January 2019

Kate’s in Crummock decorating, Ian is working through his ‘to do’ check list and Steve is power-washing the courtyard!  I seem to be spending my time making endless lists and cups of tea and coffee. Yes, it’s January again and the cottages are being prepared for this next year’s visitors!

There has still however been time to get out for a few walks. There’s a nice little book ‘Walks around the Lorton Valley’ by David Ranshaw in Lorton shop so Judy and I decided to do one of the Kirkfell ones earlier this month: it was lovely and we passed places we had never been before. I will add three copies to my shopping list for the cottages, it’s a useful little guide.

Our local walking group went to Eskdale. We don’t often go there as it is quite a long winding drive but it is a beautiful valley. It was a fascinating walk, the plan being to go up to Great Moss, a rather extensive bog surrounded spectacularly by the Scafells, Bowfell and Crinkle Crags, then cross the river and return via Taw House. Although we had not had much rain locally there must have been a deluge there: the river was in spate, the waterfalls were spectacular and we could not cross the river at Great Moss so we had to return the same way.  This was not a problem as the views are quite different in the opposite direction and  we got a second chance to cross and marvel at Ling Cove bridge, a beautiful, ancient packhorse bridge.

In the last week there has been a little snow mainly on the fells, nothing lying locally. I still have my Tommy silhouette on the seat and thought I would leave him there until it snowed as I might get some nice pictures.

There’s also a tree in a field down the lane that catches the morning sun and I keep thinking I must take some pictures of it so one sunny, frosty morning, I did just that – that’s what January is about!