Winterscleugh (1522') Sun 5 May 2019

You can find an index to my other walks here


I drove to the lay-by at Huck's Bridge on the A6 just before the rise to Shap road summit. Andrew and I walked down to take a look at what sort of path there is on the north bank of Borrow Beck. 


In a rush of water some months ago the bank was much eroded, and no repairs have yet been undertaken. The path rises to avoid it and then carries on to the wide stony track, Breasthigh Road, that heads up the fell and over into Bretherdale.


    We started up the track which isn't uncomfortably steep in its lower section, and continued up to the col and walked down a few yards to have a glimpse of Bretherdale. We were undecided as to whether to go down all the way but the thought of having to climb back up clinched it and we elected instead to explore the clear path, not on the O.S. map, along the north ridge of high ground above Low Borrowdale.


I had been along it with Colin many years ago but couldn't remember anything about it. It had little to commend it as an interesting walk, except to afford us a view along the middle section of Lower Borrowdale. We stopped for our lunch and were surprised that what had appeared to be an uninspiring place was enlivened by the view of the hills opposite just as a fleeting ray of weak sunshine lit the steep, tree-clad northern sides of Ashtead Fell.


 We could see rain further south but it passed us and the immediate area remained dry. The highest point on the ridge is Winash, at 1,545 feet, but we strolled round the top of a depression, and reached the slightly more imposing cairn on Winterscleugh, only 23 feet lower, with very little effort.



After the usual photos Andrew went off northwards to sample the view while I contemplated the fells opposite, Mabbin Crag, Castle Fell, and Whinfell Beacon, which had been my haunts while I was living at Meal Bank in the seventies and eighties and since.


 Having satisfied his curiosity Andrew returned and we set off back to Huck's Bridge. On the way we took a lower path and came across the footings of an ancient wall, in which was a plastic box, which we were able to open without damaging it. 


   Inside was a circuit board and battery of what appeared to be a device for recording data about the weather, but as for any aerial or similar there was no sign, and the battery seemed to be dead.

Looking up Borrowdale. Winterscleugh is top right
(Picture taken Oct 2003)
    
Back down at the stepping stones Andrew skipped across and I was minded to try it myself, but decided against it. 
    The noise caused by traffic racing up and down the road at Huck's Bridge was intolerable, but we were soon on our way south after a surprisingly good walk. As Andrew observed, a walk along the fells on the south side of Lower Borrowdale would have been more interesting but we both agreed that the view we had had of them from Winterscleugh had been much better than the view of the northern side from them would have been.
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