Beda Fell
Walk date – 15th October 2021
Distance – 6.67 miles
Weather – sunny and warm, no breeze, excellent visibility
We’ve been keeping an eye on the weather forecast for today for the past few days now and the general view was that today was going to be dry and sunny with not much wind. Keeping the faith proved difficult as the days passed accompanied by heavy cloud and strong winds, plus a torrential downpour yesterday evening. So hopes were not too high that today would prove to be any different. However, instead of the usual blanket of cloud and falling leaves blowing every which way, this morning the sun shone out of clear blue sky and the trees were still so we were good to go. After a short drive to Pooley Bridge and then along the eastern shore of Ullswater it didn’t take long to get to the old church in Martindale. Driving along past the camping sites along the shore road it seems that the holiday season is beginning to come to a close. There are many more spaces available now than a month ago and most of those which were taken were caravans and camper vans. Less than a dozen tents in evidence all the way along the road. It must be getting a bit too nippy for tent based camping I suppose. When we arrived at the church though there was no reduction in the number of parked cars and another half dozen arrived after us which just about filled all the available space. Martindale and the surrounding fells were a popular destination today.
Route
St Martin’s Church, Martindale – Wintercrag Farm – Dale Head Farm – Bedafell Knott – Heck Crag – Bedafell Knott – Beda Fell – Winter Crag – Wintercrag Farm – St Martin’s Church, Martindale
Approaching Christy Bridge at Wintercrag Farm on an intensely bright sunny morning, which lit up the fellsides and displayed their autumnal colours and craggy features to marvellous effect.
The Nab comes into view as we walk along the lane up to Dale Head Farm. Its the rutting season so the sound of stags bellowing accompanied us all the way. We could just about see them but there was little point in trying for a shot of them since they were so far away. I hadn’t brought the zoom lens but even with that I don’t think I could have taken any useful shots. The hills were certainly alive with the sound of stags this morning.
A look back at the buildings of Dale Head farm as we begin climbing the right of way path heading for the ridge line. Its time to remove any unwanted layers at this point, its a steepish climb and the sun will be at our backs all the way up.
The view into Bannerdale from the climb …..
….. and a closer look at Heck Crag. The path, high up above the wall, towards the lower left of the shot leads up to the ridge line and rewards walkers with a fabulous view of Angle Tarn.
The path passes close by this old sheepfold, loops around to the right and continues on up to the ridge line just below Bedafell Knott. The path is more gently graded from this point. We keep seeing walkers appearing at various points along the ridge so its a popular walk today.
A look back at the view before we round the final bend. The sheepfold is just below, across the valley is Gowk Hill with the red roof of The Bungalow just visible to its right. Behind it are Loadpot Hill and Wether Hill. Plenty of detail showing on everything today thanks to the good visibility.
We’ve just arrived from the right hand path and the small cairn marks the junction with the one going across Beda Fell. From here we’ll about turn and head over in the direction of Angle Tarn.
Place Fell and a panorama of eastern fells come into view. Starting with the Dodds just behind Place Fell …..
….. all the way across to Saint Sunday Crag and …..
….. over to Dove Crag, Hart Crag and Fairfield. A magnificent view.
Meanwhile J waits patiently on the path below.
A look back along Beda Fell as we make our way over to Heck Crag. With a zoom in its possible to locate the sheepfold shown earlier.
The north top of Angletarn Pikes and a skyline shot of Dove Crag and Hart Crag.
We made our way over to the Angle Tarn side of Heck Crag where we had planned to take a break. Here’s a few shots of the views we had from our chosen spot. The above shot shows High Raise and Rest Dodd.
On the skyline beyond Satura Crags are The Knott and High Street …..
….. Caudale Moor, Red Screes (with Middle Dodd just below it) and Hartsop above How …..
….. and the best view of all, the lovely Angle Tarn. I could have stayed here for the rest of the day but …..
….. at some point you have to leave and so we gather up our gear and head back in the direction of Beda Fell to begin the return leg. On the way I took this shot of the two tops of Angletarn Pikes, the south top on the left and the north top on the right. Hart Crag and Fairfield filling in the gap between them.
Glenridding and Place Fell appear again as we make our way back. Place Fell didn’t seem all that popular today and we saw no-one on the path all the time it was in our view. In comparison there were plenty of walkers over on this side.
A look back at that fabulous view before it all goes out of sight.
Looking at our return route across Beda Fell.
The position of the sun now highlights all the features of The Nab on the far side of Bannerdale. The stags are still bellowing and that’s pretty much all they will do, apart from fighting each other, until the rut is over and the pecking order is established. Not for them the luxury of stopping for a break above a lovely tarn, they’ve got more important things to be concerned with.
The ups and downs of the route ahead, its by no means a dull walk across here.
From Bedafell Knott a look at the rest of the route across Beda Fell.
Also from Bedafell Knott the view looking down into Boredale and …..
….. the view looking back along the route so far.
Blencathra on the skyline beyond Low Moss on Place Fell.
Finally approaching the summit of Beda Fell …..
….. with a good view along Ullswater from the rocky outcrop at the top.
Turning a little to the left brings Hallin Fell into view …..
….. while over on the right is Steel Knotts with Bonscale Pike right behind it.
Turning even further to my left and looking beyond High Dodd for a view of the northern fell group, Blencathra being the most prominent in this shot.
Ullswater again. The stags are still roaring their heads off on either side of us now.
The view below us as we make our way down. Winter Crag in full sunshine and a patch of cloud drifting across Hallin Fell. The descent path threads its narrow way through various crags and outcrops which can be a little rough on the knees and ankles. Extra care needed today as last night’s rain had created wet and muddy conditions.
An intricate pattern of field walls between us and Steel Knotts from one of the grassier and less demanding sections of our descent.
Winter Crag gets closer but there’s still plenty of walking and clambering to be done before we reach it.
More field wall patterns, this time looking left into Boredale.
Down from Winter Crag where we take a couple of minutes for a breather after the rigours of the descent. The cloud has been building during our walk across but I noticed this little splash of sunlight along Boredale which brightened things up a little.
The seat below Winter Crag seems to have had something of a face lift since we last saw it, the rusty bits have gone and the paintwork is different.
Looking along a sunny Martindale as we descend from the seat back towards Wintercrag Farm. As we passed the farm we had a chat with a holidaymaker who was staying at one of the farm’s self-catering cottages. He’d had a walk over Beda Fell too and had returned to the cottage about an hour earlier. He mentioned that it wasn’t an easy walk and that we looked a lot fresher at the end of our walk than he did at the end of his. He told us he’d had to have a shower to get himself together again. Now he was sitting with a cup of tea and enjoying a view …..
….. of a very sunny Martindale although this shot was taken from the bridge across Howe Grain beck, not from the farm area where he was sitting. We had a good chat with him before making our way back to the car which, from the bridge, was a matter of a few yards. So, as far as today’s walk is concerned that’s it for today folks, but regarding of the content of the 10th October posting you may find the following couple of minutes read of interest –
https://www.conservativewoman.co.uk/big-brothers-on-his-way-with-one-easy-app/
The article was written in response to an announcement made by Stephen Barclay, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, on Wednesday 13th October 2021, to the effect that the government plans to make it easier for the public to access online government services via an app, referred to at the moment as Gov.uk app.
I don’t know about you but I rarely feel the need to access online government services and even if I possessed a smartphone (which I don’t) I would certainly be disinclined to do so given the nature of the following:
This will allow users to verify their identity using features already on their smartphones, such as facial recognition or fingerprint scanning.
Apparently this is so that the public will no longer have to remember multiple usernames and passwords to access services such as free school meals, support for disabled family members and changing driver licence details in the future.
What’s that, people qualifying for free school meals can afford a smartphone? Access to the free school meals service seems a very spurious reason especially since it used to be the case that you had to be well down on your uppers to even be considered for free school meals. But what do I know, perhaps a smartphone is more important than food nowadays.
The new app will also allow people to access services much more easily, instead of having to go through multiple online processes. It will give users the option to use the technology in their smartphones to quickly access government services online via GOV.UK.
See, its all about us plebs finding it difficult to remember things so they plan on making things easier for us. Notice what they’re doing here with that ‘benefit’ approach again. We want your photo and fingerprints so we can help and protect you – yeah, right.
Furthermore you needn’t worry about the security of all the information you’ll be giving away for free because they’ve thought of that as well.
The app is being developed with data security at its heart, with robust data protection principles in place to make sure users remain in control of their data.
Has there ever been a data system produced by the government that hasn’t fallen apart at the seams despite such promises? No there hasn’t and this one will probably be no different. Who knows into which laps all this data might fall into should some dodgy line of code present an open door to any Tom, Dick or Hacker, or some dozy civil servant happens to have a bad day at the office? This new scheme is to replace their previous attempt at digital ID, the failed GOV.UK Verify, which went live in May 2016. It cost £175 million, attracted fewer than four million out of a predicted 20 million users and has now been scrapped. £175 million quid chucked down the drain without a second thought.
Mr Barclay also announced the members of the new Digital Advisory Board, which has been created to give advice to ministers and officials across government and accelerate digital change. Members of the board are leaders from industry, drawn from organisations such as E.ON, the Lloyds Banking Group and HSBC.
Here we go again – the corporates getting in on the act, wonder what they will have been ordered to insist on for implementation and what the size of their slice of the pie will be? These advisors don’t do things for nothing you know.
But, but, but – they won’t be the slightest bit interested in harvesting all that free data the public will be handing over to them will they? No of course not, don’t be such a conspiracy theorist. They’re only there to help – yeah, right.
Anyway, the project, which is in its early stages but expected to launch in late 2022, does not have a set budget as yet, but government sources said they expect it to cost “substantially less” than the £175 million spent on Verify – yeah, right.
This is yet another attempt by the government to introduce an ID system using the ‘benefit’ pretext and no doubt incorporating a ‘back door’ capability to include the ‘health passport’ and ‘central bank digital currency’ at some future date. If enough people fall for this ploy then we can kiss goodbye to what few civil liberties we have left and the state will rule the roost and everyone in it.
You can read all about Mr Barclay’s pronouncements here – https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-one-stop-service-for-govuk-unveiled