Countrystride (Countrystride)

...in which Dave takes a midwinter stroll with author Polly Atkin to discuss The Company of Owls, Polly's new book about her tawny owl neighbours in Grasmere.

Climbing from Town End onto White Moss Common, we consider the recent history of the surrounding landscape – from grazed pasture through makeshift 'hutment' settlement to the rich woodland of today that is home to deer, badger, fox and numerous birds.

Arriving at a mossy oak, we learn about Polly's passion for owls, and the personal connection she formed with three new-born owlets. The little-known habits of owls are discussed – the long walks they take to explore territory; the on-and-off cohabitation arrangements of mate-for-life parents; and the pragmatic preservation of energy in death.

Arriving at a nature-reclaimed pool, our conversation skips from owls to the Romantic poets, night-time walking, mythology and bluebells.

Finally, arriving at Grasmere's Wishing Gate, we turn to Polly's award-winning Some of Us Just Fall, and talk about why the nature-healing narrative is a fallacy; and why the owls in this enchanted patch of woodland embody hope, sadness, anxiety, joy – but, most of all, continuity.

• The Company of Owls is available to buy (signed) from samreadbooks.co.uk/product/polly-atkin-the-company-of-owls-signed-/13814 and (not signed) eandtbooks.com/books/the-company-of-owls/

• Polly is on Twitter/X at x.com/pollyrowena

• Polly's Linktree: https://t.co/ehfHhLe116

...in which we tell the 1,000-year story of cartography in the historic counties of Cumberland, Westmorland and Lancashire with author, academic and cartophile Bill Shannon.

When does the name 'Cumbria' first appear on a map? Who were the men – entrepreneurs, oddballs, fraudsters and visionaries – who developed the skills of surveying and map-making over generations, often for scant financial rewards? How did the remarkable Christopher Saxton undertake the first county surveys – to make the definitive maps of England that were still being used two centuries later? When were the first scientific surveys carried out, and what role did the Ordnance Survey play in popularing maps for the 'everyman'?

In this amiable chat covering ten centuries of map-making, we talk triangulation and tourism; contours and cartouches; and nymphs, monks and memories of map-reading on a misty Blencathra.

• Bill is on Twitter/X at https://x.com/BillShannon19

• You can find out more about / buy Bill's book at https://www.inspiredbylakeland.co.uk/products/cumbria-1-000-years-of-maps

• To view some of Bill's favourite maps, head over to our sister site, Hefted: https://hefted.substack.com/p/six-iconic-maps-of-cumbria

..in which we don the Countrystride shorts for a balmy trip west into sylvan Eskdale to hear about Ian and Jen Hall's 27-year journey to make a success of a Lakeland hill farm. As we set out from the handsome farmhouse at Fisherground – one-time home to the couple, alongside close friends Anne-Marie and Geoff Wake – we learn about the passion that drove both couples (plus family and other animals) onto the farm, and the highs and lows of living the farming dream. Reflecting as we walk on divers matters – from gate stoups to Herdwick rudd; from bathing in the Esk to the thrill of hound trailing – we reach St Catherine's Church, where Ian preached for many years, to reflect on the trauma of Foot & Mouth, making peace with tourism and the brilliantly named, but mechanically flawed, 'Hayter Potatovator'.

• You can buy Ian's book Fisherground: Living the Dream and other titles from bookscumbria.com/?s=ian+hall&post_type=product and all good local bookshops.

...in which we take a wintry trip to Lowther country and the pristine village of Askham to celebrate the built heritage of Cumbria. In the company of historic buildings officer Alexandra Fairclough, we take a long view of the vernacular and its champions – from John Ruskin to Professor Ron Brunskill – before embarking on a whistlestop tour of a village that was neither formally designed, like Lowther, nor set upon a springline, like nearby Helton. As we wander, we consider the link between geology and buildings, we note the features of a typical Cumbrian farmhouse, we consider the concept of 'polite' architecture, and we ask whether Cumbrian's historic buildings are in safe hands.  

• Alexandra can be found at https://linktr.ee/Alexatourguide

 

...in which we take a Grasmere ramble under wintry skies with local lass Joanne Hunter, Partner at Grasmere Gingerbread, for a seasonal trip down memory lane. Embarking from diminutive Church Cottage – the one-time school house – we learn about the life, heartbreaks and invention of Sarah Nelson, the working class Victorian cook who landed upon a new recipe for the moreish confection in 1854. Arriving at St Oswald's church, we revel in recollections of rushbearings past – views of the fells; the smell of flowers. As Mark gets his teeth into biscuity-cakey-yumminess, we delve into the culinary history of Cumbria and its links with Whitehaven, once Britain's second port. Finally, we talk Christmas, and snow under the streetlights, towers of variety boxes, the village Father Christmas... and Nanny Hunter's whist drive.

• You can find Grasmere Gingerbread at grasmeregingerbread.co.uk

...in which we wander the wildlife-friendly meadows of Strickley farm, Old Hutton, with geologist and waller Arthur Robinson to learn about the history, heritage and practice of dry-stone walling. After a brief overview of the landscape's geology – which gifts Kendal walls a unique array of stones – we look back over the long history of walling and hedging in Cumbria, from the creation of early fields to the frenetic Victorian era of Enclosure. We explore the techniques that ensure a wall stands for centuries and consider different walling patterns around the county and country. We learn the economic importance of the not-so-humble hedgerow and ask why farmers might opt for hedging over walls. Finally, we quiz Arthur on the early-morning satisfaction he gets from placing 'one over two, and two over one'...  

• You can find out more about nature-friendly Strickley at www.strickley.co.uk

...in which we are joined by Gavin Capstick, new chief executive of the Lake District National Park Authority, for a wide-ranging chat about the state of the Park and his ambitions for its future.

Ascending out of Tebay onto the Howgills, we learn about Gavin's Eden Valley upbringing and his first interactions with the Lake District – playing youth football – before a local government career led him to the Park Authority.

Arriving at a stock exclosure fence with emerging woodland, we talk about the balance the Park must try and strike between farming and nature, locals and tourists, conservation and development; and the inherent tension built into National Parks' DNA.

Dropping to the Lune – and a fabulous riverside path below the M6 – Gavin defines 'low impact tourism', notes the 40% real-term reduction in government funding over the past decade; outlines the pressure placed on new honeypots by social media influencers, and describes the highs (ice cream) and lows (rain) of being a Wainwright-bagging family.

Turning to knottier issues, we discuss 4x4s on green lanes; how private car use in the Park might be reduced, the strange silence of Covid lockdowns... and why Rory Delap is Gavin's Cumbrian hero.

• The Lake District is on Twitter/X at x.com/lakedistrictnpa

...in which we unwrap a selection box of our favourite clips from the year past in the company of Cumbria Wildlife Trust's Jamie Normington and Low Sizergh Barn co-owner Alison Park.

Featuring clips from, among others, James Robinson, Eileen Jones, Mark Hatton, Phoebe Smith, April Windle, Mark Cropper, Angus Winchester and Peter Todhunter, we sift through 19 episodes and 20 hours of recordings from as far flung as Newlands, Windermere, Seathwaite, Orton and Great Moss.

In our annual extended fire-side chat – in which we pick our Cumbrian Book of the Year and Walk of the year – we cover buses, bars and burial cairns; we discuss rainforests, regeneration and gathering the Rough Fell; we visit Barrow, Borrowdale and the Back o' Skiddaw; we reflect on the increasingly precarious business of hill farming; we consider Cumbria Wildlife Trust’s acquisition of 3,000 acres of Skiddaw Forest, and we close by remembering King of the Fells, Joss Naylor.

• Alison can be found at Low Sizergh Barn.

…in which we head to the far northeast of Cumbria to explore the once thriving North Pennines coal industry in the company of ex-pitman Clive Seal. Rewinding to the 1240s, we unearth the first records of coal production in the area – supplying the monks of Lanercost - and discuss the border raids that threatened the cottage-style industry all the way into the 1600s. In the Midgeholme Bottoms – now the domain of curlew and oyster catcher – we evoke the expanded 17th century workings of horse gins, ’cinders’, waterwheels, smitihies and winding shafts. Taking a retrospective view of Clive’s career, and the ‘like it or loathe it’ reality of life on the coal face, we learn how pitmen bore straight tunnels and mined ‘black gold’ using lime and later gunpowder. Proceeding into the 19th century, we arrive at the jewel in the crown of the Brampton coalfield, the King Pit, where hundreds worked, swelling the villages of Midgeholme, Hallbankgate and Halton Lea Gate. Below abandoned workings, we come upon Lord Carlisle’s private railway – one of the first in the country – along which Stephenson’s Rocket reached a rumoured 60mph, and coal was transported via Port Carlisle to Glasgow and Nova Scotia. Finally, we learn about the slow-motion tragedy of moss encroachment that took three men’s lives, and heralded the end of an era.

...in which we journey to Shap, the historic transport hub, to take a wintry walk among the Far Eastern Fells in the footsteps of 1950s postman Jimmy Eland. In the company of born-and-bred Shapite Jean Scott-Smith and author Alan Cleaver, we visit the secluded remains of Shap Abbey, discover the far-from-the-madding crowd loveliness of Swindale, learn about the hard-graft lives of rural postmen, and enjoy Jean's memories of pastoral Wet Sleddale before the dam rose .

• You can read more of Jean's research and memories at https://shaplocalhistorysociety.wordpress.com/contact-us/
• You can buy Alan's books, Get Lost! and The Corpse Roads of Cumbria at Books Cumbria.
• Alan is on Twitter @thelonningsguy

...in which we commemorate the 30th anniversary of Alfred Wainwright's passing by taking a virtual stroll to Innominate Tarn with archivist Chris Butterfield and long-time AW film-maker Richard Else. As we wander – through the history of the Pictorial Guides and AW's television career – we discuss what makes the Guides so unique; we talk about the emergence of an unlikely cult personality; we hear why the great fell-wanderer was almost certainly on the autistic spectrum; we trace AW's final steps onto his beloved Haystacks; and we pose the question: 'Was AW a genius?'

• Richard's book, Wainwright Revealed, can be bought from all good bookshops.
• Chris's Facebook Group, Alfred Wainwright Books & Memorabilia, can be found at https://en-gb.facebook.com/groups/AlfredWainwright/

...in which we swap walking boots for the wheel as we journey down the M6 to meet John Dunning, founder of the nationally-acclaimed Tebay Services, sited above his beloved Westmorland Dales. Taking the long view of a man wed to land and community, we discuss farming roots; we hear about spiritual moments on the fells; we plot the insights and drive that turned an unremarkable stretch of motorway into a family-owned Cumbrian institution; we ponder the age-old history of travel through the Lune Gorge; and we consider the steps needed to build a resilient upland economy.

• The Westmorland Dales Landscape Partnership Scheme reveals the hidden heritage of the Westmorland Dales. You can find out more about it – and the fabulous Dales - at www.friendsofthelakedistrict.org.uk/westmorland-dales-hidden-landscapes-partnership
• The Westmorland Family can be found at www.westmorlandfamily.com

...in which we take in the salt air at the Victorian seaside resort of Grange-over-Sands with local historian and National Park Rights of Way Officer Nick Thorne. In a wide-ranging conversation covering history, ecology, tourism... and lots of old postcards, we walk the town's mile-long promenade and imagine the refined resort in its heyday; we visit the town's salt-water lido, in which generations of children shivered as they learnt to swim; we consider the history of paths in coppiced Eggerslack Wood, with its water ways and sunken lanes; and we discuss the practicalities and perils of crossing the ever-shifting Sands of Morecambe Bay, before alighting on Hampsfell's summit Hospice, with its breathtaking panorama.

• Nick's local history website can be found at https://grangeoversandshistory.weebly.com

...in which we head to Matterdale for a guided tour of James Rebanks' hill farm. As we explore thriving meadows, newly-dug ponds and scrub-fringed becks, we discuss James' latest book, English Pastoral, and the "beautiful compromise" of sustainably stewarding the land. Taking a three generation view of farming in Matterdale and the Eden Valley, we hear why there's fire in the belly of young shepherds, why talk of the 'sheepwrecked uplands' is wide of the mark, why Beatrix Potter is James' writing heroine – and why Cumbria's best food is to be had at The Little Chippy, Penrith.

• English Pastoral can be bought from www.penguin.co.uk/books/290/290329/english-pastoral/9780241245729.html . Many Cumbrian bookshops are selling signed editions.

...in which we embark on a wild, wet-weather wander from Boot in Eskdale to explore the valley's folk history through the memories of residents. Striding out from Boot Inn, we talk with Patricia Nolan, whose mother once owned the Post Office, about an Eskdale childhood. And after rising by Eel Tarn to seek Aga-side shelter at Howes Farm, we talk with Janet and Noel Baines about a lifetime farming on Scafell. As we cross boggy Great Barrow, we discuss the names of locations from Doctor Bridge to Peel Place Noddle; we learn about long journeys on the Whitehaven bus – and the intoxicated trips home; we wonder why Wainwright overlooked striking Great Howe; we talk soggy bottoms in the Eskdale Show; and we consider why this long-isolated valley evokes such strong feelings of home.

…in which we stride out from Seathwaite with mining authority Mark Hatton to unearth the turbulent history of Borrowdale graphite. As we battle bracken on the fellside of Low Bank, we seek out the nature-reclaimed remains of a mining industry that played a key role in the emergence of industrial Britain. In a story that starts with a lone farmer discovering a means to mark his sheep and ends in financial collapse on a huge scale, we learn how critical Borrowdale and Keswick were in the development of early capitalism; we debunk the myth that Derwent Isle was used to safeguard German immmigrants; we meet counterfeiters and bandits; we wonder whether ‘breathing’ mines might explain legends of dragons; we consider how lawless this wild-west hamlet once was… and, last but not least, we talk pencils…

...in which we take a seasonal Grasmere wander in the company of historian, journalist and collector of Cumbrian cultural traditions, Alan Cleaver. Striking up moss-cloistered Huntingstile ('stile' means steep), we discuss the seasonal ballad 'Down t' Lonnin', recited each year by the Grasmere Players – and read to us by Elaine Nelson of Sam Read bookshop. Failing to persuade Alan to sing Arthur Somervell's 'Grasmere Carol', we arrive above Red Bank to reflect on seasonal misrule and authority attempts to ban all manner of Cumbrian fun – from snowball fights in 1840s Workington, to bringing pistols to school in 1700s Carlisle. Descending down icy Easedale, we learn about the Christmas tragedy of the Green family, and consider how the children – fending for themselves as their parents perished – became a model of Victorian fortitude. In fading light, we arrive at Allan Bank, where local lad Paul Nelson reads Hardwicke Rawnsley's evocative description of the Keswick 'old folks Christmas do'.

• You can buy Alan's book 'A Lake District Christmas' at www.inspiredbylakeland.co.uk/products/a-lake-district-christmas
• Alan is on Twitter at twitter.com/thelonningsguy
• Elaine owns Sam Read bookshop in Grasmere. www.samreadbooks.co.uk
• With thanks to Elaine and Paul for their contributions to the podcast.

…in which we cross county lines to visit the internationally-important hay meadows of Swaledale. As we amble out from the Dales village of Muker with local lass and Keld Resource Centre manager Helen Guy, we discuss the traditional farming methods that support a wealth of wild flowers; we delve into the arduous, short lives of Swinner Gill lead miners; we discover David Attenborough's unlikely link with this isolated dalehead; we consider why sometimes you need to leave home to fall in love with it; and we revel in the dialect meanings behind Hartlakes, Crackpot, Buttertubs and 'tow'd man'.

• For more about Keld Resource Centre, see https://keld.omeka.net
• The heritage audio recordings in this broadcast are (c) YDNPA. More can be found at https://keld.omeka.net/collections/show/8

...in which we make the short, sweet ascent of Knott Rigg with Foundation for Common Land Executive Director Dr Julia Aglionby. Enjoying views over Newlands and Buttermere, we discuss the importance of England's historic common land, learn how Cumbria's commoners shape the landscape, tackle the thorny issue of rewilding and consider how we might shape a nature-rich, culture-rich Lake District as we enter the most challenging period facing our uplands since the Second World War.  

...in which we make the perennially popular ascent of Latrigg in the company Douglas Chalmers, outgoing chief executive of Friends of the Lake District. Setting out from Fitz Park, Keswick, where the landscape charity was founded at a public rally in 1934, we learn about the farming upbringing that led Douglas, a Lake District agnostic, to fall in love with the county after wintertime drives up Tebay gorge. Following a deep dive into the history of the conservation movement, we learn about the early Thirlmere skirmishes that pre-empted the formation of a formidable campaigning charity. Ascending Latrigg's grassy flanks, we take a whistlestop tour of Friends' history: of the campaigns that established the National Park, that fought against monoculture afforestation, that undergrounded miles of electric cables, and which, latterly, rallied against zip wires over Thirlmere and houseboats on Grasmere. Arriving at Latrigg's iconic bench – one of the north Lakes' great viewpoints – we talk magic Lakeland moments, we consider upland farming's perilous future and we learn why Cumbrian folk make the best of neighbours.

• You can find out more about Friends of the Lake District at https://www.friendsofthelakedistrict.org.uk
• Terry Abraham's film about Friends (see if you can spot a certain M Richards) can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0rY8Fva1Es&t=2s

...in which we are joined by industrial archeologist supremo Mark Hatton to talk all things slate as we ascend and then tunnel deep into the fellside of The Old Man of Coniston. Picking through the abandoned remains of old working floors and tips, we learn about the long history of slate quarrying in the Lake District – an industry spread over 200 sites that yielded a range of highly-prized stone. Discussing how slate is formed, we make our way to the powerhouse, smithy and working floor of the Old Man workings, where millions of tonnes of stone were shaped into prized roofing slate by generations of miners. As we wander, we hear about the likely Norman origins of the industry; the revolution wrought by compressed air; the perils of journeying home in the snow; and the Sunday-morning miracles that collapsed caverns – and saved lives.   *** It would be remiss not to note that we recorded underground in the company of an experienced guide, and kitted with helmets and torches. Exploring these workings is immensely enjoyable - in the right company and with the right kit. In all cases, leave the workings as you found them. ***

…in which we explore a rainy Rusland valley – the wooded lowlands between Windermere and Coniston. As we wander, with Rusland Horizons’ Marion Brown, we learn about the industrial heritage of bobbin mills, charcoal pits and tanneries, and the extraordinary rarity of Cumbria’s Atlantic woodlands - Britain’s temperature rainforests - before being joined by Jo Clayton and Darryl Kelbrick, who abandoned the nine-to-five to buy, live in and work their own 33-acre wood. In the sheltered porch of their off-grid home on the hill, we talk about the highs and lows of a simpler way of life; we hear why trees don’t just need planting - they need long-term care; we discuss the couples’ sustainable lifestyle making charcoal products and traditional woodland crafts; we witness the devestation inflicted by out-of-kilter deer populations; and we abandon decimalisation in favour of the Cumbrian pimp.

• You can find out more about the valley and the Rusland Hoirzons project - which includes downloadable walks - at https://www.ruslandhorizons.org
• Jo's woodland crafts can be found at https://joclayton.co.uk/
• Darryl's charcoal, biochar and more can be found at https://naturalcharcoal.co.uk/

…in which we descend from the Outlying Fells summit of Faulds Brow into the Back o’Skiddaw village of Caldbeck with local historian Tony Vaux to take a long view of a community through time. From the Brow – with a remarkable view into Galloway – we reach farmed country, where fortified barns tell of riever raids and the hue-and-cry that once mustered resistance. Entering the village, we unearth the clay-dubbin heritage of the duck pond and learn why human urine was once in high demand. Ambling upstream, we come upon the bobbin mill – a remarkable remnant of industrial Caldbeck, when dozens of pubs and mills served hundreds of workers. Discovering why tungtsen from the Caldbeck fells – initally plundered for armour plating by German miners – helped turn the tide of World War I, we close with reflections on the village’s most famous son, and learn why John Peel’s coat was never meant to be ‘gay’, but Herdwick ‘Hodden’ grey.

• You can buy Tony’s book ‘Caldbeck: A Special Part of Lakeland' (£9 plus P&P) by emailing him direct at vauxt@aol.com.

...in which we embark on one of our all-time favourite walks – up the Glendereterra valley – to ask why runners head into the toughest of fell landscapes on journeys of adventure, endurance, technical challenge and self-discovery. As we delve into the Back o' Skidda', we hear from Keswick born-and-bred Jacob Tonkin about the heritage of fell-running passed to him by his grandparents, and his support efforts on the Bob Graham Round. Returning below Lonscale Fell, we follow Chloe Thwaites' journey from near-paralysis on an A&E ward to a reconnected love with northern landscapes. Finally, we speak with Danielle Ledbury, author of new book Why we Run, about the 28 extraordinary runners she has photographed in the Lakeland fells; about trauma and recovery; about grief and joy; about vulnerability and community; and about that elusive flow...

• Why we Run can be ordered from Dave's publishing house, Inspired by Lakeland.

...in which we stride out from Seatoller in the company of conservationist and lichenologist April Windle to explore the Celtic woodlands of Borrowdale and celebrate the designation of a new 721-hectare (1,782-acre) National Nature Reserve in the valley.

Immersing ourselves in the damp and shady confines of an oakwood, and tantalised by a tapestry of ferns, mosses, liverworts and lichens, we consider the climatic conditions – wet and mild – that sustain these rare pockets of western wild-wood. Pushing deeper up-dale we discover two more woodland habitats: a remarkable hillside of ash pollards and a precipitous hanging hazelwood.

Pausing to admire 'Tumbling Kittens' and 'Blackberries in Custard', we reflect on the complex management needs of these threatened rainforests and learn why bracken is no barrier to natural regeneration, why brambles cannot be left unchecked, and why livestock exclosure does not make for healthy woods.

Backtracking to the valley bottom, we learn about the National Trust's largest ever 'translocation' drive and lament the loss of one of Lakeland's most loved trees; we mull the benefits of slow walking – and a £2.50 hand lens; and we celebrate Cumbria's reputation as a hotbed of conservationism.

• April can be found on X at x.com/aprilwindle?lang=en and on Instagram at instagram.com/aprilwindle.nature/

• To learn more about the lichens of Borrowdale, see the Lichen Society's interactive map at https://britishlichensociety.org.uk/maps/all-species

...in which we explore the much-loved hanging valley of Watendlath and the High Tove ridge above in the company of veteran National Trust ranger Roy Henderson and Cumbria Wildlife Trust's Sean Prokopiw. Posing the question: 'How do we balance the management of such precious landscapes with increasing tourist demands?', we take a whistle-stop tour of projects that are building resilience into the fells, woodlands and communities around the isolated dale head. After a brief history of the valley – from glaciation through Norse settlement to the busy days of the pack-horse trains – we visit a remarkable pollarded ash tree. Heading downstream, we are introduced to one of three hydro schemes in Borrowdale, which collectively generate enough energy to power virtually the whole valley. Passing newly-planted hillsides on an age-old pitched way, we emerge at the Pewits, once a desolation of peat hags, now a thriving upland bog, to learn about the value of these remarkable upland habitats.

…in which we climb one of the Lake District's most popular heights, Loughrigg Fell, to celebrate the launch of a new book, Loughrigg: Tales of a small mountain. In the company of author Eileen Jones and botanist Pete Martin, we consider why this rambling maze of a fell – the classic 'first and last hill’ – holds such a special place in so many people's hearts. Arriving at sequestered Lily Tarn, we survey the rich diversity of hillside flora, from bog asphodel and meadowsweet to grass-of-parnassus and bogbean. Weaving along the ever-popular spine path – past 'Kite Gnoll', 'The Sometimes Pond’ and 'The Knobbly-Bobblies' – we reflect on how memories are grafted onto hills, and how landscapes become personal: From the summit, with its repaired – if diminished – trig point (just the right height to perch a G&T) we discuss the changing relationship with ‘local’ that emerged during Covid, before backtracking past the former Ambleside Golf Course, where Eileen recalls ‘vapours’ on Striding Edge, picks Les Mis as a walking soundtrack… and details an unlikely case of happily-ever-after wife swapping at Pine Rigg.

• Loughrigg: Tales of a small mountain, by Eileen Jones, is available from Gritstone Publishing:  https://gritstonecoop.co.uk/product/loughrigg-by-eileen-jones/

• Work to nurture the trees on Loughrigg is being undertaken by Ambleside Action for a Future, one of our favourite Lakes charities: . https://aafaf.uk/index.html

...in which we follow in the footsteps of one of Lakeland's great characters – and neglected icons – Millican Dalton, the self-styled Professor of Adventure. In the company of researcher and 'M.D.' authority Matthew Entwistle, we wend our way from Rosthwaite into Wainwright's 'loveliest square mile' to consider the early life of the Dalton family, who swapped the big skies of Nenthead for smog in London. Summitting Castle Crag, we trace Millican Dalton north as he quits the nine-to-five and embarks on a lifetime of adventure in the Lake District, where – among other firsts – he pioneers adventure holidays, mixed-sex camping parties, lightweight clothing... and possibly the humble pair of shorts. Seeking out the Borrowdale cave that was his summer home for over 50 years, we learn about fires on Napes Needle, letters to Churchill, the lost chasms of Dove's Nest and finding solace in nature, before pondering two unsolved mysteries: what happened to the book left at Dalton's hospital bedside?; and where is his grave?

• You can order the expanded second edition of Matthew's biography of Millican Dalton, Millican Dalton: A Search for Romance and Freedom at https://www.amazon.co.uk/Millican-Dalton-Search-Romance-Freedom/dp/0954721322/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=millican+dalton&qid=1642589923&sr=8-1
• You can find Matthew on Twitter at @M_D_Entwistle and on YouTube at Professorofadventure

...in which we take a nostalgia-laced wander through the children’s literature of Lakeland with University of Cumbria’s Dr Penny Bradshaw. On a balmy Black Crag circular with majestic views of iconic locations in fiction – from Arthur Ransome’s Coniston Water to Marjorie Lloyd’s 'Fell Farm' – we consider the legacy of Wordsworth and his vision of childhood, unnpick the strands that made Beatrix Potter’s work unique, discuss why literature from the county casts such an enduring spell and hear how a wartime evacuation from the Manchester slums lies behind Penny’s own love of the Lakes.

• You can follow Penny on Twitter at twitter.com/drpennybradshaw

 

...in which we tackle one of Lakeland's most iconic fells via the rocky arête of Swirral Edge. In the company of Tom Hayek from the John Muir Trust – the charity which manages Glenridding Common – we discuss people pressure in a post-lockdown world; we discover how locals are nursing sub-alpine plants for the high fells; we hear about Tom's journey bagging the Nuttalls; we take in Mark's panorama from this finest of felltops; and we consider why, when undertaking landscape-scale work, we must be prepared to make change we’ll not live to see.

• You can find out more about the Trust's work on Glenridding Common at www.johnmuirtrust.org/about-us/where-we-work/glenridding-common
• Follow Tom on Twitter at twitter.com/hayektom

...in which we take a lockdown-necessitated virtual walk up Scafell Pike with historian and author Kathryn Aalto, whose new book, Writing Wild, gives voice to women walking pioneers whose writing has deepened our connection to the natural world. Taking a 200-year overview of nature writing, we discuss the life and legacy of Dorothy Wordsworth, inspiration behind the most famous poem in the English language, and the key role she played in the lives of the Lakeland poets. Relocating briefly to the shores of Ullswater we discuss the Romantics' backlash against industrial 'progress', learn why James Rebanks is Kathryn's Cumbrian hero, talk about how landscapes can heal both individuals and societies, and attempt to answer the question, when walking in England, how does it make you feel?  

• For more about Kathryn's book 'Writing Wild' see www.kathrynaalto.com/writing/
• Find Kathryn on Twitter at twitter.com/kathrynaalto

...in which we are joined by Lakeland Walker editor John Manning for our annual delve into Countrystrides past, picking our best bits from 2020 as we chat about everything from herdwicks to heroines; from bonfires to booze, from rewilding to rediscovering the joys of local before making New Years resolutions with guests including Sue Allan, James Rebanks, Julia Aglionby, Bill Birkett, Steve Matthews, Bill Lloyd and Penny Bradshaw.

• We would like to thanks Bill Lloyd not only for his banjo playout of the tune 'Through the Glen', but also for hosting us in his Wild Wood Studio.

...in which we visit the far northeast of Cumbria to explore the remarkable history and remains of the Nenthead lead mines.

In the company of geologist and Nenthead Mines trustee Pete Jackson, we learn about the earliest mineral prospecting in the area, where 'the old men' sought out lead in becks, waterfalls and, latterly, artificial hushes.

Arriving at a centuries-old stone leat – still flowing – we consider the unusual addition of flag coverings, and nature's steady reclamation of spoil heaps.

Entering the hill at Carr's Level, we consider the boom years of the London Quaker Lead Company, and the values that gave rise to social housing and an early form of sickness pay.

Moving deeper into the mines – and through the evolution of extractive technologies, from hand-picking to dynamite – we proceed to the great depression that made Nenthead a truly European operation, where British, Italian, French and German miners mixed, mined and lived together.

We end our journey atop the mind-blowing 300-foot Brewery Shaft, where Pete describes the five-mile subterranean canal – once a tourist attraction – that links Nenthead to Alston.

• For more about Nethead Mine, and to find out about publ;ic open days, see nentheadmines.com/

...in which we attempt a winter ascent of Lingmell alongside the dramatic chasm and accident blackspot of Piers Gill with Lake District Search and Mountain Rescue Association chairman and Wasdale team member Richard Warren. As we walk, through increasingly Alpine conditions, we talk about the non-judgemental camaraderie of the teams, rescuing lost dogs and cannabis casualties and why it's so easy to go wrong descending Scafell Pike. Abandoning our summit attempt we discuss the pros and cons of social media and learn about how teams say farewell to those who lose their lives on the fells.  

• To find out more about the Wasdale team see: www.wmrt.org.uk
• AdventureSmart UK can be found at www.adventuresmart.uk

 

 

…in which we challenge archaeologist Bruce Bennison to compress 7,000 years of Cumbrian history into 45 minutes. Setting out from the little-visited Neolithic gem of Mayburgh Henge, we discover why the joining of the Rivers Eamont and Lowther was so important on the historic ‘Western route’ up Britain. At the imposing sandstone facade of Brougham Castle we enter Roman times to consider the garrisons guarding the strategic river crossing. Finally, wandering via back lanes to Clifton Hall’s Pele Tower, we move on to the Border Raids and two pivotal events in the modern history of Britain: the birth of England and the last battle on English soil.

...in which we escape the autumn rains on Clough Head to meet fell-runner and Threlkeldonian Steve Birkinshaw, who in 2014 broke the record for the fastest run of all 214 'Wainwrights' – the ultimate British ultramarathon. His 6 day, 13 hour record – which smashed Joss Naylor's epic 1987 run by a staggering 12 hours – not only laid down new lines that enabled a new generation of records to tumble, but also had a profound effect on softly-spoken Steve, who has spoken candidly about the physical and emotional toll the run took. In a wide-ranging discussion, we learn about the tough schooldays that gifted Steve a love for the outdoors, we take a bird's eye view of his many career highlights – from the Bob Graham Round to the Lakeland 100; and we talk though the remarkable 320-mile, 36,000m ascent odyssey across the fells that ended with the eyes of the world following a near-broken runner onto the steps of Keswick Moot Hall.

• There is no Map in Hell can be purchased at https://www.bookscumbria.com/product/cumbrian-books/cumbrian-outdoors/there-is-no-map-in-hell/
• Steve is on Twitter at @SJBirkinshaw

 

...in which we celebrate the 60th anniversary of a decisive House of Lords speech that saved Ullswater from being turned into a reservoir. Setting out from Pooley Bridge with valley born-and-bred Miles MacInnes, we learn about the arrogance of Manchester Corporation, who after wins at Thirlmere and Haweswater, considered Lakeland water its own; we learn about the grass-roots campaign that fought back, and which garnered support from around the world; and we consider the leading voice of that campaign – Norman Lord Birkett QC – Ulverstonian and alternate British judge during the Nuremberg Trials, whose barnstorming speech to the Lords saw Manchester's water bill defeated by 70 votes to 36. As we wander, we talk with Miles about a Lakeland childhood, about Pooley Bridge's fishy past, and consider why Ullswater might be the best lake of all.

• The walk also celebrates the launch of our all-new Ullswater Walking Companion - 20 fabulous walks in and around the valley. More at www.inspiredbylakeland.co.uk/collections/frontpage/products/the-ullswater-walking-companion

 

...in which we temporarily swap our walking boots for the passenger seat of an ancient Bongo campervan to take an A–Z trip around the Lake District with Carlisle-based author Richard Harris. As we roam the National Park in search of solitude and mini adventures, we discover a Martindale stained-glass window that holds clues to wartime tragedy; we learn how Nibthwaite – with its Arthur Ransome claim to fame – has rejected the tourist limelight; we discuss how, post-lockdown, camper vans became public enemy No.1; and we hear why Cleator Moor – one-time candidate for Lourdes of the north – is the friendliest place in the county.

• Richard's books, Bongo Nights and Bongo Nights 2 can be bought from www.bongonights.co.uk

...in which we journey deep into Newlands to tell the remarkable story of Elizabethen copper mining, and the part it played in making Keswick the birthplace of modernity.

Leaving Little Town in the company of the inimitable Mark Hatton, we ascend the flanks of Hindscarth, and rewind time to the 1560s, to when England's war footing meant a domestic supply of copper was a matter of national security.

Entering the hand-picked addit that drives through Scope End, we learn about the pioneering German miners who – in the year of Shakespeare's birth – brought their skills to a backwater Lake District valley; and we seek out one of the most audacious engineering feats of its age: a stream, diverted between valleys through the mountain to power an underground waterwheel.

Suitably wowed, we trace the copper ore's ancient route – above the marshy bottoms of Newlands into Keswick – to reflect on the social impacts of an immigrant population, and the ensuing violence... and baby boom.

Arriving by the all-but-ignored former smelter site at Brigham (below the A66 flyover), we discover old tunnels and leats that channeled water to the most important industrial site of its age.

As we digest a lost Lake District story, we consider the fate of the Germans who stayed, and the legacy of an industry that shaped national economics, politics, law... and plenty of future Keswickians.

• Mark is on X at https://x.com/thehatton

...in which we summit one of Lakeland's finest heights via the rocky arête of Halls Fell Ridge with Threlkeld born-and-bred Andy Airey. After grappling with local pronunciations, we hear about the outdoor freedoms of a Lakeland childhood; we learn that Father Christmas lives on Great Mell Fell; and we explore the merits of each route onto Saddleback. Approaching the summit on a picture-perfect autumn evening, conversation turns to Andy's daughter Sophie, who took her life in December 2018. In a frank discussion about suicide, about the need to talk with young people and about healing though walking, we move on to consider the '3 Dads Walking' campaign, in which Andy and two other suicide-bereaved fathers walked 324 miles in memory of their daughters – and captured the attention of millions around the world.

• You can find Andy on Twitter at https://twitter.com/AireyAndy
• You can support 3 Dads Walking at https://www.3dadswalking.uk
• You can find out more about the work of Papyrus at https://www.papyrus-uk.org

...in which, standing in for Mark and Dave, BBC Cumbria's Nick Brownlee takes a seat at the bar to discuss the highs, lows and daily realities of operating a community pub. In a hospitality sector beset by staff shortages, rising costs and closures, Cumbria is home to a handful of thriving pubs that have been acquired by their communities. Nick speaks with Phil Sweetland from the Mardale Inn, Bampton, and Grizedale Arts CEO Adam Sutherland from the Farmer's Arms, Lowick, about each pub's journey – from abandonment by big breweries, through community fundraising to reopening. They discuss the importance of pubs to rural communities; the value of activities that interact with the pub; the merits of organic growth as a community business finds its feet; and the "hard graft" management models that ensure sustainable growth. Finally, Adam and Phil namecheck their favourite Cumbrian hostelries – with shout outs to the Kirkstile Inn, The Queen's Head, The Blacksmith's Arms, The Butchers Arms and the ODG – and consider the question: what makes the perfect pub?

• The Mardale Inn is at themardaleinn.com/?lightbox=dataItem-lgjoq8ui

• The Farmer's Arms is at lakedistrictfarmersarms.com

...in which we tour the west coast town of Whitehaven in the company of Blue Badge guide and historic buildings expert Alexandra Fairclough. From the heart of the bustling harbour, we paint a picture of the settlement's early history – of a remote fishing village set around a tidal river – before coal transformed its fortunes forever. As the Lowther family entered the story, the town's wealth and population multiplied; coal and ship-building transforming the sheltered 'haven' into England's second largest port, trade tethered to the notorious 'Triangular Trade'. Leaving the harbour, we visit Whitehaven's informal 'old town', then proceed to the remarkable 'grid-iron' planned streets that introduced Grand Tour designs to Georgian Cumberland, and which inspired similar layouts in New York City. Admiring designed 'vistas', a bounty of listed buildings – more per quare mile than in any other UK town – and rare one-time warehouses, we discuss the end of many eras, and reflect on the 'gem' town of today.

• Alex can be found at https://linktr.ee/Alexatourguide

…in which we celebrate the folk music tradition of Cumbria on a virtual wander around the Back o’Skiddaw with local musician and academic Dr Sue Allan. As we amble from Ireby to Caldbeck, over airy Aughtertree Fell and alongside the tumbling Howk, we discuss hunting songs, learn about notorious horseman (and drinker) John Peel, delve into the history of fairs, dances and merrymeets, and sample the dialect verse of Robert Anderson, the Bard of Cumberland.  

• The podcast features recordings of the 'Keswick Bonnie Lasses' from Striding Edge and 'My Love she’s but a Lassie’ from the Boat Band’s ‘Trip to the Lakes’ - more details below.

 

The Boat Band and Greg Stephens

Greg Stephens has been researching old Cumbrian tunes since the 60's. He plays with the Boat Band, who in 2001 recorded 'A Trip to the Lakes', an album of old tunes. They recorded it to celebrate the first Duddon Valley Folk Folk festival, held when the foot and mouth lockdown was eased at the end of that disastrous summer for the valley. The record was subsequently issued by Harbourtown Records in 2009 to enormous acclaim.  

The Boat Band has been playing since 1989, seventeen times at Glastonbury Festival, once at the St Kilda International Cajun Festival, and most points in between. Currently (May 2020) in lockdown like everyone else, but hoping to be playing again soon. In the Newfield Inn in the Duddon valley, or wherever.

contact: boatband@yahoo.co.uk

...in which we are joined by Farmer's Wife author Helen Rebanks and food historian Ivan Day for a feast of Cumbrian Christmas fare. In Ivan's historic Westmorland farm kitchen we learn about the dishes that marked a traditional Christmas – 'hackin', powdered goose and sweet pie – before Helen and Ivan serve up three very different gingerbreads. Discussing her debut book, Helen speaks about food on the family farm, about memories of marmalade and about why food matters. Ivan, meanwhile, tackles a few local food queries: was ginger really a Whitehaven import?; was the Cumberland sausage introduced by German miners?; and which of Cartmel or Sharrow Bay can claim to be the true home of sticky toffee pudding? Finally, as we tuck into an early seasonal dinner, we learn about a Lowther christmas pie with ingredients that included 15 sparrows, 46 yellow hammers, 12 patridges... and a curlew.

• Helen's book The Farmer's Wife is available from all good bookshops.

• Helen is on Twitter at twitter.com/theshepherdswi1

• Ivan is on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/ivanpatrickday/

 

…in which we are joined by Lakeland Walker editor John Manning to serve up a selection of our favourite moments from the Countrystride year on the fells. We hear from film maker Terry Abraham about his connection with the high places; we re-wander the great Pennine Way crossing to High Cup; we discuss ongoing battles to retain access; and we pick our best walks of 2019, before closing with an as-yet-unbroadcast interview with fell walking legend Alfred Wainwright as he talks about the road passes of Lakeland.  

•  You can find John on Twitter @outdoorsmanning

•  With thanks to Ron Scholes for his recording of Alfred Wainwright, and to Chris Butterfield for the digitised version we played.

...in which we explore the industrial and social history of Barrow-in-Furness in the company of former mayor John Murphy and artist Maddi Nicholson. Overlooking Walney Channel and distant Black Combe, we delve into the Furness peninsula's deep past, when monks arrived in the secluded 'valley of the deadly nightshade'. We proceed to the discovery of iron ore, and Barrow's subsequent overnight transformation, from backwater farming hamlet into 'the Chicago of England'. In a whistle-stop tour of the town, we discuss the leaning tower of its remarkable town hall, the daily toil of workers in 'the Shed', the 'boilermaker's whisper' and the 'hellfires' that blazed above molten slag. Entering the war years, we consider Barrow's role in re-arming the nation, the realities of the Barrow Blitz and the construction of Barnes Wallis’ ill-fated dirigible ‘Mayfly’ – that did not fly. Finally, on a tour of the fabulous space at Art Gene, we learn about the social history of the town – through shops, hairdressing, meat pies and a moose.– before celebrating the forgotten women of Barrow and Walney, including Peggy Braithwaite, Britain’s only woman lighthouse keeper and a mean shot with a rifle.

• For more information about the Re:discover Barrow Exhibition see art-gene.co.uk/place-rediscover-barrow-exhibition/

• You can find out more about Maddi at art-gene.co.uk/artists-and-residences/maddi-nicholson/ and Art Gene generally at art-gene.co.uk

...in which we explore the wildlife-rich meadows of Matterdale in the company of local lad Danny Teasdale, founder of the Ullswater Catchment Management company interest company (CIC). Moved to action by the devastation wrought to Glenridding by 2015's Storm Desmond, Danny set up the CIC to improve flood resilience in the valley and prove it is possible to restore nature in a way that complements sustainable farming. As we wander – passing re-wiggled becks, newly planted woodlands, bunged feeder streams and insect-heaven ponds – we hear about Danny's childhood passion for damning becks; we learn how word-of-mouth recommendation has energised more than 70% of Ullswater landowners; we consider why rural funding must be decentralised; and we relish the joys of unearthing salmon redds.

• Danny is on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/UllswaterCic
• To find out more about the work of the CIC see: https://www.ucmcic.com/about

...in which, standing in for Mark and Dave, broadcaster Nick Brownlee ventures out with Jon Bennett – a man who has climbed Helvellyn 778 times. Ascending Mires Beck, we hear from Jon about the important role of the National Park fell top assessor – a job Jon never thought he would get – and about why, even after 16 years climbing Helvellyn, he's still not bored of it. We learn about magic times on the fell – a Brockenspectre tracking Jon over Striding Edge – and about the role walking played after the sudden death of a close friend. As we continue our ascent, we discuss tree planting schemes and pitching to protect this most loved of mountains, and picnicking beside Red Tarn, we reflect upon the unique weather conditions that impact on Helvellyn. Finally, descending into Greenburn, we marvel at industry old and new, from the towering slag heaps of Greenside Mine to the new-generation hydro scheme supplying power to the National Grid.

• Lake Distirct Weatherline can be found at https://www.lakedistrictweatherline.co.uk/home

• With thanks to Nick for picking up the baton while we're away.

...in which we celebrate our 100th birthday with an ascent of Grasmere's favourite fell, Helm Crag, to consider the question: "What is the unique magic of the Lake District?" In the company of Little Langdale cragsman and author Bill Birkett, poet Harriet Fraser, photographer Rob Fraser and – sharing our birthday – 90-year-old Gordon Bambrough, we enjoy blue skies as we climb steadily to The Lion and the Lamb's rocky top. As we walk, we explore our own relationships with Cumbria, how each of us fell in love with north-country landscapes, and what the fells mean to us. As we rove, we are joined by dozens of Lakes-lovers who answer the same enduring question: "What is the magic of Lakeland for you?" before picking a piece of poetry or prose that articulates the magic for them.

• Our readers for the episode – with many thanks – are the brilliant Sue Allan and Jonathan Humble.
• Emily Hasler's poem 'Grasmere Lake' is taken from The Built Environment and is published by Pavilion Poetry at Liverpool University Press.
• With thanks to all of our many contributors to this episode: you're all stars :-)

...in which we are joined by Lakeland Walker editor John Manning for our annual delve into Countrystrides past, picking our best bits from 2021 as we chat about everything from wad to Wainwright; plums to proms; lost histories to laudanum; flower meadows to farming; before naming our favourite walks of the year. As we hear from, among others, Joss Naylor, Kathleen Jones, Richard Leafe, Danny Teasdale, Helen Guy, Mark Hatton and John Dunning, we ponder the unspoken rules of conversation on the fells, consider whether transport charging could alleviate congestion in the National Park, and celebrate egrets in Matterdale. Wishing all of our listeners, subscribers and Patreon supporters a very Happy New Year. We look forward to joining you again in January :-)

...in which we take a magical autumn wander through the oak woods of Penny Rock with musician, author and outdoorsman Bill Lloyd, to hear about his life extracting timber from Cumbrian woodlands with heavy horse Ginger. As we reach the mirrorred waters of Grasmere we talk about the sunset days of an ancient craft and the bond between man and horse; we discuss Char-fishing with the Windermere Fleet and lonely nights in the Loweswater bothy; and we discover how Beatrix Potter's gelding irons came to reside alongside Bill's fire.

• For more about Bill's writing and music see: www.billlloyd.co.uk

• You can buy Bill's book 'One Horsepower' from www.billlloyd.co.uk/wildwood/wildwood-publications/

 

...in which we uwrap a selection box of our favourite clips from the year past in the company of Lakeland Walking Tales blogger and Lakeland Walker contributor, George Kitching. Featuring clips from, among others, Bill Birkett, Will Rawling, Charlotte Fairbairn, Rob and Harriet Fraser, Debbie North, Mark Hatton, Fell Foodie, Chris Butterfield and Melvyn Bragg, we sift through 19 episodes and 20 hours of recordings from as far flung as Ennerdale, Wigton, Coniston, Grasmere, Keswick and the big-sky North York Moors. In our annual extended fire-side chat, we ponder pubs, peat bogs, Potter and 'potatovators'; we visit Crosthwaite, Coniston Old Man and the Coast to Coast; we discuss Wainwright – a lot – and consider how the romance of his prose still draws folk to the fells; and finally, we close by asking 'What is the enduring magic of Lakeland?'

• You can find George's brilliant Lakeland Walking Tails blog – walks, stories and musings from the Lake District Fells – at lakelandwalkingtales.co.uk

...in which we brave dark skies for a windy wander over Sale Fell to unearth the history of rock and glaciation in the Lake District. Setting out from cloistered Wythop vale with author, geologist and local lad Ian Francis, we learn about the three rock groups that form the backbone of Lakeland, as identified by Keswick geology pioneer Jonathan Otley. Passing some of the oldest rocks in England – Skiddaw Slate – we look north to Galloway across a former continental divide. As we descend, we consider the fraught debates around glaciation that challenged generations of Great Flood-believing geologists; we discover a hillside stretch of Napoleonic 'rigg and furrow' where crops were planted in the toughest of landscapes; and we hear from Ian about why the best view in Lakeland is from lowly Low Fell.

• The Lake District: Landscape and geology can be bought from Crowood Press at www.crowood.com/products/lake-district-by-ian-francis-stuart-holmes-bruce-yardley?_pos=1&_sid=cd4dc4bd4&_ss=r
• Ian is on Twitter at mobile.twitter.com/ianfrancisrocks

...in which we are joined by Kendal-based author and Windermere Lake Cruises skipper Robert Beale to dive into the deep history of boating on England largest lake. Rambling along the fine new path from Lakeside to Finsthwaite, we look back to Roman times and beyond to hypothesise about the first lake users. Moving into the medieval era, we consider the importance of Windermere to the monks of Furness Abbey, and the subsequent use of cargo boats to transport everything from slate and charcoal to limestone and gunpowder. Arriving in the tourist age, we reflect on the remarkable monopoly of the Furness Railway Company, with trains and boats ferrying huge numbers of people on lengthy Lakeland adventures. As we backtrack to historic fords and the River Leven 'dog hole', we learn about the role Windermere played during the two World Wars, before turning to matters more frivolous: the Tizzie-Whizie, the Crier of Claife and the possible genesis of Beatrix Potter's creative world.

• Robert's book Lakeland Waterways is now out of print, but you may find it at second hand shops.

• You can find Windermere Lake Cruises at windermere-lakecruises.co.uk

• For more about the route we followed, see lakedistrict.gov.uk/aboutus/media-centre/latest-news/news-releases/new-route-makes-it-easier-to-enjoy-the-scenic-west-shore-of-windermere

...in which we celebrate the 400th anniversary of the birth of George Fox – founder of Quakerism – on a journey through '1652 country' with historian, Quaker and Professor Emeritus at Lancaster University, Angus Winchester. Starting our walk at the Society of Friends meeting house in the picture-perfect hamlet of Brigflatts just outside Sedbergh, we learn about the turbulent times into which Fox was born. Introducing the charismatic, troubled and talented Fox, we follow his famous footsteps of 1652, through Lancashire and Yorkshire to Sedbergh and then into Westmorland, where he preached to 1,000 people atop Firbank Fell in a meeting that would become pivotal in the spread of early Quakerism. With grand views of the Howgills, we continue the story into 1653 as Fox moved north and west to Ulverston and then into Cumberland ("now't good comes round Black Combe"). Closing our conversation, we consider the importance of the '1652' north country, the period of persecution following the fertile early years, and the Quaker legacy – of Friends meeting houses and businesses – in Cumbria today.

• For more about Briggflatts, see https://brigflatts.org

• Angus' excellent book The Language of the Landscape can be bought from Handstand.

...in which we visit Keswick Museum for a deep dive into the life of one of Romantic Lakeland's most under-appreciated figures: writer, former Poet Laureate and long-term resident of Greta Hall, Robert Southey (1774-1843).

In the company of Museum curator Nicola Lawson and trustee Charlotte May, we return to Bristol, 1774 and set the shifting social scene for the birth of a young radical – expelled from Westminster – whose education was beset by bullying.

Alongside new wife Edith Fricker and creative soulmate Samuel Taylor Coleridge, we follow Southey north to Keswick and learn about daily life at Greta Hall, where the young poet became sole breadwinner in a busy household of sisters and their home-educated children.

With tragedy a constant in the Southeys' life – four of the couples’ eight children died before reaching adulthood – we discuss Edith's enduring mental illness, the fast-growing Keswick of the early 1800s, and the great joy Southey derived from family and domestic life.

Reflecting on a (sometimes) controversial and (always) prodigious writing talent (Southey's output far eclipsed that of Wordsworth or Coleridge), we namecheck some of his finest works: from the first published version of Goldilocks and the three bears (The Story of the Three Bears) through his remarkable História do Brasil to the onomatopoeic masterpiece The Cataract of Lodore.

Brazing the frosty cold, we conclude our conversation alongside Southey's grave at Crosthwaite Church, where we consider his relationship with Keswick and the great loss felt at the death of a towering talent and an adored family man.

• You can find out more about Southey and Keswick at Keswick Museum: keswickmuseum.org.uk

• The Museum is on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter/X.

...in which we stride out from the dunes of Drigg, destination Ravenglass, to celebrate the opening of the first Cumbrian stretch of the English Coast Path. In the company of Ange Harker – Lead Adviser on Natural England’s North West Coastal Access team – we discuss the grand vision of the 2,795-mile long-distance path, latest to join the country's family of national trails, and hear about her favourite stretches, including isolated Cumbrian beaches that have never before enjoyed public access. Then, joining Peter Frost-Pennington on the approach to Ravenglass, we learn about the village's history as a thriving Roman port then busy medieval thoroughfare before encountering remnants of the Esk's once-bounteous salmon garth. Finally, mists cloaking the Lakeland fells, we end our journey at Muncaster Castle – seat of the Penningtons and one of the country's most haunted homes – to enjoy a Hallowe'en ghost story...  

• You can find Ange on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ange_harker
• For more about visiting Muncaster Castle, see https://www.muncaster.co.uk
• For more about the English Coast Path see https://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/en_GB/trails/england-coast-path/route-descriptions/

...in which we ascend Moasdale from Cockley Beck in the company of author Guy Richardson to take a long view of the Scafell massif and its oft-overlooked history.

Under pristine skies we ascend the 'moss valley' on a long-abandoned turf-cutters' way to reach Moasdale Col and the Duddon/Esk watershed, where we are wowed by the Alpine panorama of England's highest peaks – a view that is surely one of Lakeland's finest and one which, remarkably, has rarely been captured by poet or painter.

In a wide-ranging discussion about the Scafells' neglected history, we identify the fells' first appearence on maps, and the changing names – the Pikes of Scawfell, Scawfell Pike, Scafell Pike, Sca Fell – that offer glimpses into the influence of guidebook writers and the early methods of OS surveyors.

Recalling Samuel Taylor Coleridge's infamous descent of Broad Stand (and the subsequent first climb of the accident blackspot by his farming hosts), we consider the great conservation battle to keep conifers from Great Moss; we learn about the madcap attempts to build a road over Sty Head; we reflect on the 'Great Gifts' that secured the heights of Eskdale and Borrowdale for the nation; and we attempt to settle one of the Lakes' enduring debates: is it Scafell or Scawfell?.

• For more information about Guy's book The Scafells : A Grand Tour and a peek inside see: www.scafells.uk

• The book is also available from all good bookshops (Cumbrian ones are best!).

...in which we journey into the mining past of iconic Coppermines Valley above Coniston with industrial historian Mark Hatton. Rewinding time to the 16th century, we seek out the earliest signs of copper extraction on the lonely slopes below Hole Rake, before climbing to the wheelpits and addits of The Company of Mines Royal - monuments to the German miners who abandoned Keswick when their Newlands seams were exhausted. As we climb ever-higher into Red Dell, we learn about the audacious scale of 18th century infrastructure - the breathtaking leats, the mighty waterwheels and the miles of tunnels; we consider the dangers of the shaft-potted landscape and its unforgiving technology; we picture the hard lives of the men, women and children who once worked these remarkable slopes... and we ask, 'Did the IRA really try to assassinate John Major using a bomb below Levers Water?".

...in which we explore the lonely eastern valley of Haweswater, where one of the Lake District's largest landscape-scale restoration projects is being managed by author and ecologist Lee Schofield. Celebrating the publication of Lee's new book Wild Fell, we set out from sunshine-bathed Naddle Farm to visit a range of projects – from tree nurseries to reborn tarns – that showcase the RSPB and United Utilities' vision of marrying light-touch farming with ecological recovery. As we wander, we recall the declining years of England's last golden eagle, we seek the ghosts of beasts that once roamed the fells, we consider why fighting for change in a heritage landscape can be a lonely – sometimes bruising – business, and we learn why Lee sees hope taking root across the Lakes.

• Lee's book Wild Fell is available in bookshops and online.
• More about Wild Haweswater can be found here

...in which we take a warm-weather wander from Far to Near Sawrey in the footsteps of author, illustrator, farmer and countrywoman Beatrix Potter. In the company of long-time Hilltop volunteer and Beatrix Potter Society member Janet Edwards, we trace Wilfin Beck to Moss Eccles Tarn – one of Mrs Heelis' favourite spots – and then on into Near Sawrey, her Hilltop and Castle Cottage home for 40 years. Taking the long view of a remarkable life, we discuss the childhood holidays that gifted shy, talented and independent-minded young Beatrix a lifelong love of Lakeland; we learn about the genesis of her seven-times rejected 'little books for little hands'; we hear about her tragic first love – and the 'spring' that 'came to her late in life' that unfolded with Hawkshead solicitor William Heelis; before considering her extraordinary legacy, not only to children's literature and hill farming, but also the National Trust.

• You can find out more about the Beatrix Potter Society at https://beatrixpottersociety.org.uk
• ...and on Twitter at twitter.com/beatrixpotterso

   

...in which we're defeated by weather, so shelter indoors to hear from one of the UK's great adventurers: Cockermouth-based James Forrest, who has bagged all 1,001 mountains in the UK and Ireland, and broke records walking both the 446 Nuttalls and 214 Wainwrights. An escape from the nine-to-five was, James tells us, the drive for his first challenge – to conquer every mountain in England and Wales in the shortest documented time. But his heart was always in Lakeland, which led to his 2020 self-supported round of the Wainwrights. In a reflective interview, we hear about the highs and lows of an epic walk; we ask whether 'adventure' can be a ruse to escape everyday life; we consider our changing relationship with the fells as we spend more time in them; and we learn why James is "never, ever, ever" returning to the Brecon Beacons.

• James' book Mountain Man is published by Bloomsbury. Available from all local bookshops.

• James can be found at amesmforrest.co.uk

...in which we stride out from Waterhead in the company of ecologist and Save Windermere campaigner Matt Staniek. In the vibrant watermeadows that flank the River Rothay we dig into local lad Matt's early life – where hedgehogs were nursed in the family home and Matt took nature walks with his grandmother. Fast-forwarding to the car crash that broke his neck, we learn about Matt's recuperative trips to Borrans Park, where the north shores of Windermere became a place of healing. Delving into the science of sewage, we consider the contributions that farming and private treatment plants make to nutrient levels in Windermere, dwarfed by the release – legal and illegal – of sewage by United Utilities. Subjecting Matt to our quickfire questions, we hear about his love of Side Pike and Windermere's Homeground; of the wonders of unpolluted becks; and of the Viking burial he imagines as a send-off, alongside the bronze toilet epitaph he wants erected outside UU's Windermere office. Detailing how sewage could be banished from Windermere for good, we ask Matt what he does on days off... and when his remarkable campaign will come to an end.

• Matt can be found on X at x.com/MattStaniek and on Instagram at Instagram.com/mattstaniek/?hl=en

• Save Windermere can be found at savewindermere.com

• The March to Save Windermere is held on 29 June. Mark and Dave will be there !

• For those interested in learning more about Section 101A of the Water Act – that states "sewerage undertakers have a duty to provide new public sewers where specific criteria are met" – it can be found here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1991/56/section/101A#:~:text=(1)Without%20prejudice%20to%20section,(2)%20below%20are%20satisfied.

 ...in which we track the undulating west shore of Coniston Water from Sunny Bank to Coniston Hall with backpacker, long-distance walker and prolific outdoors author Paddy Dillon. As we wander, through woods and over meadows, we discuss the origins and delights of the Cumbria Way – the Lakes' only dedicated long-distance footpath; we challenge Paddy to sum-up each of the UK's National Trails in just one word; we consider why patience may be the best approach to tackling problem campers; and we discuss two great Lakeland eccentrics: W. A. Poucher and George Constantinescu.

• Paddy's guide to the Cumbria Way, published by Rucksack Readers, can be bought from www.rucsacs.com/book/cumbria-way/
• You can find Paddy's extensive list of Cicerone-published titles at https://www.cicerone.co.uk/authors/paddy-dillon
• The Backpackers Club can be found at http://www.backpackersclub.co.uk

...in which we are joined by outdoors writer and editor John Manning for our annual delve into Countrystrides past, picking our best bits from 2022 as we chat about everything from dialect to dynamite; walls to wolves; and farming to fellrunning; before naming our favourite walks of the year. As we hear from, among others, Lee Schofield, Mark Hatton, Libby Robinson, Alison Park, Steve Birkinshaw, Jean Scott-Smith, Steve Dickinson and Donald Angus, we ponder the magic of long distance walking, reflect on the number of people who find solace in the north country, and celebrate the scruffy art of dressing down on the hill before Mark and John test their knowledge of the fells in our eagerly-anticipated new quiz, 'Wainwright or Wainwrong'. Wishing all of our listeners, subscribers and Patreon supporters a very Happy New Year. We look forward to joining you again in January :-) Mark & Dave

...in which we celebrate our 50th birthday by handing the microphone to the next generation, as we hear from three young people with a passion for Cumbria and the Lake District. In a wide-ranging chat with poet Matt Sowerby from Kirkby Lonsdale, film-maker Rachel Jessett from Kendal and TV producer Rachel Owen from the University of Cumbria, we discuss walking and mental health; we ask what role Cumbria can play in tackling climate change and biodiversity loss; we consider northern identity and ask why the north is underrepresented in national politics and media; we brainstorm policies that might keep more young people in the county; and each guest recommends a walk, pub and place that they love.

• You can find Matt at https://www.mattsowerby.co.uk and at https://twitter.com/HopepunkPlanet
• You can find Rachel Owen at https://twitter.com/rachelowenmedia

...in which we head to Borrowdale in Westmorland with author and dry-stone waller Terry McCormick to uncover the lost history of hill farming. As we explore one of Lakeland's quietest valleys, we take the long view of a turbulent history, starting with the David vs Goliath battle of the Kendal Tenant Rights Dispute 1619–1626 that established the pattern of resilient farmsteads still operating today; we consider why writers – from Wordsworth to Wainwright – have frequently misunderstood or ignored the lives of upland farmers; we ponder how a new golden age of farming literature – championed by James Rebanks – can co-exist with the closure of Newton Rigg; and we discover why Terry's new vocation as a waller ('Aim for beauty; settle for strength') at the age of 55 felt like coming home.

• Terry's book, Lake District Fell Farming - Historical and Literary Perspectives 1750-2017, can be bought from Bookcase.

...in which we set out from the secluded valley of Miterdale for a wet-weather ascent of Whin Rigg and Illgill Head. As we walk, with author and Lakeland Walker columnist George Kitching, we explore the concept of the 'sublime' – the awe-rooted spiritual response to mountain scenery first identified in 18th century philosophy. Tracing the sublime through early Lakeland guidebooks, we enter the Romantic era to arrive at Scafell Crag and the writings of Alfred Wainwright. With a backdrop of ever-shifting cloudscapes atop Wastwater's tumbling screes, we consider the Beckside Boggle, the historic 'earth spirit' stronghold of remote Wasdale, and the tragic tale of French student Veronique Marre.

• You can explore George's excellent 'Lakeland Walking Tales' at http://www.lakelandwalkingtales.co.uk

...in which we head to misty Ennerdale in search of the Lake District's iconic sheep breed: the Herdwick. In the company of Will Rawling, Chairman of the Herdwick Sheep Breeders Association – whose family have farmed the far-western fells for 500 years – we take a whistle-stop tour through the breed's long history, from its likely Norse roots through the days of the great wool wealth of Abbeys to its integral place on the family farm. Pausing a moment to chat dialogue – 'herd-wyke', Grike and Sampson's Bratfull – Will describes the perfect Herdwick and offers a theory about its remarkable tone-changing fleece. Descending to Matty Benn's Bridge, we consider the three-way relationship between farm, common and sheep and ask what happens when it breaks down. Taking a wander down memory lane – recalling April evenings in lambing fields; grazed knees on cobbled yards; farm-talk in the pub – we ask what future there is for the breed, and for those who care for it, in a fast-changing world.

• The Herdwick Sheep Breeders Association can be found at herdwick-sheep.com
• Will is featured in Amy Bateman's Forty Farms, edited and published by Dave's Inspired by Lakeland imprint.

...in which we trace the rise and fall of local dialect in the company of long-time friends and Cumbriana champions Jean Scott-Smith and Donald Angus. On a journey that begins with the earliest Celtic settlers, we learn how Angle and Norse immigrants left their mark in the language of landcape; we mull the meanings of Blencathra, Wetherlam, Coniston and Catstycam; we hear how Donald perplexed walkers by posting a National Park weather forecast in dialect; and – after a nostalgic diversion to consider unlikely Cumbrian remedies and the 'mobile bomb' dangers of petrol irons – we bow out with two note-perfect renditions of dialect poems.

• You can find out more about the Lakeland Dialect Society at www.lakelanddialectsociety.co.uk

...in which we stroll out from rainy Keswick with author and Back o' Skiddaw native, Kathleen Jones, to discuss the women in the lives of Wordsworth, Coleridge and Southey – sisters and wives whose stories have been lost in the margins of history. As we wander past Greta Hall – one-time home of the Southey and Coleridge families – we learn about the remarkable 'constellation' of young idealists (and orphans) who made Lakeland home; we consider the intense, often strained relationships between the group; we talk about opium addiction, domestic drudgery and chronic illness; we discuss long walks and constricted creative talents; and – arriving at Derwent Water as a storm brews down Borrowdale – we consider the key role played by the oft-lonely women in holding the group together, long after the men had fallen out.

• Kathleen's book, 'A Passionate Sisterhood: The Sisters, Wives and Daughters of the Lake Poets', is available from all good bookshops.
• Kathleen is on Twitter at @kathyferber

...in which we take a deep dive into the miniature world of lichens with Cumbria Lichens & Bryophytes expert Pete Martin. Embarking from the car park at Seatoller – and not wandering much further - we ask what a lichen is (a question not easily answered) and why lichens matter. Wandering up-dale towards Seathwaite, we stop at trees and walls to encounter five of the county's most recognisable lichens and observe a remarkable world of elf ears, maps, jam tarts and wine gums. Deep in the Borrowdale rainforest we consider the expansive 'second skin' lichen and bryophyte ecosystems that form on older pollarded trees, and the key role lichens play in fixing both carbon and nitrogen. Taking a long view of land use in the valley, our journey ends at the famous Borrowdale Yews, where we learn why Wordsworth's 'Fraternal Four' were never four at all, and why, in ecology, things are often more complex than they first seem.

• You can find Pete on Twitter twitter.com/onLoughrigg
• The Cumbria Lichen & Bryophyte Group can be found at bumbrialichensbryophytes.org.uk

...in which stride out from Chapel-le-Dale in the Yorkshire Dales to nine-miles-distant Dent on the Dales High Way long distance footpath in the company of the trail's co-creator – and local lass – Chris Grogan. Leaving the diminutive 'chapel in t' dale' with its memorial to navvies killed building the Carlisle–Settle line, we rise into farm country and learn about Chris's childhood as a farm girl in Upper Dentdale. Encountering a group of firemen undertaking the Three Peaks Challenge, we talk place names, and the meanings of Ingleborough, Pen-y-Ghent and Boot of the Wold. On the age-old Craven Way that runs across the shoulder of Whernside we discuss the joys of long-distance walking - 'mindfulness before the term was invented'. Finally, we take a trip down memory lane as Chris recalls haymaking in the era of the fell pony, the Whernside gather... and truant officers being outfoxed by local mums.

• You can find out more about the Dales High Way at https://www.daleshighway.co.uk
• You can find Chris and Tony on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/daleshighway/

•  

...in which we rewind the centuries to the Neolithic Age on a journey in search of Lakeland's earliest settlers and their highly-valued stone axes. In the company of archaeologist Steve Dickinson, we set out from Brotherilkeld – the great medieval farmstead with Norse roots. Leaving the valley walls behind, we enter wild country, once a place of forest groves and wood pasture stalked by deer and lynx, wolves and bears. As we trace the river upstream, we imagine the 6000-year-old endeavours of our earliest ancestors, as they left their coastal settlements in search of a rare band of volcanic cutting stone. Arriving atop Scar Lathing – a maiden ascent for Mark and Dave – we seek out two extraordinary archaeological finds that paint a picture of a lost civilisation: of Cumbria's first extractive industry; of ritual burials; and of a deep communion with high places that was etched into immaculately crafted artefacts.

• Steve is on Twitter at @SteveDickinson2

...in which we are joined by archaeologist Steve Dickinson in Gosforth to seek out the lost Norse kingdom of 'Laithlinn'. Embarking from the infamous Viking Cross – where Steve guides us through a series of remarkable carvings – we set out on an autumnal wander over the meadows to Irton, and a second iconic cross. As we walk – down quiet bylines, and over a busy Irt and Bleng – we consider signs in the landscape; in names, in landforms, beneath our feet; that paint a dazzling picture of 1,000 years ago, and a thriving, if violent, kingdom based around a people who arrived from across the Irish sea, beached their boats and then settled their Herdwicks and slaves around a huge longhall overlooked by their Gods on Scafell and Great Gable.

• You can find out more about Steve at facebook.com/steve.dickinson3

...in which we travel east to the big-sky North York Moors to meet access campaigner and Cabinet Office disability ambassador Debbie North on a stretch of her beloved Coast to Coast walk. Setting out in springtime squalls from The Lion Inn at Blakey – infamous stopping point on Wainwright's enduringly popular cross-country journey – we learn from Debs about the outdoors childhood that forged her connection with wild places, before following her life-changing journey from St Bees to Robin Hood's Bay during which she fell in love not only with the north country, but also with travel companion (and colleague) Andy North. Recalling the loss of her mobility and the dark days that followed, Debs describes the first ever Coast to Coast crossing made in a wheelchair; recollects her doomed attempts to reconnect with nature using didgeridoos; and tells us why she isn't calling for Stannah Stairlifts to be installed on Scafell Pike.

• You can find out more about Debs at debbienorth.org and on Twitter at twitter.com/DebbieNorth29
• You can find out more about Access the Dales, Debs' charity. here.

...in which we take an autumnual stroll around Grasmere to explore the history of fell-running with runner, archivist and west coast lad Peter Todhunter.

Setting out from the village green – one-time site of Westmorland wrestling matches – we visit the field below Allan Bank, where the first known Guides Race took place in 1868.

As a traditional Cumbrian 'sports day' grew to encompass hound trailing, boating, 'high leaping' and horse-racing – alongside the emerging discipline of fell-running – we consider the locational moves necessitated by an ever-growing number of competitors (often farm workers, gamekeepers and miners) and visitors.

Moving into the modern era, we profile the first fell-running superstars, including Ernest Dalziel – the legend of Burnsall – and Keswick's own Bob Graham, who completed his iconic 42-peak Round in tennis shoes. We consider the growing list of endurance events that developed on the fells, from the 24-hour Challenge to the Mountain Trial, and the emergence of the amateur fell-running scene that dominates the sport today.

Arriving at the Showfield – site of Grasmere Sports – Peter reflects on the achievements and legacy of his much-missed friend, Joss Naylor; tells us why Robinson is the greatest fell of all; reveals why a set of the Wainwright Guides are his desert island reads; and answers the perennial Bob conundrum... why Great Calva?.

• 'Running Int’ Fells' is an exhibition that shares the history, spirit and enjoyment of running on the fells, from the beginnings at Grasmere Sports to ultra and trail running events today. The exhibition is on at The Armitt until 21 December, 2024.

...in which we congregate at the Armitt, Ambleside for a night of readings, historic press reports, dialect poems and music that celebrate a distinctly Cumbrian Christmas.

In the company of Alan Cleaver, Lesley Park, Sue Allan and – on harp and guitar – the Cumbrian Duo, we take a nostalgic trip down memory lane (and beyond) as we learn about seasonal customs from the historic counties of Westmorland and Cumberland: of the 'Waits' who performed dance tunes in isolated valleys; of the 'Merryneets', where dalesfolk would gather for nights of feasting and frivolity; and of the carol-singers of Wasdale, fighting a losing battle against the winter snows.

Turning to dialect, Sue regales us with a miscellany of snow terms from the old tongue and champions works of the tragically underrated Cumbrian Bard, Robert Anderson of Carlisle, while Lesley reads one of the all-time classic Lakeland Christmas poems: 'Down t'Lonning'.

As we move around the county – from the Ambleside postman's path via Buttermere (and its many pies) to a west coast nativity scene – we're accompanied by winter-time tunes from Ed Haslam and Jean Altshuler, including 'Cold and Raw' and the infamous 'Bleckell Murry Neet'.

• Alan's book, A Lake District Christmas, is available from Inspired by Lakeland.

• Sue's book on The Cumberland Bard is available from Books Cumbria.

• The latest CD from the Cumbrian Duo is sold through Willowhayne Music at naxosdirect.co.uk/search/bleckell

• Some of their music can be heard at youtube.com/watch?v=xB9CcJLIxKA and youtube.com/watch?v=jbNzqBBTCHk

• This podcast was recorded at one of our Countrystride Live events. To be first in line for tickets, sign up to our newsletter at countrystride.co.uk/

...in which we head to the Cumbrian borderlands with long-time Roman authority David Breeze for a virtual stroll along Hadrian's Wall. As we wander west from the village of Gilsland towards airy Craggle Hill, we deep-dive into Emperor Hadrian's era of pragmatic consolidation; we learn how his vision changed as the Wall's construction progressed; we ponder why threats from across the Solway never materialised; and we discover why the Wall was not the end of Empire – but merely the base of a vast infrastructure extending north.

• David's latest book on Hadrian's Wall,Hadrian's Wall. A Study in Archaeological Exploration and Interpretation is available from Archaeopress at 20% discount: https://doi.org/10.32028/9781789691672 – Use voucher code HW20

...in which we enter wild country at the Back o'Skiddaw to visit Skiddaw House - the loneliest house in England. As we wander, with former wardens Martin Webster and Marie-Pierre Gaudez, we talk through the history of the one-time hunting lodge, learn about the icy perils of Whitewater Dash, discuss the off-grid practicalities of living and working four miles from the nearest road – and discover what it takes to turn a House into a home.

• Skiddaw House can be found and booked online at www.skiddawhouse.co.uk
• John Martin's excellent history of Skiddaw House, The Loneliest House in England, is available by emailing the author at dijon_martin@yahoo.co.uk.

...in which we celebrate the remarkable life of Canon Hardwicke Drummond Rawnsley, campaigner, author and co-founder of the National Trust. As we wander from Rawnsley's old parish church of St Kentigern's, Crosthwaite, into Keswick, we chat with publisher and bookseller Stephen Matthews about the poet-priest's many passions – from rural crafts to Skiddaw bonfires; about the 'muscular Christianity' that made the Wolds-born orator a man of the people, and of the tireless campaigning punctuated by depressions that sealed Rawnsley's legacy as a Cumbrian Great.

• You can buy Steve's books A Canon in Keswick and A Peopled Landscape at BooksCumbria.
• You can also visit the Matthews' wonderful second-hand bookshop, Bookcase, at bookcasecarlisle.co.uk

…in which we climb the perennial Coniston favourite from the Tilberthwaite quarries up the breezy ridge of Steel Edge, one of Wainwright’s missing routes. As we stroll, with George Kitching, we discuss Andy Goldsworthy’s sheepfolds, the tricks of Langdale smuggler Lanty Slee, how a WWI Howitzer ended up below the Coniston waves, and an unlikely IRA terror plot to assassinate John Major using Levers Water.

•  You can read George's blog at lakelandwalkingtales.co.uk

  

 

...in which we take a seasonal stroll from Wetheral along the banks of a swollen River Eden with historian and writer Dr Sue Allen. As we walk, through winter woods to St Constantine's Cells in the December gloaming, we talk about Cumbrian Christmases past, about mischief and misrule; about why Cumbria's 'hackin' pre-empted Scotland's haggis; about why Christmas wasn't what it used to be – even in the 18th century; and about John Lawson – the man who captured so many Wetheral memories in the late 1800s – before Sue regales us with dialect song and a seasonal 'merryneet' tune. Happy Christmas to all.

• You can find Sue on Twitter at twitter.com/SueCumbria
• Sue's book, The Cumberland Bard: Robert Anderson of Carlisle 1770-1833, is available at https://www.bookscumbria.com/cgi-bin/trolleyed_public.cgi?action=showprod_6681

...in which we stride out from the North Pennine market town of Alston on an amiable wander along the Isaac's Tea Trail footpath. In the company of Tea Trail creator Roger Morris and 'tea lady' blogger Anne Leuchars, we unearth the remarkable rags-to-riches tale of 18th-century tea-seller Isaac Holden, who escaped a childhood of lead mining poverty to become an entrepreneur, fundraiser and pillar of Allendale life. As we dodge blustery showers, we soak in the sights and sounds of a far-from-the-madding-crowd valley, reflect on the early days of the British love affair with tea; visit the remarkable Roman fort at Epiacum; consider the state of our footpaths... and meet a couple walking from John o'Groats to Land's End.  

• You can find out more about Isaac's Tea Trail at isaacs-tea-trail.co.uk
• Anne's blog can be found at walkingisaacsteatrail.wordpress.com
• Diane and Ryan can be found vlogging their John o'Groats to Land's End walk at: youtube.com/channel/UCBHugfQhSo0nqKdrD84tEaA

...in which we make a breezy autumnal ascent of Gowbarrow Fell to learn about the unending work of Fix the Fells.

In the company of FtF partnership manager Isabel Berry and deputy ranger Jonny Skinn, we take a long view of Lake District trails – back to the days of pack-horse routes and quarry ways – then fast-forward to the 1960s and '70s, when the golden age of rambling etched great scars into the landscape.

Advancing three decades, we arrive at the origins of Fix the Fells (it could have been 'Mend the Mountains') and the establishment of a unique partnership that now cares for 200 routes across the National Park, with a full-time team of 17 rangers and 150+ volunteers.

Proceeding up the fell – with some of the finest views in the Lakes – we learn about the science of erosion, and the multiple benefits of path restoration: for water quality, floral diversity, climate, insects and birds.

Arriving at one of Jonny's work sites, we consider the engineering behind path restoration and the psychological nudges that keep walkers trail-tight.

A sober reflection on the loopholes that mean Fix the Fells are ignored by statuary funding pre-empts a double set of quickfire questions where we chat great pubs, favourite books, autumn vs spring... and Beacon Fell.

• More about Fix the Fells here: https://www.fixthefells.co.uk

...in which we explore Lady Anne's Way, the long distance trail celebrating its 25th birthday this year, with its founder, Sheila Gordon. As we stride along the airy High Way – an ancient route linking Wensleydale and Mallerstang – Sheila recounts the remarkable tale of the indomitable first lady of Westmorland, Lady Anne Clifford, and her 38-year battle to recover her lands and castles – before encountering crumbling packhorse inns, dashing highwaymen and a church that time forgot, all in the melodic company of lapwing, curlew and oyster catchers.

• For more information about Lady Anne's Way see www.ladyannesway.co.uk

 

…in which we head to Wasdale in the company of farmer, fell runner and Lakeland royalty Joss Naylor to discuss his legendary 1983 ‘Lakes, Meres and Waters’ run. In a wander onto the slopes of Buckbarrow – a patch of ground Joss has nurtured over decades – we discuss his 105-mile ‘day of magic’ run from Loweswater to Over Water whose time has never been bettered; we talk about the Iron Man's lifelong love of Wasdale; we recall a childhood of perilous school commutes and terrifying operations; we consider the healing properties of Guinness; we take a crash-course in Herdwick contraception... and we learn why a love of Lakeland solitude is key to his achievements as a long-distance runner.

• 'Joss Naylor's Lakes, Meres and Waters of the Lake District' is published by Cicerone. You can find it here. It comes highly recommended.
• Thanks to co-author Viv Crow for walking and talking with us on the podcast. Viv can be found on Twitter at https://twitter.com/viviennecrow

…in which we take an autumnal wander along the wooded west shore of Thirlmere, the reservoir that displaced a close-knit pastoral community to fulfil 19th century Manchester’s ever-growing thirst for water.   As we walk, we learn from author and one-time vicar of the parish Geoff Darrell about the valley as it once was: the patchwork fields, twin lakes, Wath bridge and diminutive settlement of City.   Then, as we reach the lakeshore – walls from a past age slipping under the waves – we hear from former Friends of the Lake District Director Ian Brodie about the grand ambitions, political manoeuvres and clandestine gambles that would flood a valley, divide the nation and lead, in time, to the establishment of national parks and the emergence of conservation movements worldwide.  

• You can order Geoff’s books, The Valley of Thirlmere - A History of the Houses and people in the old valley and Wythburn Church and the Valley of Thirlmere from Sam Read in Grasmere and Bookends, Keswick. You can also buy direct via adamscross.co.uk/Books.html
• Ian's book, Thirlmere and the Emergence of the Landscape Protection Movement, is also available from Bookends, Keswick.

...in which Dave interviews adventurer, author and multi-award-winning photographer, presenter and broadcaster Phoebe Smith about journeys of self-discovery on the country's old ways.

Recorded live at Countrystride's end of summer gathering at Kelsick Grammar, we learn about the ancient practice – still banned in this country – of pilgrimage, and hear about the great emptiness Phoebe felt on a secular walk along the Camino de Santiago.

In a wide-ranging conversation centred around Phoebe's book Wayfarer: Love, loss and life on Britain's ancient paths, we consider what role walking plays in healing trauma; why slow ways have increasing appeal in a busy world; and the deep-level connections that get forged when we follow in the footsteps of our ancestors.

Never straying far from the Lake District, Phoebe reveals her favourite fells and wild camp locations; talks about drying knickers on a Kendal stove; and recalls the Christmas she spent in a gale atop Scafell Pike.

Arriving at our quickfire questions. we consider why National Parks are visited by so few young people; we learn why Phoebe's Lakeland hero is Mabel Barker... and we try (and fail) to get Phoebe to stop talking about Grasmere gingerbread.

• Wayfarer: Love, loss and life on Britain's ancient paths is available from all good bookshops.

• For all things Phoebe, see phoebe-smith.com 

...in which we take a timeless tour of Aira Force – one of Lakeland's enduring honeypots – to uncover a history that takes in Victorian tourists, Colonial tree collectors and Baronial money and power. Treading paths trod for generations, we set out from the Pinetum glade in the company of National Trust Cultural Heritage Curator Harvey Wilkinson and consider Aira Force's early days, when oaks dominated the gorge and deer swept the fells. Entering woodland, we discuss the one-time estate's transition to pleasure ground in the age of the nouveau riche Merchant Princes of northern England. With diversions to talk Potter, politics and poetry, we reach the mighty Force itself, where we consider the sublime power that still draws crowds in their hundred-thousand, and the management challenges that face the Trust in an era of heavy footfall and increasingly extreme weather.  

• For more details on Aira Force and Gowbarrow Park, see ationaltrust.org.uk/visit/lake-district/aira-force-and-gowbarrow-park

...in which we depart busy Tebay to climb atop biting cold Rondthwaite Common on a trip to meet some of Cumbria's oldest residents: the Globetrotter fell ponies – roamers of the uplands since time immemorial. As we trail above the 'other Borrowdale' with long-time fell pony champion Libby Robinson, we hear about the moment in Kentmere, aged eight, when Libby first fell for the semi-wild breed; we reminisce about a Lakeland childhood – otters under the bridge, minnows from the tap; we look back at the remarkable industrial history of the pony, and the part it played in the north's historic economy; finally, we consider what role the pony might play in 21st-century Lakeland.

• You can find out more about Libby and her ponies at facebook.com/GlobetrotterStud
• Libby is campaigning to establish a Fell Pony Heritage Centre. You can found our more here.
• If you enjoy this podcast, Libby – and many other people involved with the fell pony breed – can be found on Tom Lloyd's superb Fell Pony podcast.

...in which we enjoy a Loughrigg circular with Dr Kerri Andrews to celebrate the life of Harriet Martineau, the ‘wild rover’ sociologist who recovered from debilitating illness to become one of Lakeland’s great walkers and one of the most successful guidebook writers of the Victorian age. As we encounter tourist honeypots including The Grot, Rydal Cave and dusk-lit Lily Tarn, we explore the neglected tradition of women writer-walkers, learn about Martineau’s mission to become ‘a Laker’, discover how walking has helped ease physical and mental trauma; and hear about Kerri’s admiration for the ‘homely’ and ‘familiar’ narratives of local hero Dorothy Wordsworth.

• Dr Kerri Andrews is on Twitter @kerriandrewsuk
• Kerri’s book, Wanderers: A History of Women Walking, is available from Reaktion Books.

...in which we celebrate the 70th birthday of the Lake District National Park by climbing Orrest Head with Park Authority chief executive Richard Leafe. Exploring a new, accessible route to the summit – a re-discovered track used by Victorian charabancs – we consider the challenge of finding a policy sweet-spot that takes into account conservation, farming, community and business; we discover what drives Richard after 14 years in the job; we talk about ski-ing the front face of Helvellyn; and we pose a series of questions from listeners, including 'Should we charge cars to enter the Park?', 'Have we reached peak tourism?', 'Should 4x4s be on green lanes?' and 'Would the Park have granted planning permission for house boats on Grasmere?'

...in which we set out from springtime Orton to explore the limestone scars of the Westmorland Dales in the company of husband-and-wife geologist / botanist team Syvia and Peter Woodhead. Alongside bubbling Chapel Beck, we encounter early flowers and a lively March hare as we learn about the geological origins of limestone - in distant coral seas some 350 million years ago. Arriving on Orton Scar, with its big-sky panoramas, we reflect on the industrial processing of lime – for agriculture and construction – and observe the 'lasagne' layering of different eras of deposition. Passing limestone pavement on the shoulder of Knott – grikes forming micro-climates for an abundance of rare plants – we encounter myriad fossils, of corals, gastropods and sponges, that record cycles of life and mass extinction. Chased by a storm that never arrives, we finish our walking circuit at Gamelands Stone Circle, where we reflect on the power and legacy of ice.

• For more about the Westmorland Dales Landscape Partnership project, see friendsofthelakedistrict.org.uk/westmorland-dales-hidden-landscapes-partnership

• The GeoTrail walks can be found at friendsofthelakedistrict.org.uk/westmorland-dales-geotrails-2022

• For Cumbria GeoCoonservation see cumbriageoconservation.org.uk

...in which we visit one of Cumbria's most visited farms, Low Sizergh Farm, in the company of owners Richard and Alison Park, and photographer Amy Bateman. On a farm tour taking in fruit-laden hedgerows, diverse meadows and Richard's organic dairy herd, we celebrate the launch of Amy's 'Forty Farms' book and consider the state of Cumbrian farming in a time of profound change. Taking the long view of divers challenges and opportunities, we learn how Lakeland farmers are making space for nature; we ponder the link between food and community; and we ask what advice our farmers would give to the new secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs.

• Low Sizegh Barn can be found at www.lowsizerghbarn.co.uk
• For more about Amy's 'Forty Farms; book see www.inspiredbylakeland.co.uk/products/forty-farms-conversations-about-change-in-the-landscapes-of-cumbria
• For more about Amy see amybatemanphotography.com

…in which we make a Little Langdale circuit with climber, author, photographer and campaigner Bill Birkett. From iconic Slater’s Bridge we explore the cavernous Cathedral Quarry, where Bill made his first climb, then head through tunnels into the heart of the mountain to reach the airy drovers’ track above High Tilberthwaite. As we walk we discuss a family with rock in its blood, plotting the 541 ‘Birketts’, haymaking time in bygone days, Bill’s plans for a Viking send-off and the increasingly thorny issue of off-road 4x4s.  

• For more about Bill and to buy his books see https://billbirkett.com
• For more about the 4x4 campaign and the Lake District Green Lanes Alliance see www.savethelakedistrict.com

   

...in which we journey to Millom to discuss the life and writings of Norman Nicholson, one of Cumbria's foremost – and most neglected – wordsmiths. On a coastal walk with Nicholson fan and academic Dr David Cooper, we visit 14 St. Georges Terrace – the home in which the son of Millom spent all but 20 months of his life – before exploring the site of the town's former iron works – ghost of an industry woven into the DNA of both town and man. As we wander, under brooding Black Combe, we learn about the poet's early-life traumas, we discuss the sanitarium convalescence that was to inform his painterly vision; we wrestle with concepts of place, home and provincialism; and – gazing west from Nicholson's grave – we let our eyes at last be blinded by dazzle.

• You can find David on Twitter at @DrDavidCooper
• The Norman Nicholson Society can be found at www.normannicholson.org
• For more about the NN walking App see www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKMYgN6OA3Y

...in which we visit Crosthwaite to shine a light on one of Lakeland's most neglected historic figures – remarkable Eliza Lynn Linton, the first female salaried journalist in England. In the company of author Philippa Harrison, Keswick Museum curator Nicola Lawson and academic Sue Wilkinson, we learn about Eliza's traumatic childhood and the self-education that allowed her to escape the family home and embark on a writing career among the literary elite of her day. Reflecting on the passionate attachments Eliza formed with both men and women, we turn to Eliza's beautiful The Lake Country, a 'love book' to Cumbria that inspired Alfred Wainwright, and which Rawnsley thought would never be bettered. As we make our way to the overgrown Lynn family grave, we consider the contradictions of a contrary life; of Eliza's complex views on sexuality; of the great U-turn that saw her abandon her one-time progressive feminist ideals; and of the curious fact that this once infamous writer – and her superlative guidebook – are now barely acknowledged, even in the margins of Cumbrian history.

• Philippa's book, A Mountain Republic: Crosthwaite Parish and the Eighteen Men, can be found at all local bookshops.
• Sue can be found on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sue_wilkinson
• For more on Keswick Museum see https://keswickmuseum.org.uk

...in which we descend upon Coniston Water to talk all things Ransome with lifelong Swallows and Amazons devotees Paul Flint and Geraint Lewis. Embarking from Bank Ground – a familiar location to the young Arthur – we journey past springtime Brantwood before crossing to Coniston on Gondola, one of the inspirations for Captain Flint's houseboat. As we travel, we learn about formative Nibthwaite holidays in which Ransome fell in love with Lakeland; we talk about the Great Freeze of 1895, which an unhappy schoolboy was to return to with nostalgia in Winter Holiday; we discuss Russian adventures and the lure of Bohemia; and we discover why lifelong wanderer Ransome – who suffered ill health for much of his adult life – never quite found home. We close, besides Titty's grave, with a favourite Ransome excerpt from each of our guests.

• Paul and Geraint are trustees of the Arthur Ransome Trust. You can find out more about their work at arthur-ransome-trust.org.uk
• The exhibition 'Swallows and Amazons as Seen from Abroad' will run at Brantwood Saturday 18 June – Tuesday 9 August.
• An App featuring locations from the novels will soon available via arthur-ransome-trust.org.uk

...in which we head south to Pendle Hill to explore the extraordinary lives of two campaigning outdoorsmen, who helped establish National Parks, Youth Hostels, the Ramblers and The Pennine Way – 60 years young this year.

In the company of Nick Burton and Bob Sproule from the Pendle Radicals project, we set out from the Lancashire village of Roughlee, where the scene is set for the arrival of the 'two Toms' – a time where workers in the industrial north had to fight to access the hills around them.

Striding onto Noggarth Edge, where views open over the former mill towns of Colne, Nelson and Burnley, we learn about the early life of Tom Stephenson, father of the Pennine Way, who was working in a calico works aged 13, and whose life changed forever on Pendle Hill. Jailed as a conscientious objector during World War I, we follow Tom into his campaigning years, when the concept of his 'Long Green Trail' took root.

Descending to Pendle Water, we introduce the Reverend Thomas Arthur Leonard OBE, one-time minister of Barrow-in-Furness and Colne, whose commitment to social reform – and suspicion of the boozy Wakes weeks – gifted us the Co-operative Holidays Association, and its successor the Holiday Fellowship (he is commemorated in a plaque on Cat Bells).

Arriving at the last-of-its-kind Clarion House, where working class cyclists and walkers still meet for shelter, education and fellowship, we enjoy the cheapest cup of tea in Lancashire, before reflecting on the golden age of access pioneers, and their remarkable legacy.

• Clarion House can be found here.

• For more about the Pendle Radicals, see here.

• More information about the Two Toms Trail can be found here.