Caudale Quarry, Stony Cove Pike, Hartsop Dodd19th March 2019I managed to steal a few hours on the hill whilst travelling back from Lincoln to Orkney.
After pitching my tent at Sykeside campsite, Brotherswater, I headed for the hills, rather a late start for March at around 3pm. I wasn't exactly sure how far I would get, but I fancied a look at the old quarries at Caudale, on the flanks of Rough Edge, a spur running down from the Stony Cove Pike plateau.
The tough climb aheadA path cut across the hillside to Caudale Beck, but I lost this and picked my own route, fording the beck before heading uphill. I again headed 'off piste', traversing south east across a steepening hillside, before doubling back and joining an old packhorse trail leading up to Caudale Quarry - quite a slog! Good views back towards Brotherswater.
Looking back towards Brotherswater and UllswaterThe quarry itself is in a very remote location, and I couldn't help thinking about the hardy quarrymen struggling up to this lonely spot every day - they must have been tough. I enjoy poking around old quarries, but I wasn't tempted underground. Most of the adits had collapsed in any case, although one arched entrance remained.
Caudale Quarry from above, Brotherswater and Ullswater beyond.Time was short so I didn't fully explore the quarry, instead heading steeply uphill onto Rough Edge. The wind was quite keen on the ridge and I soon entered the clouds. Also a few patches of snow about, and I experienced a childish delight as I stomped through them. The ridge eventually levelled off, and the faint path traversed southwards around the western edge of Caudale Moor. Realising that this was not where I wanted to go, I got the compass out and headed off eastwards over the pathless plateau, soon spotting a large cairn through the mist. Continuing eastwards, I passed a small tarn, fringed by large patches of snow, and pressed on, now following a ruinous stone wall up to Stony Cove Pike, a handy navigational aid. I followed another wall northwards in the murk and spotted what I took to be the summit cairn a short distance to the east, although other bits of ground appeared to be higher - not that I'm really caring.
Mugshot in the murk. Note the mist on my glasses!I was tempted to press on eastwards to Thornthwaite Crag, and maybe even High Street, but common sense got the better of me - 1645 was no time to be blundering around in the murk on unknown mountains in mid March. Instead I followed the wall northwards along a broad ridge descending gently towards Hartsop Dodd. One of the good things about walking on the tops in the mist is the pleasure that I get when I descend out of it and the view ahead is suddenly revealed.
Hartsop DoddCaudale Quarry, the slopes of High Hartsop Dodd beyond.The view north east from Hartsop Dodd, distant Loadpot Hill in the sun.The climb up to Hartsop Dodd was easy, and I could almost taste my first pint in the Brotherswater Inn, but I knew that the descent to Hartsop was steep. So steep in fact that I stopped singing in mid-verse as the steepness of the slope ahead was suddenly revealed! Concentration needed - and I methodically descended the eroded path, which wound back and forth to avoid the steepest ground. At last the gradient eased, and I relaxed - too soon though, my feet shot away from under me on the wet grass and I ended up on my backside!
Hartsop far belowMy route back took me through Hartsop village, past a beautiful camelia in full flower. Rather than just follow the road and rather unsatisfactory permissive path along the eastern shores of Brotherswater, I crossed over to the western side of the valley and returned through the lovely woodland along the western shore, a delightful spot, made magical by wrens and blackbirds singing in the approaching twilight. And the first owl hooted just as I was returning to the tent.
A short but tough late afternoon walk of 6 miles - I certainly earned my pint(s) of Jennings Cumberland Ale!