Limestone...If You Like That Sort Of Thing.

      Somehow found the time on an exhaustively hot late Friday afternoon, to get a quick hike up onto Whitbarrow Scar. I'm not totally unfamiliar with this area, even though it is a little off my usual beat, it is quite handy for places like Kendal and Grange. It depends how you come to this hill, for myself, I'd been doing some work in Grange and came up the A590 and drove in the direction of Crosthwaite Village, up some particularly narrow but fortunately quiet lanes. There are some really splendid properties in this area, not quite properly in the Lakes, but just far enough outside to get away from all that commercial hub-bub.

      Due to a little good fortune, perhaps the odd time of day, I was able to park at the old Lime Kiln, on the nor-nor-west edge of the range, from where there is a good track up onto the lower north point. From here on its a good march south, along rough lime stone pitted tracks, through a desolate sparse landscape.

      Amazingly there are other people up here as well, I met a lone female jogger, who happily gave me a cheery "Hello" then a male walking his dog, they stopped to chat for a few moments. Later, out of the warm haze, i saw two people and some dogs coming towards me, yet as they got closer, I only then realized it was in fact another lone female and three dogs. She also stopped for a few moments, whilst the dogs ran around in excitement.
      After this, it was time for my big push, to this fairly prominent stone cairn, known as Lord's Seat. 666 feet, give or take a few inches. Revd G.A.K. Hervey 1893-1967. Founder of the National Trust, Natural Historian, etc. It was only then, with my water gone, did I realize that I was only at the half way point of my walk! I reasoned that I would need at least a couple more hours to get to the southern most point and back, without water and the evening coming on. So not for the first time in my life I decided to retrace my steps and take this hill on once again later in the year. Having said that, it was still something of a slog, back to the car and with a fairly breezy wind against me. Still, there are some wonderful views across to Brigsteer, Levens and down to the coast.