I’ve been using up some annual leave and took two days off this week. I think I’ve taken the wrong days off because the weather looks great tomorrow when I’m back at work
On Monday another day of wind and rain was forecast. I got off the bus at Sandbeds Gill Quarry Car Park to walk in the woods around Dodd where I hoped I’d get some shelter from the weather.
My route was Sandbeds Gill Quarry - Rabbit Warren (on yellow waymarked route) - Sandbeds Gill - Dry Scale Gill - Longside Wood - Gable Gill - Long Doors - forest roads above Ivy Crag and Brock Crag - Old Sawmill Tearoom - St Bega’s Church - Old Sawmill Tearoom. 9.24km/5.75 miles with 484m/1588ft of ascent. 2 hours 40 minutes walking time.
On the yellow marked route in Dodd Wood. It is Sandbeds Gill according to Ordnance Survey and Alfred Wainwright. The sign makers have missed the ‘s’
Misty Barf from the path
It was raining on and off but just light rain and the wind wasn’t that strong.
The path takes a sharp right
Footbridge over Sandbeds Gill
I left the yellow marked route here to ascend to a stile
This stile
The path climbs next to the fence on the slopes of Ullock Pike to another stile
This one. It was an awkward crossing, no elegance involved
The stile leads onto the forest road through Longside Wood
Which takes you to Long Doors
A misty Dodd
I’d originally planned to go up onto Dodd summit for the view.
The view from Long Doors
Even more mist covering Dodd now
It seemed pointless going onto Dodd summit so I headed down to the Old Sawmill Tearooms on the forest roads.
The clag lifted and there was a view toward Derwent Water
The view toward the North Western Fells
I found a place to have lunch so I could look at the views now that the clag had lifted. It didn’t last long. After five minutes the clag descended again and it started raining more heavily.
With not going up onto Dodd I was 40 minutes too early for the bus at the Old Sawmill so I walked passed Mirehouse on the public footpath to visit St Bega’s Church.
St Bega’s Church
I returned on the same footpath back to the Old Sawmill to catch the bus
Mist over Dodd with Mirehouse below
The heavens opened when I got to the Old Sawmill and it really tipped it down. I was rather wet getting on the bus
Despite the heavy rain at the end I had really enjoyed the walk. The brief views of Derwent Water and the NW fells were unexpected, a lovely surprise and I always enjoy the forest roads and the network of paths here at Dodd Wood and in Whinlatter Forest
