Staveley Outlying Wainwrights and a Vampire Dog!

16 – 18 Feb 2016
After Richard and I had left Kendal we had a few days walking around Staveley as I had a lot of Outlying Wainwrights to do in the area – I got more than I bargained for!

Gurnal Dubs

click on photos for full size/resolution – Richard’s photos as marked

Since reading my Wainwright books, I’d always wanted to visit Gurnal Dubs – I think for the name as much as anything. So, the first day I found Richard a nice little circuit on the lanes above Staveley, the first of which I was to use to access the Potter Fell area. We set off in pleasant sunshine…

After briefly following the back lane east out of Staveley towards Garnett Bridge, after about quarter of a mile we branched left onto the road heading uphill towards Craggy Wood. There are footpaths up through the woods but we like quiet lanes so we continued on up the road.

R Wood

After passing some nice little tarns by the roadside, I turned off on down a track for Birk Farm while Richard continued the road loop back to Staveley.

R Wood

After a short descent to the ex-farmhouse and then a pleasant easy rise I arrived at Potter Tarn which has an interesting old dam at the outlet.

I headed around the tarn, crossed below the dam and followed the lovely track up further golden-brackened hillside…

I soon reached a stile into a walled enclosure where Gurnal Dubs hove into sight with it’s lovely little boathouse…

There is a path all the way around the tarn but I chose the vehicle track around the north side.

Nice light on a frozen dub near the tarn…

There was a lot of peering at the map and trying to identify which of the surrounding hills was Potter Fell. In the end I missed the hill as it is incorrectly named on my map – I thought the one shown on the map didn’t look much! Never mind, it’s a lovely area to go back to so I don’t mind…

However, while I was peering at the map and walking, I managed to trip over a tussock and fall flat on my face in front of the following couple. I hurriedly got up but they definitely saw – how embarrassing!

I did manage to locate the Outlying Wainwright of Ulgraves and bagged that – it was a nice viewpoint for Longsleddale where we’d walked a couple of days before…

I was amused by what I called a ‘hedgehog wall’ – a superb example of the dry stone waller’s art…

I then headed back over what wasn’t Potter Fell but the map said was and returned to walk the other shore of Gurnal Dubs…

Two days later it was another nice day and I decided it was time I bagged Reston Scar above Staveley Village – I’ve been looking at this fell for years now and wanting to do it. Richard said he wasn’t bothered so I sent him off up the lane on the quieter western side of Kentmere with his camera for a stroll. He took quite a few photos of the fells I was on…

My first two fells, Reston Scar and Black Crag behind (R Wood)

Reston Scar above Staveley Village (R Wood)

There is a superb and popular path up the front of Reston Scar from the back of the village.

looking back from halfway along the ridge (my photos now)

I then headed off down the back, along with two other women, to Hugill Fell…

The Outlying Wainwright is apparently the slightly lower and craggier fell to the right – marked Black Crag on my map (confusing innit)… I bagged both, as did the two girls. I then had a hunt around for a route through the dry-stone walls criss-crossing the fell all the way along the ridge to High Knott or Williamson’s Momument. This was the last fell I had to bag that day and I’d heard there were access problems and a possible trespass.

Whenever I found a gate, it had a stern notice on it warning that trespassers would be dealt with (didn’t say how). I have to admit that, with the potential visibility of walkers along the felltop and the amount of walls crossing my route I was easily put off and decided to descend back to the valley and try from the end of the road I’d sent Richard up.

I found a track heading steeply down the hill back to the road and walked back into Staveley. I’d been going to continue up the road but thought Richard would be back by now. He wasn’t and, after waiting ages I decided to get chips from the chippy – very nice!

Richard had taken these photos of the fellside from the lane…

As I came out of the chippy I saw Richard heading for the car and shouted him. We decided we’d drive up the road to its end up on the fellside where there is a track running to Kentmere. The road was very rough and the Sunny didn’t thank me one bit! I parked on a rough verge at the junction and set off for my quick quarter mile walk to High Knott with Williamson’s Momument atop it.

I soon found the same warning signs and solid drystone walls with no stiles or gates. The fell was obviously a complete trespass. The farmer must be kidding himself though as, with the fell being listed as an Outlying Wainwright, that means people are going to its summit whether he likes it or not! Far better to put a stile in rather than have everyone climb your precious drystone walls.

I hurried up the lane and noticed a female runner approaching with two farm dogs. The next moment, the first collie had rushed up and hurled itself up at me. I felt a bang on my wrist bone – had the damn thing bitten me? The dog started to go for a second lunge so I started to yell angrily at it, changing its mind. The other dog also ran up but that confined itself to jumping up but not snapping. She eventually reached me and called her dogs off and muttered a brief apology. As she passed, I rolled up my sleeve and saw two puncture marks on my wrist – luckily it had been covered by clothing so there was no direct contact between teeth and flesh. Even more luckily, my very expensive winter jacket was unscathed!

I was pretty angry but continued with my trespass. Climbing the walls was complicated by the stock fence along the top but I managed to find two places to scramble over and back.

On arrival back at the car I asked Richard if a runner had passed him with two dogs. He said he’d seen her but she’d turned back just before the car – I wondered whether she was from the farm as they looked like farm dogs to me! Perhaps they extract payment from trespassers for visiting ‘their’ monument?

I showed Richard my wrist – it was now blackening with bruising with the 2 bloody puncture marks in the middle – I looked just like I’d been bitten by a vampire! he was pretty cross as well and said I should see a doctor. I didn’t think I needed to though as it had been well covered. What a troublesome fell to visit!

When I looked at Richard’s photos, we’d both taken the same moody shot towards Kentmere:

Photo comparison – my film shot above, Richard’s digi below

Richard also took the following photos on his lane walk…

Kentmere Weir

Scroggs Bridge damaged in the Storm Desmond floods

Out of interest, as we’d driven up the road we’d met the two girls from earlier coming back along the road – they’d obviously continued along the fells despite the notices!