KIRKBY LONSDALE

A DEVIL OF A WALK   5.4 Miles

WALKERS :-  Danny, Mick C, Mick K,

                       John W, Anthony, Mike.

With a cloudless blue sky above and an emerald green sward all about us we overshot our turn but were soon parked up on the edge of Kirkby Lonsdale.

Just a short uphill stretch, a left turn and we soon left the tarmac to cross a small field and enter a deliciously cool wood.

Again, it was a relatively short walk before we left the wood close to Biggins Hall. 

This rather handsome old building was somewhat obscured by a large farmhouse (the hall ?) and was difficult to photograph. Here's Danny trying....

It now fell to Danny to lead us downhill back in the direction of K.L. Not on the same road I hasten to add.

This narrow country lane took us to a junction with a rather bigger and busier road .  Mike remarked that the lane was refulgent with wild flowers. Here a building reeking of WWII architecture looked rather amiss in this agricultural setting.

We only stayed on this road for a few metres before turning right to follow a path down what on the map looked like a broad track. IT WASN'T broad at all. Indeed the nettle-filled "slit" promised to severely punish those who had opted for shorts.

The initially smooth surface of this narrow path gradually broadened but slowly assumed the nature of a waterless, rocky stream bed.

As we progressed down this now rather difficult path water trickled in from the sides until we were actually following a small stream.

As we neared the end of this path disconcerted voices could be heard to our left. The path had now left the stream and was higher and drier. A lady and a gentleman had, however, continued to follow the stream and were now ankle deep in thick, sucking mud. "Turn back" we advised " Follow the fork we have taken about 100 metres behind. " They turned around !

Soon after, the narrow path burst out into a wide farm gateway which offered warm, sun filled coffee opportunities. We stopped.

A few minutes later Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn arrived (WE had likened their plight to that in the film "The African Queen") They were from Lincoln and were following a minuscule map and instructions gleaned from a magazine. No No No not a good idea !

More tarmacked road now had to be followed before we dropped down a short stone step way into a field on the opposite side of which we could see the small bench filled park surrounding  the famous "Devil's Bridge"

An area of deep mud lay at the bottom of the stone steps but it was DRY ! Quickly across the small field. Across the busy main road and into the park. 

Although we had only recently had coffee the park was so attractive and had so many benches it would have been the height of bad manners not to have lunch here.

At least one old gent looks rather smugly self-satisfied with his situation. In the middle distance can be seen the rest of the geriatric group.

As we sat munching we could admire the ancient bridge before us and sit watching with amused tolerance the groups of youths jumping into the river and swimming by.

There just had to be the usual "BRIDGE PHOTO". Indeed several as the following will reveal.

As we were on the bridge (After passing the stern warning sign) a passing lady consented to take a rather closer group photo.

Back off the bridge we followed a well made path along the banks of the river where numerous people were paddling, swimming or simply quietly enjoying the riparian pleasures on offer.

The path lay between the town and the river. Sticking close to the water but passing, as it did, both the town's cricket ground and the rugby club.

We had walked for about twenty minutes when we came to the steps (87 of them) that would lead us up to "Ruskin's View" 

This view, painted by Turner, was avowed "The finest view in England and therefor the world." by, perhaps, an over enthusiastic Ruskin. We tarried a while here to admire the view although your writer feels he has seen better views !!!

Here's the view. What do YOU think ?

And here are the "Lads" admiring it.
(we were called "lads" by an elderly gentleman earlier.)

Through ancient woodlands and along the riverbank.

.....till we came to a rather attractive gate.

beyond which we entered the lands of Underley Park estate, the hall of which was once a Catholic seminary. Here we encountered a magnificent Sycamore tree (Maple) to which our tree hugging "Scientific" measurements gave an estimate of 350 years old.

Before reaching the tree there was a bridge.....w..e..e..ll.... guess what ? ....of course we did,

Beyond the tree our path lay along a straight, possibly, artificial, valley.

and the next tree was sheltering a small herd of tired looking sheep. ( Rams ?)

The sheep were extremely docile but apparently the same could not be said about all the livestock kept in this field.

Surely not Mike !

We had now arrived at a cluster of buildings seemingly belonging , originally, to the Underley estate. Now under refurbishment as a "Business Park".

We turned away from the buildings and plodded up a slope till we arrived at an ancient millpond which a passing groundsman informed us had once provided water power for a mill amid the group of buildings we had just left behind.

Our friendly, informative groundsman.

We now joined another tarmacked road which would lead us back into K.L. and ultimately to our cars. As we walked we continued to pass some very handsome buildings This one had some very O.T.T. gates.

And so back to the cars where Anthony, in Martin's absence, had very thoughtfully brought along the ever welcome, end of walk, shandies. Three Cheers !!!.

A lovely walk but in the writer's (and leader's) opinion too many hard surfaced tracks and roads.

THE END