Oak Planting in Ennerdale

On Tuesday we were back in Ennerdale on a work party, this time planting Oak trees. It was yet another gorgeous day in the valley Looking up at Seat & Haystacks

It is quite late to be planting & some of the trees looked like they had been in storage for a while, but most of them had buds on them so were growing, the seven of us planted nearly 500 of them today.

Andy & Crag in the area we were planting in

Looking further up the valley with Great Gable in the distance

Looking Stead

Pillar

For a change it was relatively flat where we were planting & as you got nearer to the River Liza the ground got softer & easier to plant in.

Not much water coming down the Liza today

These are the planting spade we use

Crag waiting for a stone to chase in the water

Lunchtime

We have never been this far up the valley on the south side tracks. We passed this boulder on the way up in the vehicle & have seen it many a time from the other side of the valley. Karen wandered back to it during lunch.

In Memory Of Tom Wren 1913-1998. I can't find any information about him on the internet but can mind we were told his brother was Ike!

We thought for a joke a fake hand sticking out of the bottom would look fitting! & may explain where & who Tom Wren was

Beautiful views as Karen walks back to the work party

We stop at Irish bridge to take a panorama as the one we took last Thursday didn't come out correctly

St Bees to Home

On Saturday with Lisa, Stuart & Katie we headed off to complete the coast to coast from St Bees back to our house. We did our usual & caught a bus from Cleator Moor to Whitehaven & then the train to St Bees. It was another gorgeous day although it was rather windy, strangely for here an eastern wind which wasn't what we really wanted on a predominately west - east walk. Back in February part of the cliff collapsed closing the footpath, but being such a popular route it was soon reopened. You can see where there is no green on the cliffs where it collapsed. Dipping our toes/paws in the Irish sea as is tradition before you start

They have built this new "staircase" up the cliff away from the previous path

Crag posing for the camera

And put new signage in 191 miles to Robin Hoods Bay, think Cleator Moor is far enough for us today

They have fenced the first section of the path off to stop you straying too close to the cliff edge

Looking back at the caravan park at St Bees

Lisa

St Bees bay with the village behind

Lisa, Karen (wearing her buff as it was so windy) & Andy (glad his cap comes with a clip as it would not have lasted the walk!)

Katie & Crag waiting for the stick to be thrown

Climbing upto St Bees head the biggest climb of the walk

Looking at the fells behind. Just to the right of centre is Scafell Pike

Andy

Lisa

Now at the observation point on the top of St Bees head

Heading north along the cliff top

Crag wins the stick this time

Katie waits patently for her go

Then the drop down to Fleswick Bay, there are a lot of people on the route today

The cliffs of Fleswick Bay. We would have gone to the beach but the tide was too far in to make the interesting rocks down there exposed

The path continues on the other side

It must be windy Crag has both ears up!

Many of the people ahead of us head down to the beach

Looking back along the cliff top we have walked

The dogs above us on the skyline

Thousands of guillemots nest on these cliffs

We were told that the chicks would be hatched in about 4 weeks The lighthouse comes into view where we will turn & head east

Andy & the lighthouse

Katie takes an opportune drinks stop

Although the fields residence didn't seem too impressed

Further on another source of a drink & you can play in this too

It was a lovely walk we calculated it to be about 10miles followed by our first bar-b-que of the year where we were joined by Allan, Carol B, Carol M & Benny. Long may this weather continue. Thanks too to Lis & Stuart for many of the above photos.