Day 010 – Ravenglass to Silecroft

Distance: 24.9 km

Steps: 44,865

I had always intended to cross the Esk river at low tide, just below Eskmeals viaduct. There is a ford shown on the OS map

I scoped it out the previous day and discussed it with some local people. Even at low tide there was still 100 metres of unknown river to cross and it looked pretty deep near the middle. So I abandoned the Eskmeals location and looked further north-east to Wabnerthwaite Hall Farm.

There is definitely a ford shown on the OS map but there is no evidenc of one on the ground. Their prediction of mud is however accurate (even understated). I tried seversl different approaches but was beaten back by mud each time. The mud tried to pull my boots off and inevitably, finallly, I sat down in it!

Self presevatlion kicked in and I backwatracked to a path I had seen earlier. It was signosted to Muncaster Castle

I reached the castle at 11:00 am and realised that I had walked 7 km to find myself 1 km from my start point IN THE WRONG DIRECTION! I stopped for lunch and called Tim’s Taxi Service, to air lift me out and put me back on the trail

Tim’s driver is a lifesaver. He dropped me off by the two red flags flying at the firing range, jusr north of Bootle station. Best foot forward. I headed south.

‘The Nicest Thing I Have Seen So Far’ award goes to Tarn Treats at Tarn Point. From where I bought a can of D&B. These young entrepreneurs are saving up to buy a Jersey cow They certainly have an eye for presetation and have set up their stall in an ideal location. They should go far 😊

There has been a huge investment in this coast walk. This set of wooden stairs being a good example. Who, I wonder, paid for this?

Somedody, or more likely a whole team of sombodies has been collecting garbage from the beach

What’s more, it has al been categorised and I can report that the plastic litter criminals are (in order): By a country mile, the biggest pile is fishing nets and ropes. Next, by quantity though not volume, shotgun cartridges and third is site helmets. Who’d have thought it?

I had to take this photo, it looks so much like Chesil Beach at Weymouth

This stretch of coast is very ‘up and down’ but the amazing sea views more than make up for the scrambles (a bit like Dorset).

I reached the car park at Rayrick Hole at just gone 6:00pm. I chatted with a group of dog walkers and I’m gratful to Mark , Al and their three dogs for the lift to Silecroft station. They also gave me a bottle of cider, a bottle of water and a packet of biscuits. Such nice people.

I always thought that you could identify an electric fence by the yellow plastic sign attached to it, saying ‘DANGER electric fence’. But not so it seems in Cumbria. Look out for the little rubber tubes on the top wire ☹️

This picture was taken in the dark with no flash! It is of my basher srealthily set up in the woods just north of Green Road station. Which incidentally, is a request stop. I followed a sheep through a hole in a barbed wirefence to get there

This is a test at 7:17pm on 3/7/22

Explanation

I’m trying to blog with my iPhone so I don’t need to carry my iPad when I’m walking.

Unfortunately, in the process, I’ve just accidentally deleted toay’s post ☹️

So please bear with me while I start again

New Test Post 19:15 3/7/22

Day 009 – Seascale to Drigg

Distance: 13.2 km

Steps: 22,812

Surf’s up!

Seascale is only a tiny little place but I like it. I’ve been there three times recently. Last year (in a wheelchair) to collect some medication from the pharmacy . Last week I walked in from Sellafield and today I arrived by train from Barrow-in-Furness

A steady 20 mph westerly wind was blowing the waves much further up the beach than the tide tables had foretold. Nobody was surfing, but they could have been. A group of teenagers were playing ‘Chicken’ with the waves crashing against the end of Seascale’s concrete pier

I set off walking south on the prom but it kind of fizzled out after about 100 metres. Beach walking on soft sand and loose pebbles is tough on the ankles. About a kilometre south of Seascale, a blue sign suggests that the ECP goes through the dunes at the top of the beach. Like a fool, I followed it. This higher (and indistinct) track is choked with brambles and nettles.

Legs cut to ribbons I resumed walking on the beach

A solitary WW2 pillbox, listing badly to starboard, stands defiant against potential invaders

As the train approached Seascale earlier this afternoon, I noticed a 3 metre metal fence, topped with razor wire. A pair of railway tracks disappeared beneath a matching gate. No red flag? I reckon this has something to do with Sellafield.

Two kilometres further on and the trail turns inland. There’s more of that 3 metre metal fence, only this time it’s sporting signage saying: ’no drones’, ‘armed police’ and ‘nuclear licensed site’. Firing range ny foot.

A lady appeared over then brow of a hill (eighty if she was a day). She was right in the centre of the road, pushing a trolley. I stopped for a chat. I admired her vigour, determination and her trolley. She explained that she had been supposed to hand it in when her husband had died but that she’d hung on to it, mosly bacause of the useful seat which allows you to sit down if your legs are getting tired, 🙂 Good on her

The railway man was dressed head to toe in day-glow orange. I followed him up the tall stairs and admired his levers. He recommended ‘The Vic’ for dinner but it was all locked up. I was about to go find the local Spar when the guy in the pink T shirt shouted “They’ll be open in five minutes”. He got out of his van and we chatted in the car park. This turned out to be Jon. He and his partner Manon (the nicest couple you could hope to meet) have invited me to dinner when I’m in Barrow-in-Furness

Set up my basher at dusk, 20 metres downstream from the old packhorse bridge over the River Irton at Drigg. This river is still tidal at this point, so set up on a high bank. A lovely summer’s evening so covered all exposed areas in bug spray

Maximum strength mosquito repellent

Site cleared. My idyllic location just after dawn. All I left behind was a patch of flattened grass 😜