The western lake district

[Dive Bomber]

Muncaster Castle is definitely worth a visit.

[Washy75]

Originally Posted by ecocumbria

I live here too, out in the sticks just a dog walk from the Ennerdale Valley. Walking and cycling is superb but you have to remember that over-grazing by sheep has rendered the Cumbrian uplands a biological desert. Ennerdale is undergoing a management change that will make it a wilderness the likes that England has not seen for hundreds of years. Can't wait, I spend many hours up in the fells enjoying the scenery and work out but I am always angered at the lack of wildlife courtesy of them wooly backed naffing lawn mowers. The local fell farmers will tell you sheep are needed to preserve the character of the Lake District, I say remove agricultural subsidy and get the sheep off of the fells and lets get some natural biomass back.

A beautiful corner of England but "a biological desert" indeed. I've never really pondered the link between this observation and the amount of sheep until now but how right you are! I walked from Patterdale to Wasdale Head over four days from the 31st. of March this year and saw very little (apart from a nesting pair of peregrines and three red deer). I simply couldn't believe how little wildlife I saw over such a vast area.

In other parts of europe, and at similar altitudes, this doesn't seem to be the case (I'm thinking specifically of Slovenia where I visited earlier this year). I think it's a real shame that the Lakes, as beautiful as it is on the eye, leaves me feeling a bit hollow with regards to the general lack of wildlife.

I sincerely hope this Ennerdale project of which you speak turns out to be fantastic and gives such movements a real head of steam! Many thanks for enlightening me!

[foxy mars]

Ennerdale is my favourite part of the Lakes. I would like to do the Ennerdale Round, a circular walk of 25 miles, taking in the peaks in that area such Pillar.

[KIDSTYPIKE]

Originally Posted by foxy mars

Ennerdale is my favourite part of the Lakes. I would like to do the Ennerdale Round, a circular walk of 25 miles, taking in the peaks in that area such Pillar.

Foxy, I did the Ennerdale Horseshoe way back in the late 60's with 2 mates. We did it in June to get the most daylight. It took us about 16 hours but it was one of the best days walking in my life. Just wish I could still do it.

Dave

[ChrisJB]

Originally Posted by Washy75

A beautiful corner of England but "a biological desert" indeed. I've never really pondered the link between this observation and the amount of sheep until now but how right you are! I walked from Patterdale to Wasdale Head over four days from the 31st. of March this year and saw very little (apart from a nesting pair of peregrines and three red deer). I simply couldn't believe how little wildlife I saw over such a vast area.

In other parts of europe, and at similar altitudes, this doesn't seem to be the case (I'm thinking specifically of Slovenia where I visited earlier this year). I think it's a real shame that the Lakes, as beautiful as it is on the eye, leaves me feeling a bit hollow with regards to the general lack of wildlife.

I sincerely hope this Ennerdale project of which you speak turns out to be fantastic and gives such movements a real head of steam! Many thanks for enlightening me!

I know what you mean. I never seem to see a great deal of wildlife there either. I think it is overgrazed and also might have something to do with a high density of visitors over what is really quite a compact upland area.

Regards, Chris

[PMG]

No-ones mentioned Wrynose and Hardknott Passes.............

If anyone's a driving enthusiast (read nutter!) they are fun......... proposals at Wast Water eh eeyore - I took my first husband (before he was my husband) over both passes in fog, in January, in a hired mini .......... he never let go of the car seat once......... Many years later I took myself up and over in my old VW camper (and managed to scare myself into never doing it again - in the camper). I will know I have got too old to drive when I can't get over to the western lakes that way........... oh and by the way aside from the driving thrills - the views are gorgeous - and of course parking up at Three Shires Stone does allow old legs to reach some of the higher views without climbing from valley bottom..........

Oh dear ........ and now I've talked about it I too wish I was there ....... I know there isn't a huge amount of wildlife but my soul feeds off those views - its a small wild place with little gems: fungi, mosses, liverworts, lichens, moorland flowers, peregrine, ring ouzel, goshawk, wood warbler ....................

Pauline

[PMG]

Originally Posted by ChrisJB

Go to Ravenglass on the coast, south of St Bees. Not much there, but has a great deal of charm.

Regards, Chris

And if you're coming down the coast don't miss out a walk in the dunes at Sandscale Hawes - June-July it has lovely flora and dragonflies and natterjack toads - tho a walk at night would be best for finding these!

Pauline

[KIDSTYPIKE]

PMG wrote;
and of course parking up at Three Shires Stone does allow old legs to reach some of the higher views without climbing from valley bottom..........

We did a great walk from the 3 shires stone onto Pike O'Blisco, Crinkle Crags and Cold Pike earlier this year .....fanastic views.

Dave

[Pete Collins]

Originally Posted by PMG

No-ones mentioned Wrynose and Hardknott Passes.............

............

Pauline

Several years ago, I drove over those passes on the way to go walking somewhere. I had almost finished going down the Hardknott Pass into Eskdale when I met two old cars coming the other way, just starting the ascent. They were both really old open-top sports cars, 1930's vintage I should guess, the sort with running-boards along the sides. Both had Dutch registration numbers.

In the first car, the passenger was standing up in his seat, holding a video camera, obviously filming their ascent of this famously difficult pass. Then I saw the second car. There was no passenger in this one. Instead, the driver was holding a video camera, filming himself as he tried to ascend the pass! He was filming with his left hand, just holding the wheel with his right hand! It's bad enough going over those passes with two hands on the wheel, doing it one-handed is just asking for trouble.

But then, as we passed, I saw he had a lit cigarette in his right hand ...

[PMG]

Originally Posted by Pete Collins

Several years ago, I drove over those passes on the way to go walking somewhere. I had almost finished going down the Hardknott Pass into Eskdale when I met two old cars coming the other way, just starting the ascent. They were both really old open-top sports cars, 1930's vintage I should guess, the sort with running-boards along the sides. Both had Dutch registration numbers.

In the first car, the passenger was standing up in his seat, holding a video camera, obviously filming their ascent of this famously difficult pass. Then I saw the second car. There was no passenger in this one. Instead, the driver was holding a video camera, filming himself as he tried to ascend the pass! He was filming with his left hand, just holding the wheel with his right hand! It's bad enough going over those passes with two hands on the wheel, doing it one-handed is just asking for trouble.

But then, as we passed, I saw he had a lit cigarette in his right hand ...

Oh Pete! Now they're just the sort you don't want to meet - particularly at the 1 in 3 zeds on the way up............. OMG It doesn't bear thinking about ........... and wouldn't that constitute a new danger associated with smoking? heh! heh! heh!

Pauline