Led by Pat

 

Nine members of Cumbria LDWA met at the start of the no-through road to Oddendale on a cloudy but dry morning.

Castlehowe stone circle lay unobtrusively just a few metres from the road (photo), one of several monuments that would be passed that day.

 

The route led us south on the quiet road, with the cold wind behind us, towards the isolated hamlet of Oddendale before taking a grassy path to skirt Hardendale Quarry (photo). At the main gates to the quarry we met the route of the Coast to Coast (C2C) long distance path. This is being made into a National Trail with new waymarkers bearing the Alfred Wainwright signature initials. (Photo)

 

This part of the walk was open moorland, boggy in places with areas of limestone scars and pavement (photo). We crossed the course of Wicker Street Roman road and soon reached a huge granite boulder (a glacial erratic) beside the infant river Lyvennet which gives the title to this walk. Here we left the C2C to detour a across the hillside for a pathless few hundred metres to the source of the Lyvennet, beside which stands the Black Dub monument. (Photo)

 

Erected in 1861 the monument marks the spot where 100 years earlier the future King Charles II took a comfort break and drank of the beck. A morning break was taken at this spot before rejoining the C2C route, soon passing (but not seeing) a large cairn called Robin Hoods Grave in a nearby hollow. Reaching our most southerly point at Orton Scar, we left the coast-to-coast route and proceeded along the escarpment, unseen to our right, to reach the Victoria monument. (photo).

 

The monument celebrates the golden jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887 and is situated in a lonely spot but with commanding views of the Howgill Fells, Lakeland Fells and the Pennines.

Now heading north into the cold wind we descended over more moor to the edge of Crosby Ravensworth where we met the Lyvennet again (photo).

Following the river downstream (photos) took us past Flass House, a Venetian style grade II listed mansion. Once described as "A country house built on the proceeds of opium and ruined by cannabis", the house is currently being brought back to life by its owners and looked very private.

 

The riverside path led us into the pretty village of Maulds Meaburn (photo) where lunch was taken at a convenient table on the green where sheep may safely graze.

Leaving the village and the river (photo) we crossed farmland to reach the 17th Century Reagill Grange where the group was welcomed by many dogs barking. Some road walking and an enclosed lane were followed by a short footpath that emerged through the trees onto the road some 500 metres south of the cars. 

 

Walk stats: 16 miles (26Km) with around 1750 ft (539 metres) of ascent in 6 hours 45 minutes