a league, half a league onwards.
All in the Valley of Death rode the six hundred !
"The Charge of the Light Brigade"
Alfred Lord Tennyson
Well this was no valley of death, we were not 600 just a mere 5 and we were not mounted on light chargers.... BUT there were vague echoes. One was that we should not have continued after our initial mistake. What we assumed might have been a path ( Path ?) became increasingly difficult. No roaring canons but stinging nettles, tearing brambles, fallen trees to clamber over and clinging. slippery, sticky mud.
....Until eventually there was no way forward.
Danny suggested, quite reasonably, that we climb out of the valley and up the side into the fields above us........... OH DEAR !
The climb rapidly became VERY steep and very SLIPPERY with nothing to hold onto. There are no photos of this part of the walk as it was all we could do to stay on our feet (Knees) and not slip and go tumbling down the steep rock and bramble covered slope to the stream. It was very slow and painful progress as we "inched" our way upwards.
This photo illustrates the only way your writer could eventually reach the top of the bank. His knees (both metal replacements) had been sorely tried and every step to the end of the walk was now an effort.
After puzzling our way through the fields and back to the road (A visit to Waddecar had by now been abandoned) We followed the road back to Beacon Fell and the car. Well.... some of us did.
After quite a lengthy stretch of uphill road we came to the junction with the one way road round the fell. This looked quite a steep hill. Although now only a short distance to the car both John and Anthony decided that "Enough was Enough" and opted to sit by the road and wait for Jim to bring the car down (Thanks Jim)
Fortunately Mike also stayed and as John's knees had just about seized up he was kind enough to help John back on his feet
What a welcome sight. Here comes Jim with the transport.
This had been an excellent walk with some unexpected challenges before we got to the end. Well Done Danny.
" Not though the soldiers (walkers) knew. Someone had blundered. "
See you next week
(If we have recovered)
THE END
THE KNEES !
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