Townhead, Maiden Way, Knapside Hill, Meikle Awfell, Cumbria.
[ 15.3 km] Tue 31 May 2011

NY 6290 3450
Approaching the start of the walk I drove through Melmerby. The whole area was full of caravans; the type towed by vehicles and those by horses. The Appleby fare is approaching and Gypsies are converging from all over the place. The residents had put no caravan signs up but they took no notice. I left my car along the cul-de-sac near Townhead so hoped that they wouldn’t be in that area. It’s an interesting walk today and it’s a repeat of mostly the same route I did in May 2005. I set off SE towards the farm buildings but on the way stopped at St Luke’s Church to have a quick look inside. I’m glad I did and I recommend any one passing to have a look as well.

Inside St Luke's

Crusader carved in oak

At the farm I headed up the track to Capple Hill and on to Ardale Beck where there is huge and magnificent lime kiln in fairly good condition. A well defined green track continues up the fell above it and the map shows the line of a disused ‘mineral railway’. The rails can still be seen through the grass and there appear to be 3 parallel rails. They run up to a level area near an old stone ruin and quarry at Man at Edge. Presumably this is where the limestone came from to feed the kiln but there would also need to be something to burn it.

The ‘firing’ material would be coal or timber but I don’t know where that would come from. Lower down had been warm and sunny but up on the fell I was under cloud and a cold westerly wind was bringing in rain and some hail.

After joining the line of the old Roman Road at Maiden Way I made a short detour to the large and leaning cairn on Muska Hill. It’s worth the walk and the views were good. Higher up I found some shelter behind a stone wall to eat my lunch. Staying with the wall for a while I headed for Dun Edge where I was now exposed to the cold wind.

At Knapside Hill there is a stone shelter where I stopped briefly for shelter then started down through some bouldery areas towards Blea Scar. Passing though a gate I came to a very old wrecked vehicle with only the engine remaining. I took a photo and had forgotten that I’d also photographed it when last here 7 years ago.

The path follows the delightful track down to Meikle Awfell and I’d love to know where that name came from. Approaching the woods the track becomes rough and stony in places. A dark section goes through Rake Beck Woods and crossed Melmerby Beck. The track fords the river but a single wooden plank forms a good footbridge. Just before the turn off to Gale Hall I noticed a memorial marker in red sandstone which reads ‘EARTHWALKER 1944 – 2008’. It commemorates the life a work of Geoff Falkender and was dedicated on 21 May 2010.
I headed to the farm at Gale Hall but on the approach I noticed a wooden sign which said the path had been diverted with kind permission of the landowner. That’s not the word I would have used as it heads through nettles and rubbish by the stream. I took it the last time I was here but this time I’m older and more obstinate so took the original and un-marked path through the farm-yard. There was nobody about except for barking dogs.

The path continued through fields towards Fellside Farm where I stopped briefly to look at a dry-stone wall being re-built. The workmen were sitting in their land rover having a lunch break. Near Holly House I re-joined the road but left it again to take the path over the footbridge at Ardale Beck. I’m glad I did as in front of me was an old ruin and nearby a broken millstone. It appeared t be a an old corn mill. The path emerged back on to the road and a few metres from the car. On the drive back I stopped briefly in Melmerby to walk round the Gypsy caravans.