NATLAND

THE HELM'SMEN 4.5 Miles

WALKERS :-  James, Vic, Anthony John W
                        Danny, Paddy, Martin.

After missing the rather obscure turning to Natland we began our "Urban Walks" season a little early by doing a motorised tour of Kendal.  No Problem. We were soon parked next to the church in the pretty little grassed square in the middle of Natland.

It has not been the kindest of summers and it wasn't long before we were tackling the ubiquitous waterlogged fields.

The footpaths across these fields were by no means clear and a friendly and rather garrulous lady wearing "Wellies" and walking her dogs, helpfully pointed the way we required.

Our earlier detour meant that we were already past coffee time soon after our walk started and a solid concrete water trough offered good seating ....... so we sat !

Our wellied dog lady had turned to come back and passed us as we sat drinking She  offered advice upon the way we should follow to get to "The Helm" .

"Watch this dangerous corner and then go through the railway tunnel."         Thank you welly woman !

We crossed the road at the dangerous corner taking suitable care.........

 A cautious crosser"  (Should that be spelt with a "T" ?)

The railway underpass.

The underpass took us onto one of the platforms of Oxenholme Station. We waited a while but the "West Coast Main Line" steadfastly refused to provide us with a train to photo.       As soon as we left of course ....... ?

From the station the road led steeply up towards the Norther end of the narrow elliptically shaped hill. "The Helm".

At a minor crossroads we left the tarmac and after studying a notice board began the initially slippery track up the fell.

As we rose higher and higher up the hill great views emerged all around in spite of the rather misty feel to the air. 

As the path levelled out the mud, too, began to diminish and the ground became considerably more friendly underfoot.  "The Helm" like most hills had several false summits (only little ones) but we were soon at the highest point marked by an O.S. trig. point.

On our last visit to this site we left one of our party encased in concrete. Imagine our surprise to find that he was still there. Someone, kind or foolish, must have been feeding him .

 The views all around (360 degrees)  were fantastic and certainly enhanced our lunchtime as we sat chatting on the leeward side of the hill. Martin rather spoiled the occasion by quietly saying ...
" Sorry everybody but I just felt a spot of rain"
" No. Never"     came several voices but alas he was right and by the time we had finished our various packed lunches we were all in waterproofs. 
To an accompaniment of "OOh ! Aagh ! Groan !"  we eventually got to our feet. Our ageing knees straightened as we prepared to descend the other side of the fell. 
First however a group photo next to the trig. point. 

Oh dear. The camera set on remote/auto began to slip as the shot was taken.  Seconds later the whole group slid out of shot to the right.   😕

The trek up the fell had been fairly gentle. Not so going down. 

 
 The slope was steep and rocky and we had to tread very carefully.

The steep slope was thankfully only short lived and one "Greyhound" (Danny - perhaps more mountain goat) was down it before some of us had barely started.
As he waited for us laggards he sheltered behind  a bush with yellow flowers. This created some discussion. Was the bush "Broom" or "Gorse" ?  Were the yellow blooms early or late ?

Because of our late arrival we had set off from a point nearer to "The Helm" than we had intended and our walk as going to be short. A walk lengthening diversion was decided upon. Before reaching the bottom of the hill, therefore, we took a left turn to drop down through a sparse wood. 

At the bottom of he wood we came once again to a tarmacked road leading back towards Natland. 

 

























As we walked along this narrow Lane our progress was marked by some extremely loud barking from a trio of rather fluffy canines safely being kept at bay behind bars.

As our small road joined the larger road we came across a rather imaginative house name.

At the actual junction of the two roads we also came across a handwritten sign which was either intentionally or unintentionally amusing.

 Almost dialect !

Had we continued along the road the shortness of our walk would have again been compounded. Another diversion was suggested by our leader.  The signpost pointing to a public footpath across the fields where we wished to go, was doing it's best to hide from us.

"Squelch ! Squelch ! Squelch !  the wetness continued.

It became particularly noxious as we passed beneath the railway.

Once beyond the rails we had just a couple more squelchous fields to cross before we arrived back in Natland.

We arrived at the square where the cars were parked and had a decision to make.  Go home, finish flasks or seek out a cafe. Fortuitously we chose, with the help of Paddy and a passing elderly gentlemen, (what nerve. You lot referring to others as "elderly gentlemen" ) to seek out a cafe. And what a cafe !!!.

Small and unpretentious but........

..... bone china cups and saucers and.........

.....hallmarked silver sugar tongs.....

.........for Meanderthals ?

WONDERFUL !

And so, back to the cars and away home. 

A short but fascinating walk with plenty of interest and some "merry" chatter throughout.

THE END.

p.s. Yellow flowering bush discussion.

Gorse has shorter, bushier branches with multiple sharp spikes. Normally blooming January to April but can bloom throughout the year.

Broom has long, thin, strong branches without spikes and was historically used for making "Brooms". It blooms April to June.

The evidence suggests that the plants we saw today were GORSE.