Sat 17 Dec 2016
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Clints Crags |
On such a cold, damp day it was not easy to get up at 6 to collect Andrew at 8. Over 100 miles further after driving through fog for part of the time we arrived at the start of our first walk. It was an easy ascent without rucksacks, to Watch Hill and Setmurthy Common, but there was a cold breeze.
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Setmurthy Common is the mound by the Wood |
Watch Hill is more worthy to be the summit of the hill, but a little further along the ridge there is slightly higher ground, according to AW, right in the corner near a wood, at 803 feet. It wasn't a day for standing about admiring views, but in clear sunny weather they would be extensive southwards, and Wainwright gives a list in his guide.
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Old gatepost bases |
We returned by the same route to the car for a bite to eat, over ground on which there was mud mixed with cattle dung and which collected in abundance on our boots and we had to change before we were able to drive on to our next hill, reached from the village of Blindcrake.
They say that History repeats itself, and the walk over Clints Crags was almost a replay of my last visit there in September 2011. The only real difference was the absence of herds of cattle: the soggy and muddy terrain was the same!
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ThackrayCottage now |
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The cottage in 2011 |
Thackray Cottage didn't appear to look much older, but less attractive in the duller light.
Willie White's well was just as uninviting, and later we did meet some cattle when we were charged at by a small herd of heifers who thought we were the bringers of food!
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Willie White's Well |
Willie White's well was just as uninviting, and later we did meet some cattle when we were charged at by a small herd of heifers who thought we were the bringers of food!
There was one thing I hadn't noticed on my previous visit, and that was a long raised bank in the field just before we reached the lane in the village. A concrete upright slab at one point suggested it could have once marked the position of a fence. I would have liked to ask a village resident about it but we met no-one on our way back to the car.
It was turned half past three when we reached it so we set off for home, after a tiring and rather unrewarding day, except for Andrew, who now has but four Outlying Fells to do.
