The Land of the Lune - Drakkar Press

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52 Chapter 3: Western Howgills and Firbank Fell between Ilkley and Bowness-on-Windermere, passing through many of the most attractive dales, especially, if I may say so, this stretch of the Lune. Just beyond the bridge, Lummer Gill joins the Lune, having run from Grayrigg Common, through Deep Gill, under the motorway and railway (where, thankfully, they veer away from the Lune valley), past the village of Beck Foot and then under the magnificent curved Lowgill Viaduct. The eleven red arches stand 30m high and seem so thin as to be flimsy but for over a hundred years (1861 to 1964) they carried trains on the Lowgill-Clapham line, a central part of the Loyne railway network. A failure of railway politics meant that it was never used as originally intended, that is, for Ingleton to Scotland traffic – until the winter of 1963 blocked the Settle-Carlisle line. Thanks to the work of the British Railways Board (Residuary) Ltd in 2009 the Crook of Lune Bridge viaduct is no longer the aerial arboretum it had become, with shrubs and trees sprouting from the track. The Lune accompanies the Dales Way for 2.5km. This is a gentle, bubbling stream in summer, but a torrent after heavy rain on the Howgills. Debris in the tree branches shows that the floodplains are indeed occasionally under water. This is a good stretch along which to spot the dipper, the bird that best represents the spirit of the becks. It is the only passerine (that is, perching bird) that is adapted to aquatic life, in being able to close its ears and nostrils under water, having no air sacs in its bones, and in being able to store more oxygen in its blood than other passerines. It uses its wings to swim under turbulent water in its search for insect larvae. It will be seen bobbing on a rock or flying fast and direct, low over the water. This is Chapter 3 of The Land of the Lune (2nd edition), http://www.drakkar.co.uk/landofthelune.html, Copyright © 2010 John Self
The presence of dippers along any beck is a measure of the health of that beck. Sadly, the number of dippers seems to be declining along the Lune and its tributaries, probably because of the damage to riverbanks, where it nests, and the building of weirs for flood control, which reduces the turbulence that dippers need. Ellergill Beck, running from Brown Moor past Beck House, and the more substantial Chapel Beck next supplement the Lune. Chapel Beck is the largest beck of the western Howgills. The western slopes below Arant Haw, Calders, Bram Rigg Top, The Calf, White Fell Head and Breaks Head all contribute to it. Its slopes also have two of the clearest paths in the Howgills, on either side of Calf Beck, providing an excellent walk to The Calf. On this walk you would see the Horse of Bush Howe. This is a natural (it seems to me) rocky outcrop in the vague shape of a horse, although there are stories that in the past people devoted a day each year to Lowgill Viaduct The Lune from Carlingill Beck ... 53 keeping the horse in shape. (The horse can be seen in the photograph on page 45: it is bisected by the shadow on the hill middle right.) One legend is that it was created as a signal for smugglers in Morecambe Bay. One can The Top 10 birds in Loyne 1. Dipper: for its spirit 2. Curlew: for its call 3. Lapwing: for its flight 4. Kingfisher: for its colour 5. Skylark: for its song 6. Oystercatcher: for its bill 7. Heron: for its style 8. Hen harrier: for its rarity 9. Sand martin: for its nest 10. Swan: for its grace Honourable mention: the snipe. This is Chapter 3 of The Land of the Lune (2nd edition), http://www.drakkar.co.uk/landofthelune.html, Copyright © 2010 John Self
Page 1 and 2: The Land of the Lune John Self
Page 3 and 4: The Land of the Lune A guide to the
Page 5 and 6: The Land of the Lune - and its trib
Page 7 and 8: Contents Introduction 9 1. Northern
Page 9 and 10: The Land of the Lune - and its trib
Page 11 and 12: Acknowledgements Writing a general
Page 13 and 14: Chapter 9: Gretadale and a little m
Page 15 and 16: CHAPTER 1: Northern Howgills and Or
Page 17 and 18: The River Lune ... A great oak may
Page 19 and 20: Looking down Bowderdale Bowderdale
Page 21 and 22: The Lune from Bowderdale Beck ... T
Page 23 and 24: A walker near the head of Langdale
Page 25 and 26: Rais Beck gathers pace as it passes
Page 27 and 28: ancient earthworks on the Orton Fel
Page 29 and 30: The Lune from Chapel Beck ... Immed
Page 31 and 32: CHAPTER 2: Shap Fells and Birkbeck
Page 33 and 34: Birk Beck Birk Beck arises in Wasda
Page 35 and 36: Bretherdale Beck Bretherdale Beck r
Page 37 and 38: The Lune from Birk Beck ... At thei
Page 39 and 40: The Lune below Jeffrey’s Mount Wa
Page 41 and 42: Borrow Beck 41 This is Chapter 2 of
Page 44 and 45: 44 Chapter 2: Shap Fells and Birkbe
Page 46 and 47: 46 Chapter 3: Western Howgills and
Page 48: 48 Chapter 3: Western Howgills and
Page 51: The Lune from Carlingill Beck ... A
Page 55: Walk 6: Lowgill and Brown Moor Holy
Page 62 and 63: 62 Chapter 4: Upper Rawtheydale The
Page 64 and 65: 64 Chapter 4: Upper Rawtheydale Sea
Page 66 and 67: 66 Chapter 4: Upper Rawtheydale Sal
Page 68 and 69: 68 Chapter 4: Upper Rawtheydale the
Page 74 and 75: 74 Chapter 4: Upper Rawtheydale Clo
Page 78 and 79: 78 Chapter 4: Upper Rawtheydale Bau
Page 80 and 81: 80 Chapter 5: Lower Rawtheydale and
Page 94 and 95: 94 Chapter 6: Middleton Fell Hall B
Page 96 and 97: 96 Chapter 6: Middleton Fell Killin
Page 98 and 99: 98 Chapter 6: Middleton Fell Stockd
Page 100 and 101: 100 Chapter 6: Middleton Fell The L
Page 102 and 103:
102 Chapter 6: Middleton Fell Barbo
Page 104 and 105:
104 Chapter 6: Middleton Fell Crag
Page 106 and 107:
106 Chapter 6: Middleton Fell a doc
Page 108 and 109:
108 Chapter 7: Middle Lunesdale and
Page 110 and 111:
Page 112 and 113:
Page 114 and 115:
Page 116 and 117:
Page 118 and 119:
Page 120 and 121:
Page 122 and 123:
Page 124 and 125:
124 Chapter 8: The Greta Headwaters
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Page 128 and 129:
Page 130 and 131:
Page 132 and 133:
Page 135:
The roof was so high, and the botto
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Page 140 and 141:
140 Chapter 9: Gretadale and a litt
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Page 144 and 145:
Page 146 and 147:
Page 148 and 149:
Page 150 and 151:
Page 152 and 153:
Page 154 and 155:
154 Chapter 10: The Wenning Headwat
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156 Chapter 10: The Wenning Headwat
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Opposite: Ingleborough from Moughto
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active area long ago - long before
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Fen Beck Fen Beck arises on the eas
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often evidence, in the form of old
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silence is complete, apart from bir
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CHAPTER 11: Wenningdale, Hindburnda
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The Wenning from Keasden Beck ... T
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is split into four smaller cast-iro
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The River Hindburn By the time it r
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in spring is not, however, in silen
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Furnessford Bridge, although the 18
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182 Chapter 11: Wenningdale, Hindbu
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184 Chapter 11: Wenningdale, Hindbu
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CHAPTER 12: The Lune Floodplain and
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The Lune from the Wenning ... The a
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ather than shale, has been reached
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there are remains of about thirty c
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The Lune from Bull Beck ... The ste
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Foxdale Beck passes Littledale Hall
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four Roman miles from Lancaster, wh
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CHAPTER 13: The Lune to Lancaster
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The Lune from Artle Beck ... After
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entirely natural. Within Loyne the
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Halton washed away. This was swept
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Turner sketched it on his 1797 tour
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castle and priory now framed by the
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with the Dissolution of the Monaste
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St George’s Quay from the Millenn
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CHAPTER 14: The Salt Marshes
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The Lune from Lancaster ... Beyond
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Burrow Beck We followed the Roman r
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The River Conder The River Conder a
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from Clougha Pike. The valley seems
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nearby Church of St Thomas and St E
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The Lune from the Conder ... East o
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CHAPTER 15: Into Morecambe Bay
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The Lune from the Conder (continued
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then walk south along the coast. Th
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largest remaining uncultivated peat
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The remains of Cockersand Abbey Wal
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that there was a large local commun
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Reflections from the Point of Lune
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Bibliography and References Bibliog
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Contact Details for Further Informa
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Contact Details for Further Informa
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Austwick Game Cock Inn “ 51226 ht
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Tourist/Visitor Information Centres
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Bridge End (Caton) 198 Bridge End (
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Foul Gutter 125 Foundry Beck 207 Fo
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Leck Beck 105, 114-121, 117, 119, 1
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Ripley Orphanage 213 Rise Hill 75-7
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Walk 23: Ward’s Stone 225 Walk 24
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