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| Dovecote Gill |
We parked in an obsolete loop of the Sedbergh road at Burntmill Bridge where there is a delightfully situated cottage by Hebblethwaite Gill. A short road-walk along the narrow Dowbiggin Lane leads to Dovecote Gill farm. We intended to locate the cave AW describes on Walk 32 in his Howgills book.
The
first part of the walk afforded pleasant and clear views in the
sunshine. As there is no public access through Dovecote Farm, Dovecote Gill has
to be entered from the east after circling round using an unmetalled lane.
This actually leads to a gate where the lane turns right down to the Clough River, but AW's walk leads straight on in order to reach the little gate he mentions above the gill. Alterations on the ground have made AW's map puzzling to follow.
It is worth dropping down the steep, and, on this day, leaf-covered, slope to explore the gill, and to note that a footpath continues up the other side to Dovecote farm. But to continue on AW's route one must return up to the little gate.
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| The lane circumnavigating Dovecote Farm |
This actually leads to a gate where the lane turns right down to the Clough River, but AW's walk leads straight on in order to reach the little gate he mentions above the gill. Alterations on the ground have made AW's map puzzling to follow.
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| Dovecote Gill with Dovecote Farm up on the right |
It is worth dropping down the steep, and, on this day, leaf-covered, slope to explore the gill, and to note that a footpath continues up the other side to Dovecote farm. But to continue on AW's route one must return up to the little gate.
A field gate ahead leads on to the moor, but we stopped to
inspect a lime kiln which has an unusual interior. The back wall has a pillar
supporting the roof, looking quite decorative, and it appears there has never
been any lime burning there, the structure perhaps serving more as a shelter.
Once on the moor above the intake wall the going was rather wet and muddy in places, and a cold wind had made itself felt. Further on from Fellgate Farm the track peters out.
We passed a couple of deep hollows, the second of which contained a large number of black bags dumped there by someone who apparently has little regard for the correct way of disposing of rubbish. We came across yet another old lime kiln, this one built with massive stone blocks.
We had difficulty in finding a good path from here. But we had good views of the slopes of the southern Howgills.
Unusually for this walk Wainwright's sketches don't do justice to the the most interesting part of the route, where a dramatic gorge appears: there is no drawing of the huge crater-like gash which is quite a surprise on suddenly coming upon it. It is down in the gorge where Hebblethwaite Gill rushes past Dovecote Cave, which AW does sketch. He says the cave's now inaccessible, but doesn't say why, and as neither of us saw it neither can I.
Andrew satisfied his curiosity somewhat by descending a precarious path above the gorge in order to look down on the rocky gash in the moor where water runs to form Hebblethwaite Gill. I stayed safe on the lip of the bowl. A few years ago I would have taken off my rucksack and explored the bottom by the cave (unseen from both our positions) but I am less adventurous these days, especially in cold and windy conditions. (Coward!)
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| One of the lime kilns seen on this walk |
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| The pillar adds an air of quality to the kiln! |
Once on the moor above the intake wall the going was rather wet and muddy in places, and a cold wind had made itself felt. Further on from Fellgate Farm the track peters out.
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| Overgrown paths from here on cause uncertainty |
We passed a couple of deep hollows, the second of which contained a large number of black bags dumped there by someone who apparently has little regard for the correct way of disposing of rubbish. We came across yet another old lime kiln, this one built with massive stone blocks.
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| We really didn't want to see what was in these bags |
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| Some enormous stones were used to build this kiln |
We had difficulty in finding a good path from here. But we had good views of the slopes of the southern Howgills.
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| The southern aspect of the Howgill Fells |
Unusually for this walk Wainwright's sketches don't do justice to the the most interesting part of the route, where a dramatic gorge appears: there is no drawing of the huge crater-like gash which is quite a surprise on suddenly coming upon it. It is down in the gorge where Hebblethwaite Gill rushes past Dovecote Cave, which AW does sketch. He says the cave's now inaccessible, but doesn't say why, and as neither of us saw it neither can I.
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| The surprise gash in the moorlandPhoto: Andrew Banks |
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| Andrew ventures to the edge to look down on to the gill |
Andrew satisfied his curiosity somewhat by descending a precarious path above the gorge in order to look down on the rocky gash in the moor where water runs to form Hebblethwaite Gill. I stayed safe on the lip of the bowl. A few years ago I would have taken off my rucksack and explored the bottom by the cave (unseen from both our positions) but I am less adventurous these days, especially in cold and windy conditions. (Coward!)
Back on the moor we lunched in
the lee of a wall, my having brought for the first time on a walk some
soup in a flask and it tasted really good!
We resumed the walk alongside a strange linear earthwork on the rim of the high bank above the river and although AW mentions it he doesn't elaborate. It's clearly old, but built for what purpose?
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| Down in the depression Photo: Andrew Banks |
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| The closest Andrew got to The Cave Photo: Andrew Banks |
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| Hebblethwaite Gill above the cave area Photo: Andrew Banks |
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| Another view of the cave area. Photo: Andrew Banks |
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| The strange earthwork above Hebblethwaite Gill |
We resumed the walk alongside a strange linear earthwork on the rim of the high bank above the river and although AW mentions it he doesn't elaborate. It's clearly old, but built for what purpose?
Various things that AW usually mentions which aid in navigation (I found his
diagram not adequate without the help of the O S map) have disappeared or
changed, but we eventually located the footbridge in Hebblethwaite Wood
which is in the care of the Woodland Trust.
At Hebblethwaite Farm we turned down the access road and then through a field towards Gyldas where we saw numbers of alpacas*, some of whom came to stare at us, probably wondering at our funny shapes just as we were amused by theirs.
After a few yards we came out on the main road and so back to Andrew's car.
This had been the first walk together since 30 September and was really very interesting, but a limited success as we didn't explore the cave area fully. It is really a walk better done on a warm sunny day in summer. Yes, let's do that!
*Alpacas and llamas (Opens in new tab)
Index
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| Hebblethwaite Gill |
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| Looking back at the gateway at Hebblethwaite Hall |
At Hebblethwaite Farm we turned down the access road and then through a field towards Gyldas where we saw numbers of alpacas*, some of whom came to stare at us, probably wondering at our funny shapes just as we were amused by theirs.
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| More and more of these animals are choosing to reside here |
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| Er...hi! |
After a few yards we came out on the main road and so back to Andrew's car.
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| Lovely setting at Burntmill Bridge |
This had been the first walk together since 30 September and was really very interesting, but a limited success as we didn't explore the cave area fully. It is really a walk better done on a warm sunny day in summer. Yes, let's do that!
*Alpacas and llamas (Opens in new tab)
Index
