Whoever would have thought the Lake District could be so hilarious? First "The Wedding" and then our schneaky two day Bank Holiday trip up there.
Not many places let out their hotel rooms for one night only, especially over a Bank Holiday, so when Husb found a pub with a one night vacancy we just went for it. It didn't matter where it was...but how fabulous that it happened to be in the Western Lakes on the coast. ON THE COAST!
On our way to the pub in Santon Bridge we stopped at Ravenglass to experience the La'al Ratty Railway which was celebrating its 100 year anniversary that very weekend.
So we hopped on a train. How exciting. We were like big kids. The journey went for 7 miles from Ravenglass, the only coastal town in the Lakes, to Boot Station, Dalegarth.
Naturally we gave all the trains names, like Henry and James and Percy and Gordon and Thomas...
and it was great - we twisted and turned and and climbed and dipped and the driver tooted and we all hooted and the hairy man in front of us kept leaning out to take photos, scuppering our chances of a getting a good shot. This isn't a bad one of the steam though.
When we arrived at Boot, James had a quick swizzle round on the turntable and was ready for the return trip.
"Right then, let's go and find the waterfall" we said. Hmmm. Easier said than done. Wotahoot! How hard is it to find a waterfall?? We even lead others the wrong way because we looked like we knew where we were going.
Besides, I got waylaid by some perfect looking stepping stones, in the river Esk that were ideal for planking on.
Until I tried to stand up again. I nearly fell in. :/
Dalegarth
Ah a signpost to the falls. That's more like it.
Wow, it was like our own little rainforest right here in the lake District.
What was so amazing was the silence. Not a single bird tweet/coo/song. It was sooooo quiet.
We likened it to the rainforests of Dominica. Leaves were dripping with moisture, everywhere was lush and shiny green, there was so much moss we had to be careful not to go flying on those rocks, it was absolutely beautiful. And so quiet.
Then we saw it.
It just sort of ... appeared.
The tumbling water hardly made a sound either, it trickled down the rocks into the pool below.
When we got back to Boot Station Percy was having a turn on the table.
But we weren't ready to return yet.We needed to explore the little village of Boot so we set off along the road in the direction of a couple of pubs. Dear Godfrey we could SMELL one pub before we could see it. We had to give the Boot Inn a wide berth as it stank so heavily of garlic. "Award winning food" indeed. I don't think so.
But the
was a great decision - tea, real ale and near to one of the few remaining two wheel water corn mills.
It would have been easy to just tuck in to a barsnack when we got back to The Bridge but it was such a lovely evening the fish and chips had to wait an hour or so, while we went for an evening drive along the side of Wastwater which is the deepest of the lakes.
This was approaching Wastwater. It is 3 miles long, half a mile wide and the deepest of all the Lakes at 260 feet deep.
When we got out of the car the other end we saw a sign that said "The route to Scafell Pike". Ooooeeerrr England's highest hill. But no Ali, this wasn't it.
It was behind there somewhere though.
Wastwater from the other side.
with protective Moo and calf. She gave us evils.
The fish and chips were calling though. so it was back to the Bridge...
...for fish and chips...
and HOBGOBLIN GOLD!!! CUB, LOOK!
DAY 2
"What's that coming over the hill, is it a monster, is it a monster ..."
Take another look at that hill.
That... is the FIRST GEAR ONLY , SINGLE PATH road called the HARDKNOTT PASS. one of the steepest roads in England with a gradient of 1:3. Eek.
I still can't decide if it was terrifying, hilarious, heart attacking, exciting, stressful, exhilating, FUN or all of those combined. but I DO know that hairpinbending on a camber with the revs going bonkers was definitely NOT the right time to tell Husb
"My Dad used to say "Always drive OUT of a bend""
Dear Geoffrey, we nearly shot over the edge.
It's never good to make a driver jump when their foot is on the accelerator and Mountain Goat minibuses are hurtling towards you like they own the road.
We did, however need a half way up breather to get the heart rate back to normal so we stopped at the Hardknott Roman Fort where we did handstands and impressions of Julie Andrews.
THIS was pure genius by the photographer, snapping me in the 0.2 of a second that I was in this position, blimey he has made me look like an Olympic gymnast.
I've even impressed myself. Looking like a pro at my age,
Wouldn't this Pulpit Rock have been soooo perfect for a plank!... but I just didn't dare. Certainly not after nearly falling in the Esk off those stepping stones, I'd never have got up again off this.
Yes, that's the Cactus parked down there.
I know it looks dry but it wasn't. Between us, we had managed to find the boggiest bog and now had soaking wet feet.
I've not got a plank from Hardknott Pass in my album so it had to be done, wet feet or not.
And then it was back down the other side.
After doing battle with the cows....
And on to Cartmel Races, with Sticky Toffee Pudding, yet more fish'n'chips, and a late drive home down the Motorway. It was a brilliant 2 days.
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