© Crown copyright. All rights reserved. Licence number PU 100034184.

 

A visit to Sale Fell with Sherran and Bill brought three 'hobbies' into closer contact today. 

Ourselves walking the fell coincided with the Lakeland Vintage Car weekend

and a spell of light but steady cold breezes made soaring an option for those intrepid explorers of the skies.

Sherran and Bill are with us for the weekend and they've brought good weather with them after what has been a slightly damp week. 

The mild and damp low pressure system has pushed through leaving us cold and clear conditions today.

This is the Remembrance Weekend and it also coincides with the The Vintage Sports-Car Club Lakeland event,

so we pass several lovely old cars as we drive round to Sale Fell for our walk.

This Austin Ulster Trails car belonging to J.D. Flemming

who stops to add air to the tyres after completing in what looks like a slightly muddy section of the rally.

We park up just beyond St Margaret's Church on the back road between Wythop Mill and Routenbeck.

A photo call to start the walk . . . Bill, Ann and Sherran, with Dylan and Harry.

The dogs seem more concerned with waiting for the gate to open than having their picture taken.

Looking down past St Margaret's towards Embleton and Lambfoot.

From the little seat we also get a view across to Binsey and the northern end of Bassenthwaite Lake.

The houses at Dubwath.

The suburban nature of their architecture owes its origins to the arrival of the Workington to Penrith railway line.

Now closed, a lot of the track bed has been replaced by the upgraded A66 road.

Pre-dating the railway . . . the old coaching Inn . . . The Pheasant at Bassenthwaite.

As we walk up towards Lothwaite we hear the sound of cars in the woodland.

Hidden by its subtle green colour, a vintage car drives up through the forestry.

- - - o o o - - -

Bill and I break off and cross into the woods to watch the cars for a few minutes.

This is one of the three or four short hill climbs on today's drive around the area for these old vehicles.

" Over 90 drivers and their cars will take to the designated World Heritage location

for the 49th Lakeland Trial" of the Vintage Sports Car Club

Problem sorted . . . they climb steadily again to the top of the hill section.

The car . . . a 750cc Austin 7 driven by Miss Hannah Mycock.

Car number 100 of Mr Charles Gillett

makes it successfully up to the photographer and marshalls at the top of the  bank . . . full points for his hill climb.

We walk up just before this Austin 7 Ulster driven by Mr Christopher Oliver also made it to the summit.

Number 121 . . . another Austin 7 Ulster  from the shape of the side panel . . . happy driver Mr Noel Hughes.

This small one was more of a 'modified sports car' . . . all competitors today were of pre-1940 vintage.

The running order calls this an 'Austin Vat 69' driven by Mr Hughie Walker . . . ( but I thought Vat 69 was a Sanderson's not Walker's whisky ?)

The 1920's Bugatti Brescia (No 100) had stopped at the top of the rise, long enough for Bill and I to have a closer look.

Despite the mud the car looks in superb condition despite being nearly 100 years old.

[ Names and car details, courtesy of the events programme, kindly supplied by the Vintage Sports Car Club]

Still . . . we can's stop and watch them all pass . . . as we must catch up with the others.

Perfect timing as Ann and Sherran approach from below.

The trees of Lothwaite Hill were clear-felled a few years ago so we have one last view of a later competitor.

The summit of the more open part of Lothwaite Hill . . . with the Skiddaw fells behind.

Harry and Dylan take time out for a rest on the seat.

Bill checking out the view over Bassenthwaite Lake.

That's the Helvellyn Range in the far distance.  Neil, who we'll meet tonight, is climbing Clough Head as we speak.

The seemingly elevated patch of water in the far right is in fact Derwent Water to the south of Keswick.

Ullock Pike and the climb up from the Ravenstone end.

A fine looking Swaledale ewe . . . staying still enough to have her portrait taken.

Others are not so fussed . . . but it is a nice panorama of the view across to Bassenthwaite Lake and Dodd.

Through the gate and Sherran and Ann are starting the steady climb up to the summit of Sale Fell.

Near the top . . . Sherran is nowhere to be seen and Ann's now talking to Bill ?

A fellow walker offered a summit photo with our camera . . . we reciprocated for them.

There's a cool breeze up here where the summit is exposed to the north west wind.

Down below us a paraglider takes advantage of the rising air currents.

Well I did promise you a third  "hobby".

The bird's eye views of Scotland must be amazing when you're not attached to the ground.

He turns again and enjoys another run along the fell side.

Meanwhile we make our way down of the western end of the fell

and follow the old track back round to the start of our walk.

Just a short walk down from the seat and we're back at the car.

- - - o o o - - -

In the evening we met up with Neil for a meal at Quince and Medlar

Bill takes a photo of the group . . . but that means we're one short on numbers.

Louisa, the restaurant owner steps in and solves the problem,

while we try and decide on menu choices.

- - - o o o - - -

After the lovely meal Ann is presented with a surprise birthday cake . . . topped by a candelabra of candles.

Hold your cursor over the picture to . . . help her celebrate.

Now on sale . . .

The Loweswatercam Calendar 2018

For this 10th anniversary edition we have been looking

back at the year to bring you twelve months of

Loweswater pictures, Lakeland scenes

and your favourite mountain dogs.

£10 a copy (plus postage + packaging if required)

£1 of every calendar sold goes to support 

the Air Ambulance and local Mountain Rescue.

 

Click here to see the full details and to order your copy.