Sunday 22nd June
Silloth to Ravenglass then Eskdale
I slowly edged down the coast through Maryport (where I stopped for a full English at the harbour cafe), Workington and Whitehaven. After which I went to St Bees Head, to check out the seabirds...similar to Bempton but probably less birds and no full RSPB HQ....in fact nothing, but a farmyard to dump the vehicles then walk about a 1km to the cliffs. The wind was so strong off the sea, that it rather spoilt it...but still nice to see the usuals (no puffins though).
Heading further southwards, I passed the nuclear site: Seascale, Sellafield or Calder Hall...whatever they are calling it now. Nothing today is actually produced there, it's rather worrying function is to look after all the waste produced plutonium, that has massive half lives...
Not far further southwards, I headed down to the small seaside town of Seascale...actually a rather nice setting. Strange coastline all this, in that it is not easily accessible, so most people would never had visited it, and most probably could not name a town!
Observing a surfer coming out of the sea, and wondering how impacted the sea is from the nuclear site - it certainly used to be...
Taking a short stroll, I immediately came across a large memorial, in memory of all the victims of a deranged gunman in 2010, in the top 3 of mass murder in the UK (with Dunblane and Hungerford)...sitting on a bench, I read the detail on Wikipedia, and realised I'd followed almost the exact same route...the reading was awful, disturbing, have a gander if you wish: Cumbria shootings - Wikipedia https://share.google/RUEedTzj26NmiRBsS
He killed three in Seascale, and then went to Eskdale where he killed another person, then himself. After Ravenglass, the exact place where I settled for the night...right next to the River Esk
Monday 23rd June
Eskdale: Green Crag, Hardknott, Wrynose, Coniston
A morning wash / dip in the river followed by....
The
mountain forecast suggested fairly low cloud, bit worse, really strong
winds at 3000ft. So my planned hike including Pillar from Wasdale was
off!
But
exactly like my Bassenthwaite hike, there was a hike from where I'd
stayed the night....and again it was in the Southern Fells Wainwright
guide. And without, I wouldn't have known about a much more interesting
circular route that was absent from the OS maps....a great example
again, of where lower routes can be as joyful and infact have more
variation than the big mountain days out....there were a series of tors
and crags, the highest being Green Crag...and all to my self! Still 5
hours for a Wainwright afternoon amble!!
Straight
on from Eskdale was...Hardknott and Wrynose Passes...could my van take
the gradients? Well, only just...a friggin monster hummer campervan
beast came down, as I was going up Hardknott, my two offside wheels had
to go off the tarmac...and I could not get going, wheel spin, rubber
burn...I had to roll back and get all 4 wheels on the tarmac...thank God
it was dry too....I won't drive over there again in the van!
Wrynose
was nothing as bad, but heck knows how those cyclists manage it on the
Fred Whitton, after 90 miles of many other Lakeland passes! 🤪
Soon
I was in Lancashire! The Lancashire boundary stone is at the top of
Wrynose, and soon heading to Coniston I passed the Three Shires pub -
sad they fvcked up the traditional historical boundaries.
Coniston has always been a favourite, not just the setting, but I guess in the past, all those pubs in a relatively small place!
I
briefly stopped at the lakeside cafe for a Magnum ice-cream, then found
a cracking lakeside night stop towards the southern end....lovely
views!
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