Monday 9 October 2017

Cabin in Cumbria


For our annual anniversary holiday we returned to one of my favourite locations, Fisherground Lodges at Eskdale in Cumbria. This time round we chose the largest of the four cabins available as the kids and their partners were joining us for the first weekend. Unfortunately the bad weather meant there wasn't much chance for them to appreciate the stunning countryside but it was still great for them to join us for a couple of days.



As the week went on the weather calmed a little and there were enough gaps between rainstorms to get out on the bike and do some walking. A left turn from the site immediately takes you up and over the challenging Hardknott Pass, becoming Wry Nose Pass then on to Windermere.



A right turn will first take you along the road to the excellent local pub, the King George IV. A left here goes over the wild and desolate Birker Fell. Taking the right turn through the village of Eskdale green sets you on the road to Wasdale Head passing Wast Water and finishing at the Wasdale Head Inn in the shadow of Scafell Pike. Awesome riding in any direction.




Some great walking right from the doorstep as well. We had a particularly good day following the woodland path to Gill Force then doubling back to ascend the hill to the impressive Stanley Force waterfall.


As for Fisherground Lodges, I can't recommend them enough. Great location and good quality accomodation at a very reasonable price. Just four cabins well spaced apart, not jammed right next to each other as is common on the holiday parks. There is also a campsite in a separate area if you'd rather go under canvas. More info and booking details at www.fisherground.co.uk

The King George IV is a short walk along the road. Belly busting portions of food, good local beers, a welcoming open fire and friendly down to earth staff. Accommodation is also available here www.kinggeorge-eskdale.co.uk

Friday 14 July 2017

Middle Black Clough Wild Camp




Access to the bottom of the Three Black Cloughs is easy enough. Starting from the carpark just off the A628 Woodhead Pass go over the stile to the left of the bridge and follow the path with the river Etherow on your left. This path soon bears right, away from the river, up through a pleasant picnic area with the stream from the Cloughs now on your left as it flows into the Etherow.


After little more than a quarter of a mile from the bridge things become more challenging. The path runs out with a small weir ahead where the stream bears left. At this point you need to cross the stream and continue the rest of the way with the stream on your right. You are now heading up Middle Black Clough, you will soon pass Near Black Clough and Far Black Clough to the left and right as you head up the steepest and most picturesque of these three ravines.



Good footwear is essential. From this point on you can't walk more than a few steps without having to scramble over or between rocks, as you go beyond the first waterfall the drop to the stream or onto piles of boulders is thirty feet or more in places. Go careful, go slow and be sure of every footstep. Negotiating these hazards makes it all worthwhile as you stop to take in the beauty of the two waterfalls and the views up and down the ravine.


Finding a spot to camp for the night wasn't as simple as I'd anticipated. I wanted to camp by the waters edge but any flat areas were covered with tightly packed heather and blueberry bushes but I eventually spotted a small grassy area with a couple of trees to hang my tarp from, a big flat topped rock to set up my cooking gear on and a pool fed by a mini waterfall to get scrubbed up in. Home sweet home!



The sense of achievement from getting to this spot combined with the isolation and tranquility I felt is like nothing else I can imagine. After a wander around with the camera I just sat for a couple of hours watching the water and for that time nothing else in the world mattered.

Up at dawn after a great nights sleep I was able to strike camp in just a few minutes thanks to the minimal amount of kit involved. The tarp proved to be a good shelter, standing up just fine to an unexpected shower and wind in the night. Progress back down was even more slow and careful than the journey up thanks to the rain making everything a lot more dangerous due to slippery rocks and soft ground. I arrived at the bike wet, dirty and knackered but still had a grin on my face.

Thursday 11 May 2017

Gotta Getaway: Holy Island


Apparently the ride over Lindisfarne Causeway is one of the "must do" things for bikers in the UK so I've had it on my to do list for some time. Armed with a new camera I pointed the bike North for a couple of days.

Camping is not allowed on Holy Island and some nearby sites are very expensive, of the family friendly caravan / campervan variety and frankly too sterile for me. Luckily I found a reasonably priced site just six miles away at West Kelsoe Farm at the Old Mill Site. The campground is situated well away from the main farm near an old mill (as the name suggests) with good clean facilities. You are also welcome to look around the farm and a map is provided of paths and accessible areas.


After getting pitched mid-afternoon I had plenty of time to go and have a ride over the causeway although I didn't intend to have a serious look or take any pictures until the next morning. The causeway itself is little more than two miles along the sand flats and nature reserve, finishing at a car park at the edge of Lindisfarne. Visitors traffic is restricted to residents only on the island but this is no problem, it's not a big place and everything is within easy walking distance.

Heading back to the mainland I stopped off at various points along the causeway to have a look around the nature reserve and the beach on the North side. This would have been great for a few shots of the area but grey sheets of cloud meant the light was poor and the cold wind coming in off the sea stopped me hanging around for long.


Up before sunrise the next morning proved to be pointless as the golden hour turned out to be more of a grey hour with the flat light caused by the same low cloud cover of the day before. Nevertheless I hadn't come all this way for nothing so after a final check of the tide times I took off again for the causeway.


The refuge hut for anyone stranded by the incoming tide is an iconic image for Holy Island so with my own shot in the bag I made my way on to Lindisfarne to have a look at the castle before the morning influx of tourists started to arrive. Again I stopped a couple of times to appreciate the peace and sense of desolation out on the sand at this early hour.

To my disappointment the castle is currently undergoing refurbishment and is encased in a layer of scaffolding until 2018. Making my way back through the picture postcard village I found the priory. The more interesting parts of the ruins are behind gates with an admission fee of over seven quid for which it doesn't seem that you get to see much more and it doesn't open 'til ten a.m. anyway. Although there's a few little shops, cafe, pub and mead shop nothing is open at eight in the morning so it's back to camp to brew a coffee.


I could have happily spent another night up here if it had been warmer but with it being bitterly cold at night and not much warmer in the day I struck camp and headed for home. I'll definitely be back later in the year though, this is a great place to escape and chill out for a while. 

Check out www.lindisfarne.org.uk for more information, accomodation and tide times.