Whernside Archives - Page 3 of 7 - Scribble by the Ribble

Summer blues, a cleaner Dales and a rant

Well what a rotten week in the Dales for photography – or anything else for that matter. Ribblesdale’s been so shrouded in cloud for most days that I’ve had to dig out a few older shots from this year’s ‘summer’ to fill the blog. Pity the poor souls who thought they’d have a final break in the Dales before heading back to school or work. Anyway, it’s churlish to be moaning about our summer when you see what’s happening in the rest of the world at the moment, so here’s a few shots to brighten the day …

I see that plans by North Ribblesdale Rugby Union Club to chop down an ancient beech tree in Settle seem to have stalled – perhaps just temporarily. I hope they can come up with a better solution for levelling their pitch.

The steam train season will be ending soon which is a shame. Even though I’m no train buff I do enjoy seeing and hearing them working their way up and down the Settle-Carlisle line in Ribblesdale.

A cleaner dales

Tired of being paid minimum wage (and less), sick of zero hours or short-term contracts, my son has decided to start his own cleaning services business. Over the last seven years he’s carried out all kinds of cleaning and maintenance duties from rinsing out toilets to renovating massive industrial refrigeration units for some of the biggest names in retailing. Unfortunately, in this country cleaners are often treated disrespectfully by public and employers alike – even the highly trained, diligent, hard-working ones who take enormous pride in their work. Yet without them many businesses and accommodation providers would fail miserably.

I do wonder what will happen to those who rely on cheap labour when the short-sighted, narrow-minded Euro leavers get their way and borders are closed to the people deemed to be unworthy to enter our ‘superior’ shores. Some large hotels and accommodation providers in the cities can have over 90% Eastern European or immigrant workers on (or off) their pay rolls.

Here in the dales, where around a quarter of housing is classified as second homes or holiday lets, many of the owners live far away. Knowing that trustworthy cleaners and housekeepers can be called upon is vital for their investments. If you are such a person or know someone who needs a dedicated cleaner please contact Will – more details on his website http://www.cravencleaningservices.co.uk or drop me an email/message.

I’m proud of the lad (still a lad to me despite him being 25 next birthday) and he has started his business well with some promising contracts such as the refurbished Maypole Inn at Long Preston, and the impressive Langcliffe Park site near Settle, plus a few holiday-let cottages in the Dales.

Dales Three Peakers deserve better

I’ve seen a lot of bedraggled Dales Three Peakers this year. This summer has been a big disappointment especially for those who perhaps have planned for months if not years to take on the 24+-mile walk around Penyghent, Whernside and Ingleborough. I regularly pass them at the top end of Ribblesdale on that horrible section of road walking between Ingman’s Lodge and the viaduct, when it dawns on them they’re nobbut a third of the way round. And again in Horton-in-Ribblesdale when they look a bit more relieved, if aching and blistered, as they head from the station to the cafe for their moment of triumph.

Around 30 years ago I completed the route with a lovely lady who had some health issues. We went at her pace and she was so proud to have completed the walk. The time was only about 20 minutes outside the allotted 12-hours for her to be able to receive a certificate but that didn’t lessen the sense of achievement. Well done to everyone who takes it on, especially this year.

We haven’t had many of those relaxing sunsets in the Dales this summer either – maybe the next month will offer more, and as I write the forecast for Bank Holiday Monday is good.

Nor have we seen much in the way of sharp contrasts and deep shadows – too much greyness around the Dales. Here are a few examples I’ve managed to capture.

Two friends travelled on the steam special which chugged up the dale on the Settle-Carlisle railway this week. They remarked that although the scene was grey as they passed through the dales the weather did improve further north. I captured the engine Leander pulling the train across Ribblehead Viaduct. More train pics here

From Batty Moss I zoomed in on Leander as it left its mark on Ribblesdale at Salt Lake Cottages before reaching the viaduct.

My thanks to those who pointed out that the larger of the yellow plants featured in last week’s blog was Senecio jacobaea – or ragwort to you and me. Normally you will see the plant as a much duller shade of yellow beside roads where it carries all the traffic filth, but no such pollution up here in the dales. I read up about the plant to satisfy my curiosity and learned there are many myths and falsehoods told about the plant. Yes it can be harmful to horses if eaten in large amounts but its reputation is not as bad as it has been painted – see http://www.ragwortfacts.com/ragwort-myths.html – and is very useful for pollinators.

Reasons to love Ribblesdale

I’ve seen Ribblesdale in a different light over the last few days – 12 photos in this week’s blog. I have also been taken back to the 1940s in Ingleton but those snaps will have to wait until tomorrow.

Driving down the narrow road from Helwith Bridge to Giggleswick one evening while the sun was setting, I saw some fantastic light down Ribblesdale – on Penyghent, the fields and hillsides, barns, trees and limestone.

One afternoon between rain showers I walked around the Winskill area above Langcliffe. Although the clouds were dark and low the views down Ribblesdale were cracking in the changing light.

Samson’s Toe and Lower Winskill in Ribblesdale; below, Smearsett Scar from Winskill.

On another showery day I (very slowly) walked up the steep track from Stainforth to a moody Catrigg Force. The views from the track back down over the village and across to Smearsett Scar were well worth the effort.

At the top of Ribblesdale I’d hoped for a sunset shot at Ribblehead Viaduct but was thwarted by the clouds. However, the layers of clouds made an interesting shot, the lower ones clinging to the top of Whernside.

After a few hours yesterday at Ingleton, snapping at the 1940s Weekend, I was back in Settle where the cricket ground caught my attention. What a lovely setting – one day there’ll be a match on when a steam train is crossing that bridge and I’ll get my ideal shot.

Flowerpot creations are starting to pop up all around the town now. To coincide with Settle’s Flowerpot Festival I’ve written a walk for this month’s Dalesman magazine. It starts and finishes in the town centre so that people can include a tour of the amazing constructions.

You can also see my writing in July’s Countryman magazine in which I reminisce about knitted swimming trunks. And in this month’s Down Your Way magazine I write about the surname Horsfall.

16 new Dales photos to view

Every now and then I do something daring – like stepping outside of the Dales and dipping a toe into Lancashire. Hidden deep in the family’s ancestry I found someone called Dilworth, and I wondered where the surname came from. The earliest bearers of the surname sprang from a tiny place called Dilworth just over the Lancashire border near Longridge. The branch I am interested in was recorded during the 1700s at Slaidburn’s St Andrew’s church (pictured below), which is on the correct side of the border (this part of Yorkshire was lent to Lancashire in 1974 for administrative purposes). It’s a grand old church in a lovely spot – a fine resting place for some of the family’s forebears to keep an eye on the Lancastrians. I’ve been tracing our family history on and off for decades now and recently I had one of those Ancestry.com DNA tests done. My basic DNA breakdown shows I’m 62 per cent British, 28 per cent western European and 10 per cent other ethnicity. My British community group is Northern English. Nothing very surprising there then.

That wasn’t the only time I skipped over the border this week. I needed the passport again while doing a little errand for someone near Brough, in Westmorland. I couldn’t resist a visit to the castle (it’s free, so why not?) for a couple of photos…

I returned through the Dales via Tan Hill pub which looked forlorn on the bleak expansive moorland. There were three large military vehicles parked at the pub which made me wonder if they were expecting some further border raids. tanhillinn.com

The clouds were dark above Tan Hill unlike in Ribblesdale. Although clear blue skies brighten up the Dales they don’t always help create interesting photos. I took pictures of the Three Peaks one day and was surprised at the different hue on each one. The wind was biting but without clouds I think the photos lack movement and thus interest. Here are Penyghent, Ingleborough and Whernside on the day.

I also took plenty of shots in and around Langcliffe this week, including the top photo in the blog… and dozens more, a few here…

Bluebells have appeared in Cleatop Park Wood on the outskirts of Settle… and the trees are budding… but the rivers around the Dales are low and some fields looked parched.

More reasons to love the Yorkshire Dales

18 new Dales photos. There are many reasons why I love the Yorkshire Dales – not just the scenery or way of life, or the architecture of the landscape, its people or history. Nature, too … the Dales weather, the animals, flora and fauna. It’s too easy to rush through life with just a passing acknowledgment to what’s around us. Since retiring I’ve seen the world through fresh eyes, slowing down to a gentler pace so I can properly cherish what Nature has to offer. Early one morning this week I set off in bright sunshine for a walk up to Wharfe and Oxenber Woods, above Austwick. I set off from the Helwith Bridge side so I could capture Penyghent and Ingleborough, Moughton Scar and Norber’s boulder fields. I’d envisaged a glorious carpet of bluebells in the woods but they could only be found in small patches. Instead, I was greeted by primroses, cowslips, early purple orchids and a host of other pretty wild flowers whose names I can never remember. How I wish I had a macro lens to capture their delicate detail. Caught up in the beauty at my feet and birdsong from the trees and bushes, I hadn’t realised the Dales sky had turned from blue to very grey and I had to beat a hasty retreat.

All hail the Dales

I avoided rain that day, unlike during a visit earlier in the week to see the limestone pavement and ancient settlements beneath Ingleborough in Chapel-le-Dale. After taking some shots of the pavement, Ribblehead viaduct and a moody-looking Whernside it dawned on me that the big hill was looking a bit grim because it was about to suffer a heavy hailstorm – and the wretched weather was heading my way… quickly. I’ve learned the hard way that it’s not a good idea to sprint (not that I can sprint nowadays anyway) over tufty moorland with camera equipment, so my pace wasn’t sharp enough to avoid the hail stones which pinged my face and other exposed skin all the way back to the car.

Does anyone know how long a Christmas cactus lives? The photo shows a plant I took from my mum’s house when she died 24 years ago – I’m not sure how long she’d looked after it, but it was certainly hanging round her home for a very long time. This one tends to flower around Easter rather than Christmas and seems to thrive on neglect.

Ribblesdale blossoms again

17 photos of Ribblesdale: snowdrops are fading from memory, daffodils are drooping, but blossom is bursting out all over the place. The swallows have returned, their energy lifting my spirits and livening the neighbourhood. Last year they nested under the eaves directly above my door, which meant daily removal of splatterings from the doorstep. The postman needed to be quick. I’m told there’s a possibility of snow next week, but it’s not unusual – snow fell briefly last April too.

The eastern slopes of Ribblesdale, where my village of Langcliffe sits, averages a gradient of about 1 in 7 (my own calculations so don’t quote me – it could be false news) from the River Ribble to the limestone outcrops some 750ft above. This means there aren’t too many flat strolls from home. My heart and lungs were working overtime one day this week as I struggled straight up the hill to the crags above the village. So, plenty of opportunities to stop and look back to admire the views. All Three Peaks can be seen from the crags, as are many of the small settlements scattered along the dale. Up here are several hidden little valleys, small plantations, limestone pavements and signs of ancient farming activity.

Lower down, in a field where lambs were playing in the sunshine, some lazy dog-walker had deposited a plastic bag of dog-poo. I’d only just read about horses being killed by choking on these bags and I wasn’t having any lambs suffering the same fate. The offending article is in my dustbin should anyone wish to claim it. Further up Ribblesdale at Helwith Bridge I watched a coot hen and its chicks venturing in and out of the reeds in the old quarry, while a pair of noisy tewits cavorted overhead. I love Nature at this time of year.

Ribblesdale lambs

One cold, grey day I headed for the top end of Ribblesdale for a quick stroll around part of the Ingleborough Nature Reserve. All Three Peaks didn’t look particularly welcoming, but with politics dominating the TV back home, I’d still rather be struggling up those hills.

More Langcliffe

Three Peaks rules and a girly Scotsman

There’s barely a day goes by when the Three Peaks or the Settle-Carlisle Railway don’t crop up in conversation around this part of Ribblesdale. In the last seven days we’ve seen a massive influx of folk from all over the country head our way to watch Flying Scotsman – which apparently is a ‘she’, not a ‘he’ (I blame the confusion on kilts) – travel up the line to celebrate the reopening of the stretch between Appleby and Carlisle.

The old ‘girl’ certainly has pulling power, not only in the physical sense … just how many people lined the whole route from Oxenhope, where it started the journey on the Keighley & Worth Valley line, to Carlisle I can’t imagine. I got a photo as it passed Langcliffe in the morning, then I joined hundreds of people at Ribblehead Viaduct for the evening return beneath Whernside.

Earlier in the week I took a quieter (and less expensive) train for a day in Appleby. There are some pleasant easy walks around the town beside the River Eden, lovely churches and buildings, but it was a shame the castle gardens were not open on such a lovely day.

On the train I ear-wigged a conversation between three young walkers (young to me being under 40) who were chatting about the Three Peaks walk which they were now thinking of taking on after seeing the view through the windows. They were talking about Three Peaks ‘rules’ – which I thought was a shame really … ‘You’ve got to do the ‘official’ route, log in and out, complete within the time allowed etc.’ they said. What tosh – just go out there and enjoy the walk and scenery, I thought. There is no ‘official’ route – it can be between just over 23 and just under 26 miles depending on which way you go. The walk takes as long as you want it to, or are capable of.
Author and writer Alfred Wainwright was a miserable old fart like me, and he wrote about the Three Peaks: ‘Some participants have chosen to regard the walk as a race, and this is to be greatly regretted, walking is a pleasure to be enjoyed in comfort …,’ he grumbled.
According to that ever-reliable (!) source of all knowledge, Wikipedia, the first recorded ascent of the three hills was in July 1887 by J R Wynne-Edwards and D R Smith in a time of 10 hours.
Amongst my collection of old books (which I refer to as Jackopedia) I uncovered this paragraph from Victorian artist and rambler G T Lowe, written in 1892: “Looking round from the viaduct at Ribblehead, one can appreciate the feat which of late has occupied the attention of a few of our Leeds pedestrians: the ascent of Ingleborough, Whernside and Penyghent in under ten hours. Starting from the Flying Horse Shoe at Clapham, the whole journey over the three summits to Horton-in-Ribblesdale is over twenty-five miles as the crow flies, and affords a grand variety of views of mountains and moorland. Being in good training, we found it a comparatively fair day’s work.”
A love the Victorian understatement – and the fact they used the railways for their day out: Leeds to Clapham – walk the peaks – return Horton to Leeds. I wonder if that version of the Three Peaks can still be done using today’s timetable? Over to you train buffs.

Why Horton stirs dales memories

12 new Dales photos here. I found myself mooching around Horton-in-Ribblesdale on the week’s only fine day. Passing Penyghent Cafe I remembered the days 40-odd years ago when I used to clock out and in there for the Three Peaks challenge. My knees would probably crumble to dust if I took on the 24-mile Dales hike today so this time I opted for a few gentle miles by the river. Apart from the odd rumble from the quarries, the walk was peaceful. Heavily pregnant ewes were scattered around the meadows while much more active birds sped up, down and across the Ribble.

There’s a pleasant spot in a small wood where the river widens. It’s shallow here and the water cackles across well-worn stones; a perfect place for contemplation. The morning mist slowly vanished and Penyghent came into view along with patches of blue sky.

In the village I remembered bits of a piece written by Victorian Dales wanderer Edmund Bogg. Back home I dug out the extract from his oddly title book, Wanderings on the Old Border, Lakeland and Ribblesdale:
“It was a dark, boisterous October night that found us tramping towards the village of Horton; the wind howled, and the clouds swished rapidly past overhead; rain descended in torrents; the wild mountain country became enshrouded in mystery and silence; a light here and there gleamed from a grey stone dwelling; further up the village one solitary lamp, over the entrance of the Golden Lion, tried in vain to pierce the gloom. A ray of light, however, fell on the venerable lych gate, just across the roadway, and dimly, like a shadow thrown from bygone ages, the grand old tower of Horton Church loomed out of the darkness, typical of a religious light burning through the dark ages of a far past. There was a motley gathering at the Golden Lion on that night, quarrymen from the limestone quarries, and the dalesmen of the district, thirsty souls, we should imagine, by the amount of beer we saw consumed. Three farmers, who had been to Clapham Fair on that day, were benighted here on our visit; their homes lay some eight or ten miles over the moors, and it would have been sheer foolhardiness to have attempted the journey in the dense darkness of that night. One, an elderly man, who had spent upwards of half-a-century in crossing and re-crossing the moors, attempted the journey; he missed his way, and his horse floundered in a bog, and he was glad to grope his way back to the inn. We joined them in company later on, and jolly fellows we found them, yet withal shrewd, stark, and strikingly original.”

My recollections of the Horton pubs in the 1970s also involve the drinking of copious amounts of beer but the clientele were students rather than hardy Dales farmers.

dales horton — On a blustery wet day this week I drove up to Chapel-le-Dale and captured swiftly moving clouds hiding Ingleborough and Whernside

How we build walls in the Dales, Mr Trump

It’s hard to picture the Yorkshire Dales without walls. Yes, there are a some wilder spots such as the grouse moors with fewer walls, where there’s no need to prevent stock from wandering where they’re not wanted. I was pondering over this while driving round the Three Peaks area during the week. Penyghent (pictured above), Ingleborough and Whernside all have prominent walls going over the top of them. I think in all three cases these walls are as much to do with indicating parish boundaries as keeping sheep in the right place. Whatever, you’ve got to admire the skill and tenacity of those wall builders of the Dales whose work has lasted many a wild winter. Just a thought … should we invite Mr Trumped-up for a state visit to the Dales to teach him about wall building?

The breeze was strong and the clouds shifted quickly overhead. While Ingleborough and Whernside wore thin white caps, Penyghent was briefly bathed in sunshine. At one time it thought the three were playing a party game, switching hats to the music of the wind. From Kingsdale I watched the scene changing rapidly before I chickened out of a trip along the high narrow road over to Dent as the weather worsened. The Dales can be beautiful and frightening at the same time.

When I get older losing my hair… etc

Yes I’m that age today so just a brief blog as I prepare for hordes of visitors heading to my Dales cottage bearing gifts and alcohol. I can’t believe I’d still be singing the Beatles’ When I’m 64, when I’m actually 64. The song was released when I was 14. Where have the last 50 years gone?

Ribblesdale’s TV stars and the white stuff

While it’s always good to see Ribblesdale featured on the box I wasn’t too impressed with the programme on Friday in which Julia Bradbury walked up Penyghent. I liked the people in it, but I was left wondering what the real point of the programme was other than to give Julia something to do.

I’m all for promoting walking and the area, but in this programme everything appeared so manufactured, even by TV standards. I suppose that with it filling a slot between Coronation Street episodes I shouldn’t have expected anything of great depth. If I’m sounding pompous I apologise but I was put off in the first few minutes on hearing the term ‘Ribblesdale valley’ which always annoys me – a dale is a valley so why double up? And I’m not sure Horton-in-Ribblesdale can be classed as a ‘town’ as described – a population of around 400 with a shop is not a town in my book. And Hull Pot: a canyon? Mmmm.

There was plenty more hyperbole scattered throughout. Hull Pot was ‘totally unexpected’ enthused Julia. What was totally unexpected was the sight of Mr Lord with his fossils laid out on a sheet beside the ‘canyon’. Lucky he was there at the same time as Julia’s unexpected visit. Anyway, I’m glad she made it up ‘the sheer limestone cliff face’, and that the wind ‘put hairs on her chest’ (What?).

I was also disappointed the walk ended halfway round. A mention of all the hard work put in by volunteers to maintain the paths and environment wouldn’t have gone amiss, but I suppose I’m being picky – the shots from up above were great. By the way, is Minnie Caldwell still in Corrie?
I’m not free from criticism myself either – a chap wrote to me after I enthused about the return of steam engines through Ribblesdale, asking why we should be celebrating the reappearance of these ’noisy, dirty, expensive, environmentally-friendless monsters’.

Yes, they are outdated, I replied to him. But they pull in visitors to the area and it’s not as though they slog up the ‘Long Drag’ every day is it? I added. Then, rather embarrassingly for me, I read this week that some steam trains are to be scheduled into regular slots up the Settle-Carlisle Line! Ah well, still not as environmentally unfriendly as the planes I see leaving their marks across the sky above the Yorkshire dales, hey?

For further details of the timetabled steamers and news of the Flying Scotsman on the line, visit http://www.settle-carlisle.co.uk

Ribblesdale langcliffe — Langcliffe looking pretty in this week’s snow

I didn’t get out much this week for one reason or another but I did manage a few Ribblesdale snow shots. A snowy Ingleborough is shown at the top of the blog.

Ribblesdale lane — Pike Lane, Langcliffe

Ribblesdale train — Goods train leaving Ribblehead Viaduct

Ribblesdale sheep — Sheep feeding through the white stuff by the Ribble

Tag: Whernside