Too Old Codgers

Boot to Muncaster Castle
Statistics:
distance - 7.8 miles
moving speed – 3.0 mph
start – 9.30 am
finish – 1.30 pm
moving – 2h 35m

Muncaster to Ravenglass and return: distance – 2.5 miles

Before breakfast Graham went to have a look around the old corn mill. At 7.45 we joined Robyn and David for breakfast in the sunlit conservatory. Mary had bacon and toast and Graham had the usual English breakfast. We said our goodbyes and got away at 9.30.

'Breakfast with friends at Boot Inn'

When we got to St Catherine's church on the bank of the River Esk, Graham consulted the map. A couple of walkers noticed us checking the map and reassured us that to cross the river we had to pass the church and that the turnoff behind us went to the railway station. We hadn't listened carefully to advice we'd been given the day before and had ended up in a pathless cleared forest. So we took the advice proffered and ended up lost in a lovely but pathless wooded area to the east of steep-sided Stanley Gill. It was later we realised we had gone almost as far as Stanley Force but on the wrong side of the Gill.

'St Catherine's church'

'Stepping stones across the Esk'

'Lost in a pathless wood'

We retraced our steps until we met a path going in the right direction to rejoin the NoEW, which we did near Dalegarth Hall. Walking beside the River Esk was easy and pleasant. We crossed the river at Eskdale Green, then walked over green fields beside a wood before climbing steeply through bracken, gorse and heather to Silver Knott where we stopped for morning tea. While stopped we heard the whistle of Lil Ratty down below as it passed Eskdale Green on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway. We could also see Walna Scar Pass in the distance on the horizon, a good day's walk from our previous morning tea stop.

'Back on track through Low Wood'

'Crossing fields towards Silver Knott'

'View over Eskdale and Eskdale Green'

After a minor down and up, we encountered the bogs of Muncaster Fell. We went north of the ridgetop to skirt a serious bog and missed seeing Ross's Camp. We climbed Hooker Crag, giving us great views of where we had been to the west, and of St Bee's Head to the north, our destination for the next day.

'Looking back to Harter Fell and Walna Scar Pass on the horizon'

'Looking north to Sellafield and St Bees Head, the next day's walk'

We pressed on to Muncaster Castle where we were to stay in the Coachman's Quarters. We were shown to a huge room with a huge bed. After showering and changing we went down to the lawns behind the castle for an owl display at 2.30. We were enthralled by the displays of a little-eared owl, a barn owl, and a large eagle owl as they flew from one handler to another to be rewarded by treats of dead mice. We had soft drinks in the café then walked around the castle grounds until 4 pm when 'wild' herons came in for food that was put out each afternoon.

'Muncaster Castle'

'Spectators at the Muncaster owl display'

'Eagle owl and handler'

'Heron waiting to be fed'

At 5 we collected the stones we had picked up from the beach at Robin Hood's Bay over two weeks ago and set off for the estuary at Ravenglass. We walked through the extensive and beautiful Castle gardens, then passed the remains of a Roman bath-house. From there we could see the estuary, so we headed off to wet our boots in the backwater of the Irish Sea and to throw our stones into the sea. It was the ceremonial end to a walk we had enjoyed enormously.

'Mary throws her stone from the east into the estuary'

'Graham wets his boots in the estuary and grins like a Cheshire cat'

We set off up the main (only) street of Ravenglass in search of a pub to celebrate our achievement. The large Pennington Hotel looked too grand, but the Inn at Ravenglass looked just right. We gathered drinks at the bar (a Coniston Bluebird for Graham, a beer highly recommended to us along the way but this was the first place we saw it, and a double scotch and ginger ale for Mary), booked a table for dinner and went to an outside table overlooking the estuary to wait for the sun to set over the water.

'Ravenglass main street'

'Inn at Ravenglass, Mary at last table on left'

'The sun sets over the Esk estuary and our North of England Way walk'

We dined on John Dory with a clam and vegetable broth and Red Bream with smashed potatoes and three varieties of cauliflower (white, purple and green), accompanied by a bottle of Italian pinot grigio rose. Graham enquired about a menu that seemed too good for a little pub in an isolated little village, to be told the pub had been taken over by the Pennington group (owners of the castle) who were intent on developing a reputation as a seafood restaurant. The food was exceptional. It was a perfect end to our very enjoyable North of England Way walk.

We had a brisk walk along the road back to the castle with just enough light to find our way. After coffee and hot chocolate we were in bed by 8.45.

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