Friday 26 December 2014

Sunday 14 December 2014

Blackbeck Tarn and Beckhead Tarn

We start a new series of articles this week, with a look at Blackbeck Tarn on Haystacks and Beckhead Tarn, between Great Gable and Kirk Fell.

Saturday 6 December 2014

Branta and Anser

We return to British Birds with a look at the two groups of Geese, the Genus Branta (Black Geese) and the Genus Anser (Grey Geese).

Danby Beacon and Brown Rigg Howe

Danby Beacon and Brown Rigg Howe are two barrows on the ridge east of Danby village, part of a sizable cluster of prehistoric monuments.

Fell Guide: Whoap and Yoke

This week we look at Whoap, one of the 'grassy lumps' around the River Calder and Yoke, the start of the Ill Bell ridge at Troutbeck.

Saturday 29 November 2014

Fell Guide: Whiteless Pike and Whiteside

Whiteless Pike and Whiteside both form a part of the larger Grasmoor block, Whiteside facing it across Gasgale Gile, Whiteless Pike forming the south-western approach to the high ground.

Sunday 23 November 2014

Fell Guide: Wetherlam and Whin Rigg

Next come Wetherlam, the bulky north-eastern end of the Coniston range and Whin Rigg, sitting over the Wastwater Screes.

Saturday 15 November 2014

Sunday 9 November 2014

Wandope and Thornthwaite Crag

Next are Wandope, one of the less familiar fells in the Buttermere scene and Thornthwaite Crag, the south-west of High Street

Saturday 1 November 2014

Walk: Illgill Head

This short but fairly steep walk takes us from Wasdale Head up to the summit of Illgill Head, the higher of the two fells that sit above the famous Wasdale Screes.

Whitby Abbey

The impressive ruins of Whitby Abbey loom above the town from their position on a headland to the east of the River Esk.

Fell Guides: Swirl How, Silver How

We start November with Swirl How, in the Coniston Fells and Silver How, at the eastern edge of the ridge that forms the northern boundary of Great Langdale.

Monday 20 October 2014

Fell Guides: Shipman Knotts and Sheffield Pike

This week we add Shipman Knotts, on the southern edge of the ridge that leads to Kentmere Harter Fell and Sheffield Pike, sitting between Glencoyne and Glenridding on the shores of Ullswater.

Saturday 4 October 2014

Fell Guide: Sale Fell and Sand Hill

Back to the fell guide today, with Sand Hill, the near neighbour of Hopegill Head and Sale Fell, at the north-western corner of Bassenthwaite.

Sunday 28 September 2014

Ascent of Hard Knott Fell

Today we add an ascent of Hard Knott Fell, a lovely smaller fell in the middle of the Eskdale Scene.

Saturday 20 September 2014

Sunday 7 September 2014

Newburgh Priory

Newburgh Priory was a house of Augustinian Canons that was founded in 1145 and survived until the dissolution of the monasteries, when it was given to Anthony Bellasis, Henry VIII's chaplain. The priory was built half a mile to the south-east of Coxwold, and its stones were later used to build the country house of the same name (the reputed burial place of Oliver Cromwell).

New clickable map for walks index

Today we redesign our walks index, replacing the old list with a series of clickable maps to allow you to find your walks more easily.

Sunday 3 August 2014

Walk: Ponsonby Fell

Ponsonby Fell isn't one of the most interesting in the Lakes, but the approaches through Blengdale Forest and part the isolated farm at Scalderskew are very fine.

Sunday 20 July 2014

Sunday 6 July 2014

Fell Guide: Maiden Moor and Mellbreak

This week we look at Maiden Moor, on the ridge that runs south from Cat Bells and Mellbreak, an important fell for two lakes - Loweswater and Crummock Water.

Saturday 28 June 2014

Sunday 22 June 2014

Walk: Yewbarrow

This walk takes us up Yewbarrow in Wasdale using a less familar path that goes up the north-western slopes of the fell.

Sunday 15 June 2014

Fell Guides: Lord's Seat and Long Side

Two near-neighbours this time - Lord's Seat on the western side of Bassenthwaite and Long Side on the eastern side of the lake.

Saturday 7 June 2014

Wykeham Abbey

Wykeham Abbey was a priory of Cistercian nuns, founded in around 1153 by Pain Fitz Osbert and that survived until the dissolution of the monasteries.

Fell Guides: Lingmoor Fell and Ling Fell

Two very different fells again - Lingmoor Fell, forming the barrier between Great and Little Langdale and Ling Fell on the north-western edge of the district.

Picture Gallery for the Meadow Pipit

We add a new picture gallery for the Meadow Pipit, a common bird on the high fells.

Saturday 31 May 2014

Fell Guides: Lank Rigg and Latrigg

Quiet Lank Rigg in the western fells and busy Latrigg overlooking Keswick from the foot of Skiddaw are today's fells.

Saturday 24 May 2014

Fell Guides: King's How and Knock Murton

Two of the lower fells today - the delightful King's How at the Jaws of Borrowdale and Knock Murton, one of the fells surrounding Cogra Moss.

Sunday 18 May 2014

Fell Guides: Irton Pike and Kentmere Pike

Two very different 'pikes' today - Irton Pike, which ends the long ridge of high ground south of Wast Water and Kentmere Pike, a rare example of a fell that takes its name from a valley without being at its head.

Sunday 11 May 2014

Yorkshire Wolds

The Yorkshire Wolds are perhaps the most scenic area in England without any legal protection, a area of chalk downs with wide open uplands cut into by winding steep sided valleys.

Fell Guides: Illgill Head and High Street

Two rather different fells today - High Street, the highest fell east of the Kirkstone Pass and Illgill Head, one of the fells above the Wastwater Screes.

Lastingham Abbey

Lastingham Abbey went through two incarnations. It was originally founded in 651-655 during the early days of Christianity in Anglo-Saxon England, and was ruled by St. Cedd and then his brother St. Chad. This abbey was ruined by 1066, and a new abbey was founded on the same site in around 1078 by monks from Whitby, but this second foundation was very short-lived and the monks had moved to York by 1086.

Sunday 4 May 2014

Fell Guides: Helvellyn and High Spy

Two of the major fells today - Helvellyn, the third highest of the Lakeland fells, famous for Striding Edge, and High Spy, the highest point in the range that includes Cat Bells.

Saturday 26 April 2014

Fell Guides: Ill Bell and Mardale Ill Bell

Two more fells that share a name today - Ill Bell and Mardale Ill Bell, facing each other across the head of the Kentmere Valley.

Sunday 13 April 2014

Grosmont Priory

Grosmont Priory was one of only three Grandmontine Priories to be founded in England, and was the last to survive, only going at the dissolution of the monasteries.

Lleyn Peninsula

The Lleyn Peninsula is one of Wales's hidden treasures, an isolated area of sandy beaches, varied towns and spectacular views, with a history as a centre of pilgrimage.

High Stile and Hindscarth

After High Crag we move up to High Stile, the highest fell in the range between Buttermere and Ennerdale, and Hindscarth, one of the less familiar of the Buttermere fells.

Sunday 6 April 2014

Helm Crag & High Crag

This week we look at High Crag, the dramatic eastern end of the High Stile range and Helm Crag, also known as the Lion and the Lamb.

Sunday 16 March 2014

Grisedale Pike and Grey Friar

Two of my favourites this week - the shapely Grisedale Pike and the great bulk of Grey Friar in the Duddon Valley.

Saturday 8 March 2014

Sunday 2 March 2014

North York Moors

This month at Storm-crow we look at the North York Moors, one of the quieter of Britain's National Parks, but an area with vast areas of heather moorland and a stunning coast with attractive villages.

Guisborough Priory

Guisborough Priory was an Augustine priory that was founded by Robert de Brus, 1st Lord of Annandale, an ancestor of Robert the Bruce, king of Scotland, and was one of the wealthiest abbeys in Yorkshire.

Gibson Knott and Glaramara

Next we look at Gibson Knott, on the ridge that ends at Helm Crag and Glaramara, a central feature of the Borrowdale scene.

Sunday 23 February 2014

Brund Fell & Carling Knott

This week we look at Brund Fell, between Watendlath and Borrowdale and Carling Knott, one of the Loweswater fells.

Sunday 16 February 2014

Fellbarrow and Froswick

Once again we look at very different fells today - grassy smooth Fellbarrow in the Loweswater Fells, and steep sided Froswick on the ridge between Troutbeck and the Kentmere Valley.

Sunday 9 February 2014

Hackness Abbey

There have been two monastic foundations at Hackness, first an Anglo-Saxon nunnery founded in 680 and second a cell of Whitby Abbey that was used as a refuge when pirates forced the monks away from the coast.

North Pennines

Next at Storm-crow we look at the Dales' northern neighbour, the wild North Pennines.

Saturday 8 February 2014

Dow Crag and Esk Pike

This week we look at Dow Crag, which includes one of the most impressive crags in the Lake District and Esk Pike, the least well known of the fells around the head of Eskdale.

Sunday 2 February 2014

Dodd (Skiddaw) and Dollywaggon Pike

Two very different fells again this week - Dodd at the western end of the Skiddaw range, and Dollywaggon Pike at the southern end of the Helvellyn range.

Sunday 26 January 2014

Sunday 12 January 2014

Cat Bells and Castle How

Next comes the famous Cat Bells near Keswick and Castle How, part of the ridge that runs along the northern side of Great Langdale.

Saturday 4 January 2014

Yorkshire Dales

After a long gap we return to our introductions to areas of beauty, with a look at the Yorkshire Dales

Castle Crag and Calf Crag

We start the New Year with a look at Castle Crag in Borrowdale and Calf Crag near Grasmere.