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Whittle Wanderer|
Askham, Heughscar Hill, Pooley
bridge (collapse), Pooley Mill, Cumbria. |
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OS Grid ref:
NY 51298 23750 Lat/Long: 54.606556, -02.755489 I'd planned to go for a walk next week starting in Askham Cumbria walking over Heughscar Hill and down to Pooley Bridge to have a look at the destroyed Bridge across the river Eamont. However as this morning was nice weather and it was also nice in Cumbria I made a last minute decision to do the walk today. |
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 A snowy Askham |
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| I drove up the M6 and left at Junction 40, Penrith with the intention of driving part way back along the A6. However Eamont Bridge was closed so I had to make a long diversion via Fremington then back through Yanwath. The weather was still good and there was a snow covering over the fells. I parked on the small car park by Askham village hall and headed up the lane in a westerly direction. I had to be careful because the snow was frozen hard and it was still slippery underfoot, even higher up on the Fell. |
 Snowcover on Heughscar Hill |
| There were many walkers out and we all seemed to be heading for the same location. Fortunately as I approach the woods at Heughscar Hill I noticed most of the walkers headed off to the left. On the summit it was quite windy and very cold. I decided to have my sandwiches sheltered behind a part collapsed wall by the summit plantation. I then descended by a snowy path, which was easy going and down to the main track over to Pooley Bridge. |
 Pooley Bridge barriers |
| The first part of the track was easy but as the descent continued the track became more slippery with large ice patches. Even when I reach the tarmac road at How Hill but the going was still difficult. Eventually I reached the Village of Pooley Bridge and very few people were around. |
 Pooley Bridge |
 All that's left of Pooley Bridge after the Dec 2015 floods |
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| The first part of the track was easy but as the descent continued the track became more slippery with large ice patches. Even when I reach the tarmac road at How Hill but the going was still difficult. Eventually I reached the Village of Pooley Bridge and very few people were around. I reach the washed away Bridge, or more accurately the remnants of the bridge which as expected was barriered off. It was easy to get access to the Riverside as that was still open. From there I was able to take a few photos before continuing my walk across fields. The path was running parallel to the river and I was able to see how high the flood waters of December 2015 had come. |
 Pooley Bridge Inn sign |
| The path climbed to Hole House Farm and then across very wet fields to Pooley Mill. It was here that I turned right across a field and up to some farm buildings where the going under foot became terribly wet and deep mud. I was thankful to reach the road near Barton House but here my troubles weren't over. When I got on the Minor Lane towards Celleron the road have not been cleared or gritted and the compacted snow had turned to ice. For the next two miles or so I had terrible walking conditions and wherever possible tried to walk on the high grass verge wherever there was one. I was extremely relieved to reach the road back into Askham where I could walk normally without the risk of slipping. I was soon back at the car park. The charge was voluntary and a suggested £1 for all day at 50p for a short duration. |
 Walking back to Askham |
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