Dow Crag, The Old Man of Coniston. Slate spoil heaps centre Our path follows the course of Torver Beck, up-stream to its headwaters at Goat’s Water. Dow Crag and The Old Man of Coniston rise up above the hidden tarn.
A low winter sun illuminates the landscape in a distinctive way, with a different emphasis. Dow Crag and the Old Man are etched in sunlight and shadow, the architecture of the fells revealed.
A low winter sun illuminates the landscape in a distinctive way, with a different emphasis. Dow Crag and the Old Man are etched in sunlight and shadow, the architecture of the fells revealed.
Sunlight brings out the rich colours of a winter landscape, of bracken slopes, of winter trees. Our track keeps us above Torver Beck which plunges into a deep and shadowy cleft, with trees reaching up for the light. Dark juniper grows on crags, micro-habitats where sheep cannot graze, where walkers cannot go. Yew and rowan rise up from the slate spoil heaps of Banishead Quarry, disused, and their pattern of shapely mounds interrupts the flow of Torver Beck. A waterfall plunges into Johnson’s Deep where shafts of sunlight strike rocks and highlight trees growing deep in the quarry, and reflections mingle with strangely illuminated overhanging branches.
Green slate and black slate: slate has been quarried here since the 13th century. We talked of how noisy it would have been, but we were thinking of industrial-scale quarrying, not of manual labourers back in the 13th century. Those slate field-boundaries speak of the Coniston Fells and tell of the history of quarrying. Lichens are slow-growing so a dense pattern indicates slate-fencing has been in situ for some time. At the Church of St Michael And All Angels, Hawkshead, the churchyard itself is bounded with a slate fence, as are the pastures beyond it. Stock-proof slate fencing characterises this Lake District location.
Green slate and black slate: slate has been quarried here since the 13th century. We talked of how noisy it would have been, but we were thinking of industrial-scale quarrying, not of manual labourers back in the 13th century. Those slate field-boundaries speak of the Coniston Fells and tell of the history of quarrying. Lichens are slow-growing so a dense pattern indicates slate-fencing has been in situ for some time. At the Church of St Michael And All Angels, Hawkshead, the churchyard itself is bounded with a slate fence, as are the pastures beyond it. Stock-proof slate fencing characterises this Lake District location.
Ewes graze in bracken above Walna Scar Road, Swaledales with black legs like leggy teenagers in long black stockings. Each ewe has a black bum. How odd! Black at the top of the tail. As if swaddled in black fabric. I’ve seen Swaledale ewes at Smardale: the top of the tail shaved clean, then bushy and full toward the tip. Farmers sometimes crutch or ring-tail their ewes to help conception. And to keep the ewes clean and free of mucky dags.
The yelping of hounds rings out from somewhere in the fells. We spy a group of folk watching the hounds from a summit, but we cannot see them.
These Swaledale ewes were grazing at Smardale Viaduct when I noticed their distinctive tails back in late October 2014. They are long, undocked. But the upper tail has been shorn, leaving it to bush out fully below. The purpose, I believe, is as described above. We saw the same practice whilst walking near Claife Heights in January 2019.
Thanks to John Edmondson for leading a walk full of interest, and for sharing with us something of the history of this landscape. His walk Torver and Bowmanstead, can be found in The Westmorland Gazette.
I have focused on landscape from the first part of his route: Torver Beck and Walna Scar Road.
Thanks to John Edmondson for leading a walk full of interest, and for sharing with us something of the history of this landscape. His walk Torver and Bowmanstead, can be found in The Westmorland Gazette.
I have focused on landscape from the first part of his route: Torver Beck and Walna Scar Road.
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