Avsnitt
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...in which, standing in for Mark and Dave, broadcaster Nick Brownlee ventures out with Jon Bennett – a man who has climbed Helvellyn 778 times. Ascending Mires Beck, we hear from Jon about the important role of the National Park fell top assessor – a job Jon never thought he would get – and about why, even after 16 years climbing Helvellyn, he's still not bored of it. We learn about magic times on the fell – a Brockenspectre tracking Jon over Striding Edge – and about the role walking played after the sudden death of a close friend. As we continue our ascent, we discuss tree planting schemes and pitching to protect this most loved of mountains, and picnicking beside Red Tarn, we reflect upon the unique weather conditions that impact on Helvellyn. Finally, descending into Greenburn, we marvel at industry old and new, from the towering slag heaps of Greenside Mine to the new-generation hydro scheme supplying power to the National Grid.
Lake Distirct Weatherline can be found at https://www.lakedistrictweatherline.co.uk/home
With thanks to Nick for picking up the baton while we're away.
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...in which we explore the industrial and social history of Barrow-in-Furness in the company of former mayor John Murphy and artist Maddi Nicholson. Overlooking Walney Channel and distant Black Combe, we delve into the Furness peninsula's deep past, when monks arrived in the secluded 'valley of the deadly nightshade'. We proceed to the discovery of iron ore, and Barrow's subsequent overnight transformation, from backwater farming hamlet into 'the Chicago of England'. In a whistle-stop tour of the town, we discuss the leaning tower of its remarkable town hall, the daily toil of workers in 'the Shed', the 'boilermaker's whisper' and the 'hellfires' that blazed above molten slag. Entering the war years, we consider Barrow's role in re-arming the nation, the realities of the Barrow Blitz and the construction of Barnes Wallis’ ill-fated dirigible ‘Mayfly’ – that did not fly. Finally, on a tour of the fabulous space at Art Gene, we learn about the social history of the town – through shops, hairdressing, meat pies and a moose.– before celebrating the forgotten women of Barrow and Walney, including Peggy Braithwaite, Britain’s only woman lighthouse keeper and a mean shot with a rifle.
For more information about the Re:discover Barrow Exhibition see art-gene.co.uk/place-rediscover-barrow-exhibition/
You can find out more about Maddi at art-gene.co.uk/artists-and-residences/maddi-nicholson/ and Art Gene generally at art-gene.co.uk
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Saknas det avsnitt?
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...in which we set out from springtime Orton to explore the limestone scars of the Westmorland Dales in the company of husband-and-wife geologist / botanist team Syvia and Peter Woodhead. Alongside bubbling Chapel Beck, we encounter early flowers and a lively March hare as we learn about the geological origins of limestone - in distant coral seas some 350 million years ago. Arriving on Orton Scar, with its big-sky panoramas, we reflect on the industrial processing of lime – for agriculture and construction – and observe the 'lasagne' layering of different eras of deposition. Passing limestone pavement on the shoulder of Knott – grikes forming micro-climates for an abundance of rare plants – we encounter myriad fossils, of corals, gastropods and sponges, that record cycles of life and mass extinction. Chased by a storm that never arrives, we finish our walking circuit at Gamelands Stone Circle, where we reflect on the power and legacy of ice.
For more about the Westmorland Dales Landscape Partnership project, see friendsofthelakedistrict.org.uk/westmorland-dales-hidden-landscapes-partnership
The GeoTrail walks can be found at friendsofthelakedistrict.org.uk/westmorland-dales-geotrails-2022
For Cumbria GeoCoonservation see cumbriageoconservation.org.uk
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...in which we take a Dales Way wander downstream from Cowan Head to Burneside to explore the long history of paper-making on the River Kent. In the company of paper manufacturer and fell-runner Mark Cropper, Chair of the six-generation family business James Cropper plc, we rewind the centuries to when 50 or more mills spanned the Kent, processing everything from wool to snuff. Entering the packhorse age, we learn about the growth of the provincial book trade and the growing demand for a new kind of 'clean' paper. Leaving the valley floor, we visit the cow byre-housed Paper Foundation to immerse ourselves in the centuries-old craft of paper making. Arriving at the heart of the family business in Burneside, we explore the cutting-edge mills that today make the paper not only for Armistice Day poppies and packaging for many of the world’s leading luxury brands, but also next-generation 'papers' destined for aircraft, supercars and wind turbines. Finally, looking across the pastures above Kendal, we reflect on Mark's ambition to rethink the landscapes of east Lakeland, and the emerging Penrith–Kendal wildlife corridor that will feature a heritage 'patchwork' of wood pasture, wildflower meadows and orchards, alongside traditional farming and food crops.
The Paper Foundation can be found at paper.foundation/category/shop/
James Cropper is at www.jamescropper.com
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...in which we are joined by Kendal-based author and Windermere Lake Cruises skipper Robert Beale to dive into the deep history of boating on England largest lake. Rambling along the fine new path from Lakeside to Finsthwaite, we look back to Roman times and beyond to hypothesise about the first lake users. Moving into the medieval era, we consider the importance of Windermere to the monks of Furness Abbey, and the subsequent use of cargo boats to transport everything from slate and charcoal to limestone and gunpowder. Arriving in the tourist age, we reflect on the remarkable monopoly of the Furness Railway Company, with trains and boats ferrying huge numbers of people on lengthy Lakeland adventures. As we backtrack to historic fords and the River Leven 'dog hole', we learn about the role Windermere played during the two World Wars, before turning to matters more frivolous: the Tizzie-Whizie, the Crier of Claife and the possible genesis of Beatrix Potter's creative world.
Robert's book Lakeland Waterways is now out of print, but you may find it at second hand shops.
You can find Windermere Lake Cruises at windermere-lakecruises.co.uk
For more about the route we followed, see lakedistrict.gov.uk/aboutus/media-centre/latest-news/news-releases/new-route-makes-it-easier-to-enjoy-the-scenic-west-shore-of-windermere
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...in which we celebrate the 400th anniversary of the birth of George Fox – founder of Quakerism – on a journey through '1652 country' with historian, Quaker and Professor Emeritus at Lancaster University, Angus Winchester. Starting our walk at the Society of Friends meeting house in the picture-perfect hamlet of Brigflatts just outside Sedbergh, we learn about the turbulent times into which Fox was born. Introducing the charismatic, troubled and talented Fox, we follow his famous footsteps of 1652, through Lancashire and Yorkshire to Sedbergh and then into Westmorland, where he preached to 1,000 people atop Firbank Fell in a meeting that would become pivotal in the spread of early Quakerism. With grand views of the Howgills, we continue the story into 1653 as Fox moved north and west to Ulverston and then into Cumberland ("now't good comes round Black Combe"). Closing our conversation, we consider the importance of the '1652' north country, the period of persecution following the fertile early years, and the Quaker legacy – of Friends meeting houses and businesses – in Cumbria today.
For more about Briggflatts, see https://brigflatts.org
Angus' excellent book The Language of the Landscape can be bought from Handstand.
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...in which we're defeated by weather, so shelter indoors to hear from one of the UK's great adventurers: Cockermouth-based James Forrest, who has bagged all 1,001 mountains in the UK and Ireland, and broke records walking both the 446 Nuttalls and 214 Wainwrights. An escape from the nine-to-five was, James tells us, the drive for his first challenge – to conquer every mountain in England and Wales in the shortest documented time. But his heart was always in Lakeland, which led to his 2020 self-supported round of the Wainwrights. In a reflective interview, we hear about the highs and lows of an epic walk; we ask whether 'adventure' can be a ruse to escape everyday life; we consider our changing relationship with the fells as we spend more time in them; and we learn why James is "never, ever, ever" returning to the Brecon Beacons.
James' book Mountain Man is published by Bloomsbury. Available from all local bookshops.
James can be found at amesmforrest.co.uk
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...in which we rewind the centuries to the Neolithic Age on a journey in search of Lakeland's earliest settlers and their highly-valued stone axes. In the company of archaeologist Steve Dickinson, we set out from Brotherilkeld – the great medieval farmstead with Norse roots. Leaving the valley walls behind, we enter wild country, once a place of forest groves and wood pasture stalked by deer and lynx, wolves and bears. As we trace the river upstream, we imagine the 6000-year-old endeavours of our earliest ancestors, as they left their coastal settlements in search of a rare band of volcanic cutting stone. Arriving atop Scar Lathing – a maiden ascent for Mark and Dave – we seek out two extraordinary archaeological finds that paint a picture of a lost civilisation: of Cumbria's first extractive industry; of ritual burials; and of a deep communion with high places that was etched into immaculately crafted artefacts.
Steve is on Twitter at @SteveDickinson2
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...in which we uwrap a selection box of our favourite clips from the year past in the company of Lakeland Walking Tales blogger and Lakeland Walker contributor, George Kitching. Featuring clips from, among others, Bill Birkett, Will Rawling, Charlotte Fairbairn, Rob and Harriet Fraser, Debbie North, Mark Hatton, Fell Foodie, Chris Butterfield and Melvyn Bragg, we sift through 19 episodes and 20 hours of recordings from as far flung as Ennerdale, Wigton, Coniston, Grasmere, Keswick and the big-sky North York Moors. In our annual extended fire-side chat, we ponder pubs, peat bogs, Potter and 'potatovators'; we visit Crosthwaite, Coniston Old Man and the Coast to Coast; we discuss Wainwright – a lot – and consider how the romance of his prose still draws folk to the fells; and finally, we close by asking 'What is the enduring magic of Lakeland?'
You can find George's brilliant Lakeland Walking Tails blog – walks, stories and musings from the Lake District Fells – at lakelandwalkingtales.co.uk
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...in which we are joined by Farmer's Wife author Helen Rebanks and food historian Ivan Day for a feast of Cumbrian Christmas fare. In Ivan's historic Westmorland farm kitchen we learn about the dishes that marked a traditional Christmas – 'hackin', powdered goose and sweet pie – before Helen and Ivan serve up three very different gingerbreads. Discussing her debut book, Helen speaks about food on the family farm, about memories of marmalade and about why food matters. Ivan, meanwhile, tackles a few local food queries: was ginger really a Whitehaven import?; was the Cumberland sausage introduced by German miners?; and which of Cartmel or Sharrow Bay can claim to be the true home of sticky toffee pudding? Finally, as we tuck into an early seasonal dinner, we learn about a Lowther christmas pie with ingredients that included 15 sparrows, 46 yellow hammers, 12 patridges... and a curlew.
Helen's book The Farmer's Wife is available from all good bookshops.
Helen is on Twitter at twitter.com/theshepherdswi1
Ivan is on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/ivanpatrickday/
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...in which we climb one of Grasmere's low-level favourites to dine in a dell with outdoors cook, author and mental health speaker Harrison Ward – a.k.a. Fell Foodie. Setting out along the old drove road from Allan Bank, Harrison speaks frankly about his former life: of his long history of clinical depression; his obesity; and his 12-year struggle with alcohol. Rising through juniper glades, he talks about the fell walk that was to change his life, and the long-time love of cooking that gave birth to a new passion and persona. As we settle beside a beck for a fine freshly-cooked stew, we consider the healing properties of the outdoors and the value of slow moments on the hill. Arriving atop a bitterly cold Silver How, a pun-laden chat ensues about cooking for Mary Berry, New Year fireworks over Grasmere and baking on Bakestall.Find out more about Fell Foodie at https://www.fellfoodie.co.ukHis debut book, Cook Out, is available at all good bookstores (local is best!)
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...in which we embark on one of our all-time favourite walks – up the Glendereterra valley – to ask why runners head into the toughest of fell landscapes on journeys of adventure, endurance, technical challenge and self-discovery. As we delve into the Back o' Skidda', we hear from Keswick born-and-bred Jacob Tonkin about the heritage of fell-running passed to him by his grandparents, and his support efforts on the Bob Graham Round. Returning below Lonscale Fell, we follow Chloe Thwaites' journey from near-paralysis on an A&E ward to a reconnected love with northern landscapes. Finally, we speak with Danielle Ledbury, author of new book Why we Run, about the 28 extraordinary runners she has photographed in the Lakeland fells; about trauma and recovery; about grief and joy; about vulnerability and community; and about that elusive flow...Why we Run can be ordered from Dave's publishing house, Inspired by Lakeland.
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...in which we return to post-war Cumbria in the company of author, broadcaster and parliamentarian, Melvyn Bragg, to reflect on his early years in the market town of Wigton. Evoking a close-knit community on the threshold of change, Melvyn describes daily life in the Black-a-Moor inn – the Bragg family home for a decade – and celebrates the rich diversity of small-town working class culture: of hound dog trailing; dances; and Youth Hostel trips to the Lakes. Following a breakdown aged 13, Melvyn explains the role education and reading played in his recovery, and the fork in the road that tore him from the community he loved. Finally, we learn why “Wigton men just fight for the love of fighting”, why walking is the best way of understanding a place, why Binsey is best, and why it’s time to rebuild Hadrian's Wall... around the whole of Cumbria…You can buy Back in the Day from all good bookshops, including bookscumbria.com/product/cumbrian-books/arts-and-literature/fiction/melvyn-bragg/back-in-the-day-2/
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...in which we head to misty Ennerdale in search of the Lake District's iconic sheep breed: the Herdwick. In the company of Will Rawling, Chairman of the Herdwick Sheep Breeders Association – whose family have farmed the far-western fells for 500 years – we take a whistle-stop tour through the breed's long history, from its likely Norse roots through the days of the great wool wealth of Abbeys to its integral place on the family farm. Pausing a moment to chat dialogue – 'herd-wyke', Grike and Sampson's Bratfull – Will describes the perfect Herdwick and offers a theory about its remarkable tone-changing fleece. Descending to Matty Benn's Bridge, we consider the three-way relationship between farm, common and sheep and ask what happens when it breaks down. Taking a wander down memory lane – recalling April evenings in lambing fields; grazed knees on cobbled yards; farm-talk in the pub – we ask what future there is for the breed, and for those who care for it, in a fast-changing world.The Herdwick Sheep Breeders Association can be found at herdwick-sheep.comWill is featured in Amy Bateman's Forty Farms, edited and published by Dave's Inspired by Lakeland imprint.
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...in which we visit Crosthwaite to shine a light on one of Lakeland's most neglected historic figures – remarkable Eliza Lynn Linton, the first female salaried journalist in England. In the company of author Philippa Harrison, Keswick Museum curator Nicola Lawson and academic Sue Wilkinson, we learn about Eliza's traumatic childhood and the self-education that allowed her to escape the family home and embark on a writing career among the literary elite of her day. Reflecting on the passionate attachments Eliza formed with both men and women, we turn to Eliza's beautiful The Lake Country, a 'love book' to Cumbria that inspired Alfred Wainwright, and which Rawnsley thought would never be bettered. As we make our way to the overgrown Lynn family grave, we consider the contradictions of a contrary life; of Eliza's complex views on sexuality; of the great U-turn that saw her abandon her one-time progressive feminist ideals; and of the curious fact that this once infamous writer – and her superlative guidebook – are now barely acknowledged, even in the margins of Cumbrian history.Philippa's book, A Mountain Republic: Crosthwaite Parish and the Eighteen Men, can be found at all local bookshops. Sue can be found on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sue_wilkinsonFor more on Keswick Museum see https://keswickmuseum.org.uk
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...in which we take a timeless tour of Aira Force – one of Lakeland's enduring honeypots – to uncover a history that takes in Victorian tourists, Colonial tree collectors and Baronial money and power. Treading paths trod for generations, we set out from the Pinetum glade in the company of National Trust Cultural Heritage Curator Harvey Wilkinson and consider Aira Force's early days, when oaks dominated the gorge and deer swept the fells. Entering woodland, we discuss the one-time estate's transition to pleasure ground in the age of the nouveau riche Merchant Princes of northern England. With diversions to talk Potter, politics and poetry, we reach the mighty Force itself, where we consider the sublime power that still draws crowds in their hundred-thousand, and the management challenges that face the Trust in an era of heavy footfall and increasingly extreme weather. For more details on Aira Force and Gowbarrow Park, see ationaltrust.org.uk/visit/lake-district/aira-force-and-gowbarrow-park
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...in which we journey back 200 years to the early days of Lake District tourism in the company of Jeff Cowton MBE, principal curator at Wordsworth Grasmere. Tracing the footsteps of the first well-to-do visitors, we ascend the pastures of Latrigg, midway between the perennial honeypot of Keswick and long-climbed slopes of Skiddaw. As we walk, we consider tourism's roots in the continental Grand Tour, and the events that shifted 'strangers'' eyes to the-once 'frightful' backwaters of Cumbria. Influenced by concepts like 'the sublime' and 'the picturesque', we note key figures in the development of both tourism and the aesthetic appreciation of landscape, from Jean-Jacques Rousseau to Father Thomas West. Arriving at one of Lakeland's great viewpoints, we reflect on the characters that embraced the early tourist boom, including polymath eccentric Peter Crosthwaite and co-founder of Derwent Water's remarkable regatta, Joseph Pocklington, before advancing in time to the arrival of Wordsworth, Coleridge... and the railways. For more about the early days of tourism in the Lake District, the ‘To the Lakes!’ exhibition at Wordsworth Grasmere runs for the remainder of 2023 and through much of 2024.Wordsworth Grasmere is also hosting two events that celebrate the journeys of early tourists, specifically: Ann Radcliffe's Ascent of Skiddaw, 1794 – Thursday 28 September 2023 and Historical Meal and Walk – Saturday 9 September 2023 that recreates the experience of a 1792 tourist with a historical meal and guided walk up Helm Crag.For more information see: wordsworth.org.uk/blog/events/to-the-lakes-historical-meal-and-walk/
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...in which we stride out from Fell Foot Farm at the foot of Wrynose Pass to explore the upper reaches of Little Langdale with National Trust Archaeologist Jamie Lund. Opening with a brief history of the valley, we consider its strategic importance in the heart of the Lakes, and the historic route – used by the Romans onwards – that draws down to Fell Foot, a one-time inn. Noting the remarkable Norse 'Ting Mound' behind the farm, we learn about the enclosed dale-bottom common, so valuable that it was never built upon. Passing the beck – canalised in medieval times then re-channelled in the 1800s – we ascend Greenburn to one of the UK's best preserved relic copper mines, where we talk prospecting, pollution and power. Hearing about the 'Nick Stick Seat' – where rural workers sat for a day's labour – we close by reflecting on the future of a remarkable valley. -
...in which we take a deep dive into the miniature world of lichens with Cumbria Lichens & Bryophytes expert Pete Martin. Embarking from the car park at Seatoller – and not wandering much further - we ask what a lichen is (a question not easily answered) and why lichens matter. Wandering up-dale towards Seathwaite, we stop at trees and walls to encounter five of the county's most recognisable lichens and observe a remarkable world of elf ears, maps, jam tarts and wine gums. Deep in the Borrowdale rainforest we consider the expansive 'second skin' lichen and bryophyte ecosystems that form on older pollarded trees, and the key role lichens play in fixing both carbon and nitrogen. Taking a long view of land use in the valley, our journey ends at the famous Borrowdale Yews, where we learn why Wordsworth's 'Fraternal Four' were never four at all, and why, in ecology, things are often more complex than they first seem.You can find Pete on Twitter twitter.com/onLoughriggThe Cumbria Lichen & Bryophyte Group can be found at bumbrialichensbryophytes.org.uk
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...in which we are joined by industrial archeologist supremo Mark Hatton to talk all things slate as we ascend and then tunnel deep into the fellside of The Old Man of Coniston. Picking through the abandoned remains of old working floors and tips, we learn about the long history of slate quarrying in the Lake District – an industry spread over 200 sites that yielded a range of highly-prized stone. Discussing how slate is formed, we make our way to the powerhouse, smithy and working floor of the Old Man workings, where millions of tonnes of stone were shaped into prized roofing slate by generations of miners. As we wander, we hear about the likely Norman origins of the industry; the revolution wrought by compressed air; the perils of journeying home in the snow; and the Sunday-morning miracles that collapsed caverns – and saved lives.
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It would be remiss not to note that we recorded underground in the company of an experienced guide, and kitted with helmets and torches. Exploring these workings is immensely enjoyable - in the right company and with the right kit. In all cases, leave the workings as you found them. *** - Visa fler
