Category: Jo’s Monday Walk

I’ll let Jo explain: “It’s not a challenge, you see. Walking is one of the great pleasures of my life. Ever since I began my blog I have enjoyed introducing people to new places, and the walks are another way to do it. Many of them are local and well known to me in my north east of England home. Others are a bit more exotic. So, how does it work? Every week I will publish a walk on a Monday. If for any reason I can’t make it, I will let you know. When the walk is published, anyone is welcome to leave a link in my Comments, to any walk that they have taken. It doesn’t have to be on a Monday. It can be at any time and of any duration. The amount of detail/photos, etc. is up to you. Free and easy, you see?”

The Gatehouse of Fleet

The town takes its name from its location near the mouth of the river called the Water of Fleet which empties into Wigtown Bay at Fleet Bay, and its former role as the “Gait House” or “the House on the Road on the River Fleet” or toll booth of the late 18th century stagecoach route from Dumfries to Stranraer, now the A75 road. It was a safe haven along this route, and travellers would often stop in the area rather than furthering the journey at night due to the high numbers of bandits and highwaymen at the time. Wikipedia

We drove a few miles from Kirkcudbright to visit the converted mill ‘The Mill on the Fleet‘ (1788) to have a look at the art gallery and bookshop and also have coffee and cake on the terrace at the Tart n’ Tea café. The most delicious cream choux pastry I have ever eaten. Cardoness Castle is on the outskirts of the town too and Cally Nursery, which I didn’t get the time to visit.

Having picked up a leaflet from the Information Office in Kirkcudbright of a Walking Tour of the town I dragged the OH off for a stroll. I think he’d have quite happily remained on the terrace or in the second-hand bookshop if it hadn’t been closing time.

Clematis

Pedestrian Bridge

The Mill and Terrace

Leaving the Mill behind you cross over a pedestrian bridge and through the park to the Riverbank – a housing project built in the 1950s to cope with the overcrowding and poor conditions in Gatehouse. Turning left on to Hannay Street you pass an interesting little Episcopal Church with robin’s egg coloured painted windows.

And on the corner stands the rather dilapidated Ship Inn (previously Anworth Hotel) where Dorothy L Sawyers wrote Five Red Herrings. One of the Gatehouse artists of the ’20s and ’30s, Alice Sturrock, also lived along here.

The town harbour used to be here, but no longer. The river is still tidal at this point. Turn left onto the High Street and cross the road bridge.

In front of you to the left is the Spar and Post Office which were once a tannery. Opposite was a former brewery complex, now flats.

Continuing up the High Street the red sandstone building was the Town Hall. Now only the front remains, the rest of the building demolished in 1978 and replaced by a lovely little public garden that leads into Garries Park.

Through to the Garden

Public Garden

Reverse inscription

Phlomis russeliana

Honeysuckle and Hydrangea

Statue

Town Hall from High Street

A quick look at the well

Yellow Rose

Over the little bridge

Naturally we took the garden route and after passing the bowling green (below) we came out on Ann Street.

The Cotton Mill (Scott’s Mill) at the top of Ann Street

Ann Street

Chimney Pots

Granite Cottages

Pretty door

At the bottom of Ann Street is the clock tower (1871) and on the left in the courtyard of the Murray Arms is the original gatehouse. This building predates the town and may have been an inn on the old road to the ford.

The Clock Tower

Water Fountain

Clock

Also in Ann Street is the Masonic Arms and opposite the Cally Estate office which looks to be under renovation. This, along with other local locations, featured in the cult movie The Wickerman.

Masonic Arms

Cally Estate Offices

Crossing the High Street we headed along Castramont Street, past the Parish Church with masses of Philadelphus (mock orange) scenting the evening air.

a rather quirky decorated house (now this would have been a good photo for the Kitsch challenge)

Kitsch?

Unusual flower baskets

Want a closer look?

and down Birtwistle Road with its rather lovely row of workers’ cottages and back into the Mill grounds by way of a gate at the end of the lane.

The Mill at Fleet

Mill Wheel

And the final thing I saw and photographed was a lovely oyster-catcher in the park. Now a reminder of a dear blogging friend.

Source: Fleet Valley Trails Town Trail leaflet (Dumfries and Galloway Council)

If you enjoy a walk, short or long, then you may enjoy visiting Jo’s Monday Walk where you are in for a treat.

Circumnavigating Grasmere Lake

Whilst in the Lake District last month – time flies – we did a couple of lakeside walks. One, around the pretty picture postcard village of Grasmere is about 3 miles long which is long enough for me, especially as on this day, rain threatened. The lake is one of the smallest and a full circuit should not take long unless, like me, you stop to take dozens of photographs. The start and end of the walk is on the road, but it is fairly level once you reach the lake shore and there is a lovely lakeside beach at the southern end.

After wandering around the lovely village for half an hour or so, we headed off along Red Bank at the west of the village (near the church) and up hill where stunning homes nestle amongst the woodland filled with vibrant pinks and mauves of rhododendrons.

Where fayries wander

Selma and Siri's Lakeland cousins perhaps? — Selma and Siri’s Lakeland cousins perhaps?

and bright yellow Welsh poppies huddle alongside the hedgerows. In fact I am reminded of Wales here. Though it feels lighter somehow.

Red Bank

Beautiful Woodland

Pretty cottage

The Garden House

One, the wooden Garden House, appealed to me, but I dare say the price is high as well as the terraced garden, but oh, what a view.

The road continued meandering around bends, with no sight of a lake.

Then, a glimpse, through the trees and not long after we found the rough track leading down to the shoreline.

Careful with those loose stones

A neat track to the shore

The views once we reached the shore were amazing. Lush green fells rearing up all the way around the lake, the village now shrouded in cloud and to the south, just a glimpse of the beach we were heading to.

And neat wooden boardwalks to help us safely over the streams that feed into the lake.

Boadwalk

A family of shovellers

Lakeside Path

The path follows the shoreline until you reach the southern end, where you head up slightly into woodland, before coming out onto the beach. This must be a lovely place for a picnic in the summer months. It was, however, a little drizzly today.

But with beautiful reflections in the mirror-like surface

We found more people at this end of the lake (and discovered later that there is a car-park not too far away), some sitting admiring the view, others walking their dogs, and other fit people climbing up the fell behind us.

Now we had to decide which way to go. There was no obvious sign, so we headed over the wooden bridge and into the woodland. Only to get lost. Later we realised that we should have simply followed the path alongside the river as that led to the road and car-park. It was awfully wet though.

Into the wood

Finally, after doubling back on ourselves a couple of times, we found a way out of the wood and onto the very busy A591 road which leads to Windermere. Fortunately we only had a few metres to walk before hitting the pavement which took us back into Grasmere. Can you spot that lovely house overlooking the lake?

A last view of the lake at the northern end.

If you enjoy a walk, short or long, then you may enjoy visiting Jo’s Monday Walk where you are in for a treat.

A Lakeside Evening Stroll

It rained on Thursday 5th June, but not too heavily. After a lazy start and some essential shopping in Keswick, we drove to see the Catlerigg Stone Circle above Keswick and then on to Ullswater, stopping for an early dinner in a traditional pub, The Horse and Farrier, in Dacre on the way back. On reaching Keswick it had turned into a lovely evening, with the sun shining and the air warm. Time to take another stroll around the lake – OK, not ALL the way round – just a short circuit past the Keswick launches, along the foreshore and up to Friar’s Crag then around a beach full of lambs playing tag and hide and seek, skirting Cockshut Wood, up towards Castlehead Wood and back into the town. About an hour’s gentle stroll.

Head on down to the lakeside from the town passing through Hope Park where the flower beds are full of pretty blues like these geraniums and irises.

Hardy Geranium

Ink blue bearded-iris

alongside the new Theatre by the Lake

with a glance across Crow Park where sheep roam and people gather for picnics and the 360 degree views of the surrounding fells – Borrowdale to the south, Catbells to the west, Skiddaw and Blencathra, north-east.

Carry on along to where the road terminates at the Keswick Launch jetties. There are lots of benches to sit on and watch the sun set over Derwentwater

And it continues as a broad pathway which follows the lake shore through shady trees to Friar’s Crag

which is named because the craggy headland is said to have been the launch point for monks making a pilgrimage to St Herbert’s Island.

(St Herbert’s Island was the setting for Owl Island in Beatrix Potter’s book ‘The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin’. )

Bear left to visit a memorial to John Ruskin in amongst the trees, then head down some steps to another path which leads through a gate and onto the shoreline.

Where a group of young lambs were play-fighting and chasing one another along the shore.

At this point you can continue around the lakeside through another gate leading to Calfhouse Bay, but we left the shore and headed back towards Keswick via Cockshut Wood.

Footpath to Cockshut Wood

A Gaggle of Geese

Lonely Tree

View to Derwent Isle

Path along the foreshore

Sun going down

Boardwalk through the meadow

Through another gate into the wood, watch out for deer and red squirrels, then at a clearing, exit right through a gate towards Castlehead Wood, up on a hill in front of you.

We didn’t go up there on this evening as we’d been up before and it’s a rough scramble at the top to a view-point. That’s another walk!

At the road, turn left along a path which runs parallel to the Borrowdale Road and back into the town. We left it at the churchyard and cut through the lane beside the church back to our apartment.

A fine evening with a crescent moon

St John’s Church

Where we had a lovely cold G&T.

If you enjoy a walk, short or long, then you may enjoy visiting Jo’s Monday Walk where you are in for a treat.

Priors Halton Loop

With the recent good weather I have been trying to get out for a daily walk. Last Sunday we set off towards Priors Halton farm, about a mile or so outside of Ludlow. It is one of the few flattish walks around here, as Ludlow is surrounded by hills.

Most walks in and around Ludlow begin with crossing a bridge. This time Dinham, with a glance at ‘Ludlow Beach’, as locals name the area on the Teme where it is often safe to paddle. Repairs are being made to the weir (including a by-pass to allow salmon moving 50 miles upstream to spawn an easier way through the river ) has meant changes to the ‘beach’ too. And today there are many more youths than usual. It is a hot day, though they are a bit big to swim in the extremely shallow waters – amazing to think how high the water level was only a couple of months ago.

Instead of heading left along the Bread Walk or ahead up the Donkey Steps onto Whitcliffe Common, today we are continuing along the road towards Priors Halton. The road ends at Priors Halton farm, but you can continue on foot or bicycle to Lady Halton or Oakly Park and even Bromfield where you will find Ludlow Food Centre, a café and restaurant.

Lots of wild flowers in the hedgerow hidden amongst the clouds of cow parsley and May trees are flowering.

Knapweed

Hawthorn blossom

Stitchwort

Look back and you’ll be rewarded with a dramatic view of the castle in its commanding position, chosen by Norman builder, Roger de Lacy in 1085.

It’s amazing that only half a mile away from the town you feel deep in the heart of English countryside. The only sound is that of birds…

Which Way?

Lilac tree and hill of Clee

Cows in the meadow

Along the road

Rich earth

and sheep bleating…

At the farm we decided to return to Ludlow via one of the public footpaths, thus shortening the walk to around 3 miles instead of a 5 mile loop.

A public footpath which during this dry weather, is easy to walk on. This is not always the case as, unlike the lane, this route is unpaved and gets very churned up and muddy.

May trees

Oak tree

Another public footpath leads to Lady Halton alongside the farmer’s field, but we’ll continue along this track today, heading towards Mortimer Forest. It is slightly uphill but a gentle climb.

The views are good now that we are out of the high hedgerows. Look back towards Priors Halton and you can see the farmhouse and also the south Shropshire hills in the background.

We reach Middle Wood Road and turn left back to Ludlow.

Watch out for speeding cyclists!

It is lovely and shady along this road as we walk along the edge of the woodland. Ludlow can be seen in the distance, crouching beneath Titterstone Clee Hill, which is about seven miles distant.

And we are accompanied by orange-tipped butterflies flitting along the hedge, but never stopping for a photograph. Bluebells can be spotted up in the woodland, cow parsley appears again

and we did get a shot of this little fellow, who may be a Wood White butterfly and some lovely new ferns.

Finally we reach Lower Road and Whitcliffe Common, where we found a bench to rest and enjoy the view of Ludow and the castle where a couple are enjoying their view from the bench next to the archway, which I mentioned on my Castle Walk.

If you enjoy a walk, short or long, then you may enjoy visiting Jo’s Monday Walk where you are in for a treat.

A Spring Walk in Herefordshire

I discovered another garden not too far from here a few weeks ago. Apparently it is used as a location in ‘The English Garden’ magazine if anyone reads that. It also has a small café in a beautiful Tithe barn serving lunches and cakes, warm lemon & treacle tart anyone? So definitely worth a visit, although on this particular day I was feeling rather ill so had to sit and watch the OH devour a lovely chicken sandwich.

This post is linked with Cee’s Which Way Challenge, Jo’s Monday Walk and this week’s Travel Theme from Ailsa which is Blossom.

Probably the first thing you notice once you enter the gardens through the Cider Press, is this gorgeous Granary with the Oast Houses. I used to think Oast Houses only existed in Kent. Not so, there are quite a few in Herefordshire and Worcestershire and still plenty of hops in the fields.

I spent a fair while just photographing these gorgeous old buildings before venturing into the gardens themselves. But what a treat awaited me.

Steps on the Cider Press

Tulips

Redbuds

The problem was where to start? The Pigeon House Garden? The Spring Garden? What a choice.

The Spring Garden was a delight with these jewel-like anemones flowering in the sun. A crooked path leading to a sweet little summer-house with magnolia blossom overhead.

Leaving the Spring Garden behind brings you out in front of the Manor House, with pots of bright tulips outside the porch and walls festooned with budding wisteria. The Main Lawn softens the driveway which leads to the farmyard. And a barn with bells.

The Bathing Pool Garden was intriguing, especially as this leads to the Rock Pools where Fritillaria meleagris and Pulsatilla vulgaris flowered around the pool and blossom hung overhead.

Fritillaria meleagris

Chaenomeles japonica

Doorways and water features entice you into the Elizabethan Garden with violet-blue clematis dripping over the wall.

Next the Long Walk leads you past the Kitchen Garden, the Sunken Garden, the Pillar Garden and finally the Paddock Garden. See the blossom?

With plants and pots and watering-cans to catch the eye.

Pots

Erythronium

watering-cans

The path leads down to the Dingle, the furthest area of this lovely garden and where the Spring and the Grotto can be found. A very peaceful place to stop and rest and absorb the beauty of nature.

Lots of little paths to wander along.

And a wider one which leads to the Grotto. But watch your step!

Finally on the way back to the exit there are the Iris Walk and the Greenhouses which I can never resist having a nosey in. The irises weren’t in flower, so another visit is required, very soon. But I did find some mistletoe growing on a fruit tree.

Before you leave, have a browse around the plant sales which is behind the Cider Press and where you’ll find the Rill and a pair of Welsh Dragons 🙂

I hope you have enjoyed your visit to Stockton Bury Gardens in Herefordshire. It has a very long history as there has been a dwelling on this site since 660. The ‘Bury’ is a Saxon word for Court House or Mansion House and was given the status of a Manor in the reign of Edward III.