I left Croglin by Town Head Farm then up the stony track to more buildings at the top of the hill. I was intrigued by a large modern building to my left which looked like a lecture hall of some kind. It even had a large gravel car park at the front, which was empty.

Building above Croglin

many moles hanging on the fence

Turning right I headed up the fell track. As I started the climb a large Freelander vehicle passed me and headed off in to the distance. After an old quarry on the left I came to the main track gate which marks where the public path leaves the track and heads off above Croglin Water.

A man was rebuilding the dry stone wall and doing a good job. I asked him if he was local and he said he was and came from Croglin. With the absence of a vehicle parked nearby it appears he probably walked to the spot. I asked him if he knew anything about the ruins of Lawyer's Cross at the head of the valley. He didn't know anything and said it's not an area he'd been to. I followed the path which soon followed the route of an old track. Path markers showed the way through gates and an occasional posts where it crossed open ground.

re building the stone wall

Shooting Hut

After crossing Lanchy Beck the map shows the public path heading up the fell to the left then fizzling out. I wanted to investigate the shooting hut ahead so stayed low with the track following the valley bottom. Eventually I saw the new track ahead which is under construction higher up the valley. Up to the left I saw the Freelander I saw earlier; the driver was now operating a machine to knock fence posts in. To my right I saw the shooting hut and headed for it along the track.

When I got there it was comprised of two buildings, the main hut and an adjacent barn. The hut was totally clad in plywood sheets and even the door had been covered and sealed. The barn had a small door at the opposite end which was unlocked and revealed an interior of fencing an sheep related stuff. I left the track and headed up the hillside.

inside the hut

camp above Croglin Water

I was heading to a possible pitch I'd seen before at the top of a waterfall near Lawyer's Cross ruins. After the steady climb I reached the spot but climbed a little higher to another area with a good spot to pitch the tent by a small stream and smaller waterfall. It was still early when I camped but I was surprised by the number of vehicles moving across the fells as the afternoon drew on. A tractor brought a trailer load of fence posts, a quadbike rider turned up to check the fencing done earlier and another mini vehicle drove across the far horizon.

wide view from the tent