Sty Head Pass from Lingmell

The day before the walk when this picture was taken, someone commented that the weather forecast was the best they had ever been seen for the Lake District with gorgeous sunshine all day. I walked from Borrowdale past Sty Head Tarn up to the summit of Lingmell, where this picture was taken looking back towards Sty Head. Scafell Pike is a short distance away from Lingmell, so that was where I went next, since it would have been a shame to have not climbed the highest hill in England when I was so close.

Towards Lochnagar from the summit of Carn an t-Sagairt Mor

This picture was taken under blue skies while standing beside the summit cairn of Carn an t-Sagairt Mor in the Cairngorms while on the horizon is the peak of Lochnagar. This was four years ago, when I was walking from Glen Doll to Braemar and hadn't planned on climbing any mountains, but when the weather is this good ...

Harter Fell in a sea of clouds from Ore Gap

Ordinarily it's not a good idea to take a photo directly into the sun, but it seems to work with this one. I was at the Ore Gap, about to climb to the top of Esk Pike, and I was looking south across a sea of clouds with the pointed peak of Harter Fell and assorted hills showing above the clouds. I could keep going with the pictures from this walk, but I'd better stop here with this quite simply stunning picture, however there are other pictures on my post about the walk.

Bow Fell from Esk Pike in winter clarity

Turning around to the opposite direction from the previous two pictures and there is a stunning view of Bow Fell with the Crinkle Crags behind fading into a sea of clouds. The view from the summit of Esk Pike is always tremendous, but on this cold winter's day when there was a thermal inversion it was one of the best views I have ever had.

Great End in clear weather

Taken at the same time as yesterday's picture, this clear view of Great End across Esk Hause from Esk Pike shows the benefit of cold air. Water vapour in the air makes the air hazy and spoils the view, but this picture, taken on New Year's Eve, under bright blue skies has beautifully clear views.

The North-Western Fells during a temperature inversion

Looking towards the North-Western Fells from the summit of Esk Pike during a temperature inversion when the hills appear as islands in a sea of clouds. I have only seen this phenomenon a couple of times and this was by far the most spectacular, on New Years Eve 2008. The views from the summit of Esk Pike that day were amazing and I'm going to share them with you over the next couple of days.

Lathkill Dale

Lathkill Dale in the Peak District basking under clear blue skies and plenty of water in the stream. Those were the days ...

The South Glen Shiel Ridge

If there hadn't been a pandemic, then today I would have been travelling to Scotland, but instead I'm looking at pictures of previous years when I have travelled to Scotland at this time. This picture was taken at the end of May in 2010 and shows part of the South Glen Shiel Ridge. I had climbed up to A'Chioch from the road and walked along the narrow ridge to the Munro of Aonach air Chrith, the third summit on the ridge, and that is where this picture was taken looking towards the next summit along the ridge: Maol Chinn-dearg.

Place Fell from Trough Head

This sunny picture looks across Patterdale while coming down from St. Sunday Crag and Burks in the Eastern Fells as I was approaching Trough Head before continuing down over Arnison Crag. I took a fabulous picture from the top of Arnison Crag, shared on 19th April, looking over Ullswater, but the picture below was taken half an hour earlier. Patterdale is the valley and Ullswater can be glimpsed to the left with Place Fell in the distance. This is the awesome Lake District at this time of the year fourteen years ago.

Blaby Heritage Trail and a Sence Valley Walk

A coronavirus walk

I have often seen signs around Blaby, a large village just outside Leicester, for a Blaby Village Heritage Trail, but I cannot find any information about the route on the internet. I have often thought I must see if I can follow the trail and now I am able to wander around Blaby looking for the signs that indicate the route. There are places on the internet that mention the Blaby Heritage Trail starts in Bouskell Park and beside the entrance gate is a number one so there I confidently entered the park and began the trail. The park was formerly the gardens for Blaby Hall and the building can clearly be seen to the north as a circuit is taken around the edge. On the eastern side a number two can be seen next to an old Ice House where ice in winter from a nearby pond was packed into an underground chamber so food could be preserved in the days before refrigeration. As I continue around the circuit I have not been able to find the number three signpost before returning to the entrance despite looking everywhere over the last couple of weeks, however a noticeboard at the entrance points out that the park contains traces of a medieval village in the undulations of the grass.

On the inside of the entrance gate is the number four so I headed out of the park along the trail on the pavement beside Sycamore Street past Blaby Hall and turned right into Church Street where a number five indicates that the trail heads up this leafy lane past the old school and up to All Saints Church. A number six below the fourteenth century church indicates that the trail turns left down an alleyway to reach Wigston Road where the fifteenth century Baker's Arms with its thatched roof dominates the view beside a number seven trail sign. Turning right the trail passes the old village green to the corner of Chapel Street where a number eight directs the route into the narrow road. I was now on a route that I created in 2012 when the summer was very wet and I was looking for a local walk that wouldn’t be too muddy. My Sence Valley Walk coincides with the Heritage Trail down Chapel Street to a number nine outside the Baptist Church and directs the trail down a narrow, but short path into Northfield Park. In better weather I have wandered around the park noting the short railway viaduct over the River Sence and the war memorial beside the path.

Following the main path across the park leads to the exit onto Leicester Road and a number ten signpost that directs the Blaby Heritage Trail back into the village centre to end a short but interesting walk that I wish had more information available. When I originally devised my Sence Valley Walk I crossed the Blaby By-Pass onto Winchester Avenue passing through Blaby Industrial Park until I reach a cyclepath that goes under the railway line past the floodplain for the river and during the wettest times this path would disappear under water. In these drier days I turn right out of Northfield Park following the main road under the railway line and immediately turn left off the road onto a path that keeps to the edge of the stony embankment. It is fortunate that this path is not very busy as it is so narrow I wouldn’t be able to keep more than two metres away from someone while passing them. The field to the right is sometimes used as a fairground and contains an old steam locomotive that is being used to publicise a campaign to re-open Blaby railway station, which used to be at this point.

Eventually the path moves away from the railway and crosses into fields that are usually being grazed by horses, but are otherwise excellent wildflower meadows, when not flooded by the River Sence. Although the path splits at this point it is irrelevant which one is taken as they both end at the cyclepath where a right turn takes me across the floodplain and over the river by an old bridge and onto New Bridge Road. Directly opposite is Cork Lane as it passes over the Grand Union Canal and then climbs steeply up to the Glenhills estate of Glen Parva. This is the steepest gradient in the area and on occasions I have used it to improve my fitness by running all the way up and my legs are usually screaming before I reach the top. A path crosses the road at this point and I turn right onto an increasingly overgrown lane between Wharf Way Industrial Park and the backs of the houses on Glenville Way. This is the only place on my original route around the Sence Valley where my shoes could potentially get muddy, and then only briefly.

It is a magical place, but all too soon I emerge into the bleak reality of the industrial park at the end of Rowlands Way that leads to Leicester Road where I now have three different options. The driest route follows Little Glen Road to the Glen Parva Manor while another option is to drop down onto the canal towpath, however I do not like that idea at the moment as the path is rather narrow. The best choice turns into Woodbank, a quiet cul-de-sac, and through an alleyway into Sonning Way at the end of which a narrow gap in the trees leads into Featherstone Drive Open Space. This is a bland name for a delightful area of mixed grass and woodland between the canal and Eyres Monsell estate and I have always called it Queens Park after the nearby street, Queens Park Way. A lovely walk through this open space delves into thicker woodland where bluebells grow until eventually I reach a low tunnel under the railway line that takes me into Hampton Close and over the canal to the Glen Parva Manor. This fifteenth century building is now a pub-restaurant and the road past leads to the ford over the River Sence. There is a path that diverts off taking its own bridge over the river and along a narrow alleyway that Google calls the Jitty, which is a local name for (to quote Wiktionary) “the narrow passage between rows of terraced houses or a fenced or hedged pathway linking two areas of a village”.

This is a fabulous path that is bejewelled with celandines and cow parsley in spring and I have walked along countless times but it is far too narrow for these times so I have been avoiding it. Instead I have been taking the bridge beside the ford that leads to Mill Lane and there a right turns takes me past the exit of the Jitty and back to Wigston Road in Blaby. My Sence Valley Walk is an excellent little walk that crosses both the River Sence and the canal while exploring the area between Blaby and Glen Parva. Since coming up with it in 2012 I have followed its route many times and although there are places where it is too narrow for these difficult times I still find myself wandering its lanes dreaming of the days when I can walk further afield.

Wasdale Head from Great Gable

The view from Wastwater towards the mountains that surround Wasdale Head has been voted the best in Britain. This is that view looking back from the mountains over Wasdale Head towards Wastwater. I had just walked along the South Traverse that provides access to the climbing routes up Great Napes, but I was trying a walker's route that climbs up the loose stones in Little Hell Gate up to the top of Great Gable. In 2013 I described this as a perfect day in the Lakes and the memory of it keeps me going in these dark days.

The Stones of Stenness

These are the Stones of Stennness on the Orkney Isles and they are five thousand years old, so they are even older than Stonehenge. I spent a week there in 2018 and I was lucky to get good weather throughout my stay.

The Long Stile Ridge

Yesterday's picture was taken at the foot of this ridge and now this picture, taken an hour and a half later, in 2007, is the view down that ridge from the edge of the High Street summit plateau. I continued the walk, after visiting the summit, around the top of the valley to the left of the picture reaching the top of Kidsty Pike before descending steeply back down to the reservoir. And then when I got back to my car I drove all the way into Scotland and the Scotland Highlands.

Haweswater

Haweswater is a surprisingly beautiful lake given that it is a reservoir and less than a hundred years ago it was half the size. This picture was taken from the start of an awesome ridge that climbs from the shore of the reservoir all the way up to the top of the mountain that is called High Street (named after a Roman road that passes over the summit). I must share a picture soon of the view from the top down the ridge, but if you can't wait it is on my post that describes this walk.

Miler's Dale

The beautiful Miller's Dale in the Peak District. Need I say more? This picture was taken in 2013 on a walk along the Monsal Trail.

View down Coledale from above Dove Crags

This view was taken from the path that comes down from the summit of Grasmoor, the highest point in the North-Weastern Fells. The regular, wide path up Grasmoor climbs up from the crossroads that heads across to Crag Hill, but this path that has developed recently is much better. It runs from the top of Dove Crags on the edge of the Grasmoor plateau following the top of the crags over gloriously rocky terrain with the view below down the ridge to Coledale Hause, the valley of Coledale straight ahead and the Northern Fells in the distance. This picture was taken during a fabulous walk in 2018, which you can read about here.

The view between Liathach and Beinn Eighe

This picture was taken last year between two of the giants of Torridon: Liathach and Beinn Eighe. I had just walked over into Glen Torridon, but reached the foot of the mountains late afternoon too late to start anything, so I just camped in Coire Dubh Mór. However, the weather was sensational and getting better, so I took a short walk up between these great mountains to enjoy the view and this astonishing picture was the result of the magical evening.

Grasmoor and Whiteside from Burnbank Fell

Returning to the Lake District at Christmas in 2009, there was an abundance of snow on the ground so I kept to the easier grassy slopes around Loweswater, but the rockier mountains looked great across the Lorton Vale. I spent all day on the grassy Loweswater Fells, but my eyes were constantly turning towards the bigger mountains. I'm not a keen winter walker preferring the easier walking of late Spring and Summer, but I do look forward to going to the Lake District at Christmas. In recent years the weather has been largely rainy, but ten years ago there was snow and although I kept to gentler slopes I still went out walking every day and I have fond memories of those days, such as this one.

The Vale of Ewyas, Black Mountains

In 1999 I climbed my first mountain, which was just inside Wales in the Black Mountains. The weather was hot as I climbed and I remember when I reached the point shown on the picture below I was exhausted, but overwhelmed by the view down the Vale of Ewyas. This climb up to the English border has shaped my life for more than twenty years since. This was my first mountain and I have regularly returned to this point every since. This picture was taken on the twentieth anniversary last year.

Bow Fell and Esk Pike from Hard Knott

In 2011 I completed my round of the Wainwright tops in the Lake District and this picture was taken as I was counting down the numbers. Hard Knott is a low hill on the edge of Esk Dale in the southern Fells and after Hard Knott I had just three more Wainwrights to go. On this walk, described here, my goal was simply to bag Hard Knott and I had nothing else planned. I had thought about climbing Crinkle Crags, to the right of the picture, but the steep slopes put me off so I dropped down to the stream and slowly followed my nose up towards the gap between Bow Fell, the prominent peak, and Esk Pike, the less defined peak to the left on the picture. It is a lot further than it looks on the picture and I was exhausted when I finally reached the Ore Gap where I turned left to Esk Pike, which looks insignificant on this picture and it is surrounded by some of the greatest fells in the Lake District, but I love it for that reason.

The Old Man of Hoy

The Old Man of Hoy is a sea stack that lies just off the island of Hoy in the Orkney Isles. I spent a fabulous week in Orkney two years ago, but the highlight was the day I got a boat to Hoy from the mainland to walk over some of the hills to the north of the island before descending to the awesome cliffs of St. John's Head and from there down to the Old Man that gained notoriety when it was climbed for the first time on national television in 1967.

Buttermere from Black Beck

From the narrow opening where Black Beck pours out, Buttermere can be seen below with Crummock Water in the distance under deep blue skies. I have taken a picture of this scene many times, but on this occasion the weather was just right. It was two years ago and the weather was sensational for a walk around the tops that encircle Buttermere. It was just one of those days in the Lake District.

Glenfinnan Viaduct

Before the Harry Potter fans ruined it, the Glenfinnan Viaduct was an awesome piece of engineering set in the most stunning scenery. This picture was taken on a walk around Corryhully at the top of the valley, but I couldn't resist taking a picture of the hills to the south of the viaduct in the early morning sunshine. The weather was fabulous all day with an awesome walk over two great mountains that ended with a lovely swim in the River Finna.

Glen Parva Nature Reserve and Everards Meadows

A coronavirus walk

With the lockdown continuing I have been unable to drive anywhere for a walk and this has forced me to explore the area where I live and I have discovered somewhere new. Everards is the local brewery in Leicestershire and they have recently moved one of their breweries from beside the Fosse Park shopping centre to the other side of the busy main road. As part of the project they purchased the nearby meadows that run down to the River Soar and last summer opened them up to the public, but I didn’t take the opportunity at the time to explore the area until the current situation encouraged me to look closer to home for my walking. The main entrance is on the main road, but for those on foot, or cycle, an alternative entrance has been provided from the Glen Hills Nature Reserve. There are a variety of ways to enter the reserve with possibly the best being from Needham Avenue in Glen Parva, to the south-west of Leicester, onto the cycle path that follows the course of the old Great Central Railway through the Soar Valley, immediately coming off the Great Central Way to enter the meadows and woods of the Glen Parva and Glen Hills Nature Reserves.

I have noticed that since lockdown many paths have become much clearer even in fields that technically don’t have public access indicating that people are going for walks in fields irrespective of whether there is a right-of-way. There is a footpath that runs from the southern end of Cork Lane along a gorgeous overgrown lane before slowly descending to the Grand Union Canal. I have recently been reluctant to walk along the towpath beside the canal as it is too narrow to allow for proper social distancing when passing other people, so it would seem like a good idea to be able to walk on the other side of the canal from this footpath into the nature reserve, however this is not technically possible. There is a field that doesn’t have public access between the footpath and the nature reserve, but this has not stopped some people walking through the fields on either side of the path and leaving clear trails. It is a shame there is not better legal access in the area.

At the southern end of the Glen Parva Nature Reserve are several wildflower meadows, although I have never seen much in the way of wild flowers when I have been there, which until recently is not often. Now I like to wander through these meadows beside the canal, on the far bank from the towpath, where there is plenty of room to keep a proper distance from other people. Glen Hills Nature Reserve is location in the middle of Glen Parva Nature Reserve and is largely wooded, but is very small and soon leads to a track that runs from the Great Central Way down to Blue Bank Lock Bridge over the canal. It is at this point that Everards have built the access to their site providing a wide bridge over the River Soar. A tarmacked cycle path heads off towards the new brewery, coffee shop and car park, but beaten trails through the grassy meadows branch off on either side so I turn right to follow the River Soar into Ratby Meadow. There has always been public access to this field, but it was not easy to get to and has, until recently, had no exit across the river.

Thanks to Everards it is now part of the wider Everards Meadows so has more appeal to me that it did when I first explored the area many years ago. Now I am easily able to get to the field and walk alongside the River Soar through the beautiful scenery beside the meadow that at this time of the year is decorated with cuckooflower with its delicate pale lilac fading to white flowers. Moving out of Ratby Meadow I am able to follow the wide sweep of the River Soar around the edge of the meadows to reach the edge of the park beside the main road where I turn back towards Ratby Meadow, but branching right I enter a neighbouring field and soon in the distance I can see the complex of recently built buildings at the western end of Everards Meadows where construction work is still continuing on the new brewery. Here is one of the tarmac cycle paths and I follow this towards the car parks, but before crossing a bridge I come off the cycle path and head south beside a meadow that seems to be covered in cuckooflowers.

Crossing another tarmacked cycle path I continue south skirting the edge of the headquarters for the Leicestershire constabulary through a meadow that also seems to be overflowing with wild flowers. I don’t know how these meadows are going to develop in the next couple of months as this is the first year I have visited the site, so I am eager to see what wild flowers will appear as we approach the summer. Soon I reach the right-of-way that gives access to Ratby Meadow and provides an alternative exit to the site along Ratby Meadow Lane, but to return to Glen Parva I turn left and briefly follow the right-of-way, keeping straight ahead when it turns sharply left. One final meadow brings me back to the new bridge over the River Soar and after crossing the canal I climb up beside Glen Hills Nature Reserve to the old railway line. To finish the walk I cross the Great Central Way and enter the ancient woodland of Aylestone Holt Spinney, which in spring is decorated with many wild flowers including bluebells and snowdrops. In the past I had given the Soar Valley little regard as I drove past it on my way to more interesting places even if those are still in Leicestershire like Charnwood Forest, but at this time when I am unable to drive anywhere for a walk I am discovering places on my doorstep that are suddenly greater than I had thought.

Stormy weather from Binnein Mor

The sun is almost always shining in the pictures I have been posting recently, but that is not always the case when walking. This picture was taken from the top of Binnein Mor in the Mamores just after a heavy shower has passed over, which can still be seen in the distance. The weather gradually improved after this point to reveal gorgeous sunshine by the time I reached the mountain to the right. And then late afternoon the heavens opened once again with a thunderstorm. Typical Scottish Highlands. You can read about the whole walk on this post.

Great Gable

Great Gable is the iconic mountain of the Lake District with its distinctive pudding bowl shape that means it can easily be identified on the skyline from anywhere in the Lake District. This picture is seen from Yewbarrow on the other side of Wasdale Head on a great walk in stunning weather in 2011.

Eriskay

This unspoilt scene was taken on the Isle of Eriskay in the Outer Hebrides. Not far from this point in 1941 the SS Politician ran aground on rocks while containing thousands of cases of malt whisky. Unfortunately there wasn't Whisky Galore when I was there! I was on my way north travelling from the southernmost inhabited island in the Outer Hebrides, Vatersay, all the way up to the Butt of Lewis along the whole length of the Outer Hebrides. However, I couldn't resist stopping on Eriskay so I could climb to the highest point on the island and then walk across the unspoilt terrain down to the sea at the beautiful location where this picture was taken. You can read about the walk here.

Wintry scene from Blencathra

I thought I'd share a wintry scene today and I have selected this one from Blencathra where a thick covering of hoar frost added to the view from Blencathra looking west across Keswick towards the North-Western Fells of the Lake District. There had been a deep freeze overnight that has left a thick covering of frost over the mountains, but little snow so relatively safe walking so long as I kept off rocky ground. When I reached the summit of Blencathra I couldn't resist walking the short distance to the top of Gategill Fell where this picture was taken. You can read about the walk here.

Robin Hood's Bay

This coastal scene looks across Robin Hood's Bay from Boggle Hole on the edge of the North York Moors. I had just walked from Scarborough along the Cleveland Way (and you can read about that here) and was staying in the Boggle Hole Youth Hostel, which is situated in a narrow valley by the coast. The Coast to Coast walk ends (or starts) at Robin Hood's Bay and the next day I set off along it across the North York Moors.

The Coniston Fells from the Old Man

This picture shows the Lake District at its best from the top of a mountain, specifically, the view from the top of the Old Man of Coniston on a beautiful day two years ago looking north over the Coniston Fells, passing along the ridge over Brim Fell to Swirl How with the great Lakeland skyline beyond. It's days like this that make all the grey, cloudy days worth enduring.