Lady Anne Clifford – Bentham Footpath Group

Brougham History

9.1 miles | 14.7 km | 109 m Ascent | 9.7 Naismith miles | Terri Kwiecinska
Our last five walks have been categorised as easy – a good idea when the days are short, and the weather may be poor. Spring is here now though, and the length of the daylight is much less of an issue: So, we scheduled a longer walk at Brougham near Penrith.
In order to justify such a long drive, the walk needs to deliver lots of interest and our walk leader really has delivered on this one. We have the Countess Pillar on the Lady Anne Way, the site of a Roman camp, the remains of Brocavum fort, Brougham Castle, an outdoor swimming pool, an old mill, a Tudor road bridge, a henge, the Eden Millenium monument, King Arthur’s Round Table (another henge) , the entrance to the Lowther Bridge estate, Brougham Hall, the village where the last battle on English soil took place, a partially restored Pele tower, and a church where the body of St Cuthbert rested, and more.

The High Way Upper Wensleydale

Easy

7.1 miles | 11.5 km | 371 m Ascent | 9.0 Naismith miles | George Sheridan
Walking is a somewhat weather-dependant hobby, and this route demonstrates that clearly: When we completed our Grisedale and Garsdale walk in this area in June 2022, we enjoyed bright sunshine, walked over dry fields, and asked ourselves why bridges had been provided to cross mere trickles of streams. Fast forward to the wettest start to year that anyone can remember, and we see why the bridges are there – those same streams are now small rivers in full flow.
So, does the rain spoil the experience? Not at all, it just gives us a different perspective: Wonderful waterfalls roar into life, mosses and lichens proliferate, and we get extra exercise jumping over streams and fighting to stay upright on muddy descents. Whatever the weather, this walk offers a great deal – we rate it as easy based on the distance and ascent but be aware that there are steep sections and in the event of poor conditions, extra care is needed.

The High Way Upper Wensleydale Read More »