Hiking
Hodbarrow haematite iron ore mine was a number of shafts close to the Duddon Estuary in West Cumbria. Two barrier walls were built using dam construction techniques to protect the workings from flooding. The mine was productive from the 1850s until 1968, a significant part of Cumbria’s mining heritage.
The enclosed area has flooded and all the workings are capped and/or flooded with almost no sign of the livelihood of hundreds of people who raised enormous quantities of high quality iron ore from the carboniferous limestone.
There are extensive sandy beaches on the coastline north of Haverigg but just one sandy beach remains at Hodbarrow Point, the sands are tinged with red from the iron ore. The area between Hodbarrow Point and Haverigg is now an RSPB nature reserve and SSSI.
Many thanks to Samuel, my guide and co-hiker
Caratacus Stone
Winsford Hill (426 m.)
Our atmospheric hike in the dripping mist and fog above Winsford in Exmoor National Park. The deep Punchbowl is thought to have been scooped out by glacier type actions even though it’s just south of the accepted limit of the glaciations. There’s been a lot of rain so the moss on the trees is particularly green. Mist greyout and windy on the exposed moorland up high. We passed the Caratacus Stone, which dates from the sixth century; it bears an inscription commemorating the first-century British chieftain Caratacus. Down Yellowstone Lane, today more a stream than a path but fun to run. The Royal Oak in Winsford gave us a warm welcome and an excellent lunch before we tackled the long climb back up the Punchbowl. At least the mist had cleared enough so we could see the view.
More photos: Caratacus Stone & the Punchbowl, Winsford Hill (426 m.) - Exmoor National Park
Keeping going on the running here, working on stamina, lifting my feet and lengthening my stride, still landing too hard. The camera’s useful to check style. I’ve researched a couple of routes new to me including woodland paths that are fun to bounce along as well as softer on the feet.
Great to be running after it seeming for many years that my joints wouldn’t let me do it any more. But I overdid it and ended up walking like a robot for a day or two, not because of joints pain but a strain to my Achilles tendon. Rest and anti-inflammatory gel have calmed it down. A warning.
Mentone (Menton) from Punta Garavano
Our hike around the coast path from Menton-Garavan (France) to Capo Mortola (Italy), now a land and marine conservation area. This is where the granite of the Alpii Maritimi meets the azure water of the Ligurian Sea. Once the route of the Roman road Via Julia Augusta and now of railway tracks and road tunnels plus people-smugglers, the path passes a couple of small beaches and much colourful coastal scrub taking advantage of the mild (frost-free) Mediterranean climate. Various obstructions and closures made it impossible to follow the path as far as we would have liked.
Back buzzing from my run up Latrigg (368 m.), the cross-country runner in me doesn’t get out much these days. That was a new personal best time. Just the three photo stops. Mind you every incentive to keep running, there’s a brisk wind blowing the mist up there.
I chose the steep route up, the “runners’ path”, and was happy to find the stile at the forest edge has been repaired. Back down the main path - it’s a great opportunity to straddle run.
Not many people out up there in the driving drizzle but great to hear an encouraging shout of “Go for it Lad” and another of “Go for it Soldier”, both in strong Geordie voices.
