Grange over Sands. Tuesday 13 June 17


The Pictures:-

                                                

                                                             Start of Walk. Grange over Sands station                                                                                           On The Hospice

To view all the pictures taken on the walk click 'HERE' then on first picture to view in full screen. Click on small arrow on right to continue.

The Walk:-

Walk leader - Stan Bradshaw

Number on walk - 9

Distance - 17.5 miles

Weather - Overcast and light drizzle giving way to warm sunny spells.

Starting from Grange over Sands railway station we made our way at 'Stan pace' up through Eggerslack Wood to The Hospice on Hampsfell. To those not familiar with 'Stan pace' it roughly equates to 'snail pace', although it does speed up by a few yards per hour whilst descending. Fortunately by now the mist had lifted and we did get views out over Morecambe Bay, but not unfortunately over the Lakes hills. From the Hospice we dropped down into Cartmel, where we skidded to a halt and took time to go into the Priory, contemplate sticky toffee pudding which comes from Cartmel and muse over what you might have to pay for a meal in the very exclusive  L'Enclume Restaurant.

Our next break (even snails take a breather) was for morning coffee, sat up to a wall, a couple of miles or so beyond Cartmel. From there we carried on over How Barrow, where we paused again to take in the views, then over Ellerside, Stribers Allotment and Bigland Heights to Bigland Tarn and a very pleasant and tranquil lunch sat beside the Tarn.

After lunch we carried on towards, then circumvented the unamed tarn in Bank Reddings Allotment, before heading down through Seatle Plantation to High Cark Farm and onwards past Sturdy's and Broughton Hall to a pleasnt spot nearby, where we had our afternoon break. By now it was warm and sunny as we sat chatting and contemplating our next serious climb, which would be back onto Hampsfell again. 

So now for it, after a short walk passing close to both Broughton Lodge and the historic Hampsfield Hall, it was heads down as we climbed up through the very flowery Hampsfield Allotment, up to the Hospice once again. This time though it was bathed in warm sunshine. Anyone thinking this was it, now only an easy descent into Grange were disappointed, as we carried on from there to the fine viewpoint on Fell End, before finally dropping down past Spring Bank and deviously through the woods at Eden Mount back to our cars in Grange.

I think everyone enjoyed the walk, at least they said they did. But they always do don't they? Sometimes I wonder how they can say that with a straight face, but you never know what turns peaple on. I genuinely believe they meant it today.

Stan.