Sunday 14 September 2008

The Birthday Girl's Day Out.

Thursday - a lovely sunny Autumn Day - perfect for a jaunt! We set off, two of us plus two dogs, Westwards through Wensleydale, alongside a benign River Ure. The previous week it had been badly in flood but now it gently rolled along - here and there a solitary heron fishing. We drove through fields of black and white cows - sometimes Jersey cows - Swaledale sheep - Jacob sheep - all grazing and enjoying the sunshine - and arrived in the little market town of Hawes.
We stopped here for an exhibition at The Dales Countryside Museum.
Some time ago somebody found a robin's nest in a besom and it sparked off an idea for inviting forty-five artists to interpret this as "NEST - A brush with the media"' Fantastic stuff - jewellery, poetry, ceramics, painting, collage, sculpture, wood engraving, etching - all local, professional artists - a marvellous, inspiring mix.
Totally inspired (and plenty to talk about) we carried on down what used to be the Richmond to Lancaster Turnpike Road through the fells. Up, up, up we went to the spine of The Pennines and then began the descent down the other side - a very exciting ride, rather like a switchback, passing a lovely Dales pony grazing in a field . At Cotter Force we stopped to walk the dogs.
This is a walk I always enjoy. To start with it is on the flat - not all that common round here - and there is a defined footpath - and best of all there is always the chance of seeing a grey wagtail, a dipper or a kingfisher. After a quarter of a mile the ground rises sharply and Cotter Force throws its full weight down into the beck.=, peaty, brown and roaring. There's a nice strategically placed bench for a rest before the return walk.
At The Moorcock pub we turned North up towards Kirby Stephen, driving along side the Carlisle to Settle Railway line through spectacular fells along Mallerstang Edge to Pendragon Castle - one of the homes of Lady Anne Clifford in earlier times.
Up on Mallerstang Common kestrels hovered, Swaledales grazed, lapwings flapped, trains rattled under us in a tunnel on the line, a sprightly breeze blew and the sun shone. What more could anyone ask? Just what we needed before our lunch at The Black Swan at Ravenstonedale.
We did the journey in reverse instead of going back another way - we just wanted to see what it looked like with Wild Boar Fell and The Mallerstang in front of us. It was even better.
Not for the first time we both said, "Aren't we lucky to live here!"

7 comments:

Lucy Corrander said...

It's wonderful, isn't it, to live in or near a place of which one will never tire.

Lucy Corrander
PICTURES JUST PICTURES

Janice Thomson said...

Sounds like my kind of jaunt - only I'd be walking like I do everyday in the woods across the street which has a lovely little stream and the ocean at the end of it :) I love it here.

Gigi Ann said...

The photos are lovely to look at. Is that some of the places you visited?

The Weaver of Grass said...

Yes, Lucy - every day the scene is different - misty, sunny, rainy, dull, snowy - You should be up here with your camera!

The Weaver of Grass said...

I have once been to your island,m Janice, and found it very beautiful. I would love to be able to walk to the ocean. Here in the middle of the country we have a long drive to see the sea.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Yes, gramma ann, if I was more experienced at blogging I would have inserted the photos in the text - but all three photographs are within twenty miles of where we live - and all the way there is very beautiful scenery.

Reader Wil said...

And lucky you are! It's a wonderful country with the winds from all sides, the great variety of skies and types of weather. Wonderful.