Thursday 30 June 2011

Crosby On Eden - Newtown

As we only completed a few miles on Sunday, we decided we would take a stroll out on Monday evening as well.

Of course we started where we left off, parking by the church in Crosby On Eden.  It was at this point I realised my camera didn't have a memory card in, so  I had to borrow a camera, hence the poor photographs this time.


Walking up the road towards Crosby Lodge, a country house hotel in beautiful surroundings, we turned left just before we reached it and crossed a bridge over the A689.


Our route then took us past a farm, where cute little Shetland ponies were eating their dinner.



We then walked up a little lane, with trees either side, and onto a country roads. At the point the rain started, and the waterproofs dug out of the rucksacks !


The next road we came to was a muddy farmland road, so narrow you wouldn't want to meet a trac...... tor!
Or FOUR !!!


Four times we had to climb into the hedge to let the farm vehicles past, not fun with a daft Spaniel!!

We passed the farm, and crossed a little road to then walk through about 6 fields.  Field after field, grass after grass.  Still, by this point it had stopped raining and the coats were now tied around our waists.

Saw some cute bunnies about the same size as my fist.  (Dotty Dog was well and truly on the lead now, bunny smells excited her somewhat!)

The last field was an interesting one, first it started off with a wall..... unfortunately not Hadrian's Wall, but a wall made from tyres,


Into the field we walked across a mount, built up from both sides, we wondered if this was actually the site of the wall, but who knows?  The field had obviously been something, it was very uneven and unnatural.  Very interesting.  It also had a tiny little tarn in the centre.




At the end of this field we found a box, as there was a sign saying "temporary toilet" i was being wound up that you actually squatted in this box and did your doo. Reluctantly I lifted the lid and it was full of goodies  :)   PHEW!

We left the field and onto a road, where we were on our last leg towards the village of Newtown.



We ended on the village green, where we will park to start next time :)

Total walked today- approx 4.5 miles.  Time spent - approx 2.00 hrs walking.

Grand Total - Miles 25.5 / Time 10.45 hours.



Wednesday 29 June 2011

Carlisle - Crosby On Eden

A nice crisp morning on Sunday when we set off for our wall-walk.


Staring where we left off at the modern art sculpture behind the Sands Centre, we headed off in the direction of Rickerby and away from Eden Bridges (this photo is looking backwards to the bridge)


Heading towards Rickerby, we had to walk inbetween Stoneyholm Golf Course and the River Eden.  It was just a short trot until the Suspension Bridge came into view in Rickerby Park.  


(A memorial suspension bridge from St Aidans Road was erected along with the cenotaph and on the 25th May 1922, Rickerby Park was formally opened and handed over to the City of Carlisle for the benefit of the public.) 
This is a walk we do quite regularly with Dotty Dog.

Past the golf club, we then walked over the bridge, taking time to take a little photo from the bridge.


This view is looking back towards Carlisle.....


This one is looking away from the City ....


And through the gate into Rickerby Park.


Rickerby Park is a beautiful park with some gorgeous huge trees.  Great for collecting conkers when you are young :)

If you look across the park you can see the Civic Centre as mentioned in a previous blog.


A little further on is the Cenotaph.
The war memorial cenotaph is situated in the centre of the park and was originally dedicated to the fallen of World War I.
An imposing but simple structure, the memorial bears the following WWI inscription which reads:“To the immortal memory of the men and women of Cumberland and Westmorland who gave their lives during the Great War and in honour of the glorious services of Border Regiment, Westmorland and Cumberland Yeomanry, Cumberland Brigade Royal Field Artillery and The Westmorland Detachment R.A.M.C”. 



After Dotty had a paddle in a filthy puddle it was time to leave the park and head on up into the village of Rickerby.


On leaving the park we walked up a little path inbetween the road into Rickerby and some corn fields.


Past the entrance to what was Eden School, this is the Study Quiet at the gate.


A little further on the left is "Folly's Tower" - In fields just beyond Rickerby Park is an octagonal Victorian folly tower erected by George Head Head. He owned Rickerby House in the 19th Century, at a time when towers and turrets were in vogue. There are several more towers built into the Rickerby Gardens and Farm buildings. , I wouldn't mind living in that!!


In the actual village is another very old building which has above the door "Boys School 1835".


Leaving the village took us out onto the main road and over the M6 motorway and towards the village of Linstock.


This is the view looking South.


Then it was time for lunch, and as it happens there was a nice little picnic table waiting for us on the side of Linstock.


Lunch today was Egg May Sarnies :)


In an attempt to keep Dotty Dog from drinking out of muddy puddles, we purchased this cool cadget, it slips onto water bottles and then clips onto your belt.


She had one slurp then refused to even look at it!!


Dinner over, we walked through Linstock, a pretty little village with some lovely houses.



Out of the village and onto a muddy country lane, that we have come to know so well :)



This led us back along the River Eden, where there was some gorgeous flowers and fauna to photograph.
The end of the path brought us out between some houses and into the village of Low Crosby.


Walking through Low Crosby brought us to Crosby On Eden and a pub called The Stag, where we treated ourselves to a celebratory pint :)

Total walked today- approx 5 miles.  Time spent - approx 2.00 hrs walking + 15 mins eating lunch.

Grand Total - Miles 21 / Time 8.45 hours.

(Personal weight lost last week - 3lb , totalling -5lb :) )


Monday 20 June 2011

Burgh Marsh - Carlisle

Saturday was miserable, weather wise, I wasn't sure if we were going to get out for our second leg of our Wall Walk on Sunday.

When Sunday came, it was a little drizzly and the forecast wasn't the best, but we decided to bite the bullet and head off anyway.

We parked the car at the exact spot we ended last week, leaving the second car behind The Sands Centre in Carlisle where we planned to end our walk.  It was still raining so waterproofs were needed.  Off we set.


We still had a length of the Marshes to walk left from last week, but eventually we passed the cattle-grid and started to walk towards the Village of Burgh-By-Sands.  (Burgh is spoken as 'Bruff')


Burgh-By-Sands is a pretty little Village with a pub, which unfortunately was shut.  



Beside the Pub is a Village Green and at the side of that is a statue for King Edward I, who died in the Village in 1307 while leading a champaign against Robert The Bruce.  His body is laid in the local churchyard.

We left Burgh and set off across fields and along country lanes, following the line of Hadrians Wall.

Dotty Dog got a bit damp trailing through the long wet grass.  But eventually the sun came out and the coats came off.

The next Village was Beaumont, another picturesque little Village, with a church.  We spotted a "Snack Box" with an honesty payment scheme - how lovely!


As it was lunch time we were going to have a picnic under this tree, but when we got there it was swarming with midges, so on we went to Beaumont Community Centre where there are picnic benches.


Lunch today was Quorn ham & Salad Sarnies, banana and crisps  :)


Dotty Dog shared Lezley & Ian's lunch, bacon was obviously a much better choice than Quorn!!


We left Beaumont and made our way down a very very muddy country path, we were slipping and sliding all over the place, luckily we all stayed upright.


We ended up down by the River Eden and followed it to a little Hamlet called Grinsdale, passing over a cute little bridge called Sourmilk Bridge, through a field with an electric fence, and past some cows to walk through a farm before getting to the Hamlet.



From there, it was over more fields which lay parallel with the River Eden, which we then followed back to Carlisle.  On route we passed the contruction site for the new Bypass.  At the moment, any traffic coming from the West of Cumbria (Whitehaven, Workington etc..) and heading to Scotland or the M6, have to pass through Carlisle City Centre. This bypass will cut off that route, taking traffic from the West of the City directly to the Junction 44 of the M6 which is the Junction for Scotland.

The arch under the bridge has been put in place for Wall Walkers, but this time we had to walk around and over the construction site.



Leaving that we could finally see houses in Carlisle, we were now on the outskirts of the City and entering the last leg of todays walk.


We walked along Engine Lonning, which is a nice riverside walk along the River Eden leading past the old Power Station and heading towards the Sheepmount Athletics Stadium.  




The menfolk had a little swing on the way  :)


When we reached the Sheepmount we got our Passports stamped, this was supposed to be at The Sands Centre which is just down the path, but the sign for passports said differently so we popped in.  



We got our stamps and set of for The Sands, walking through Bitts Park, which is a beautiful City Park, full of lovely trees and plants.  It is on the edge of Carlisle Castle's grounds.


Just a few steps from the Castle is a 1960's building called the Civic Centre, this is the only multi-story style building we have in Carlisle, and no one seems very fond of it :)


Before going under the underpass to get to The Sands, there is a plaque to remember the flood level from the Carlisle floods in 2005.  I remember it well, a lot of people I know were affected, the damage was immense.



The plaque sits about 4 foot off the ground, but the river is actually a lot lower.  In this next photo on the right, down the bank, is the normal river height, on the left you will see the railing for the steps where the plaque is.


Walking through the tunnel we finally reach The Sands Centre and passed the new sculpture featuring Hadrian s Wall.  Each block of stone represents a Roman Fort which used to lay along the Wall.  Where we are now viewing this sculpture, is 4 stones from the left.


Then we reached the end of our walk for today.


As it happens we parked near the Pub, so while the menfolk went back to Burgh Marsh to retrieve the first car, Lez and I, along with Dotty Dog, sat in the pub and had a celebratory pint  :)



Total walked today- approx 9.5 miles.  Time spent - approx 4.15 hrs walking + 15 mins eating lunch.

Grand Total - Miles 16 / Time 6.45 hours.

(Personal weight lost last week - 2lb  :) )