The Lake District

 29 July 2003 - Muncaster Fell and Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway


A view southwest from the trig point at the top of Muncaster Fell on Hooker Crag, some 231m (758ft) above sea level.


Looking across the summit cairn across the coastal plain to Sellafield


The dogs on their double lead, looking a bit damp, but about to get very muddy!


Further on along the ridge, the dogs investigate the "table" of Ross's Camp, built by a Victorian picnic party in 1883.


Looking up a little side valley of Eskdale, from which the road to Birker Fell starts its delightful journey.


Middle Eskdale from Muncaster Fell


Safely off the fell, which was a very damp and muddy walk in places, Stephen and two very dirty dogs wait at Irton Road station for the train back to Ravenglass


River Irt with a train for Dalegarth. The 0-8-2 locomotive is a 1927 rebuild of Sir Arthur Heywood's Muriel  originally built in 1894 for the Duffield Bank Railway.

 

30 July 2003 - Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway


Lucy inspects the former Furness Railway locomotive Cumbria being prepared for the 1035 service from Haverthwaite for Lakeside. Cumbria was built in 1953


Haverthwaite station


Looking along the line towards Lakeside


Cumbria was delivered as WD 194 to the Longmoor Army Stores Depot in southern England as part of the Strategic War Reserve. Despite being brand new, it was immediately put into store! Two years later, in 1955 when the Stores Depot closed, the engine was transferred to Bicester in Oxfordshire where it was put into traffic in 1958. After ten years of service, it was completely overhauled before being put back into store again. It later spent time at Shoeburyness. After a quiet career with the Army, the locomotive was purchased from the Ministry of Defence in July 1973 by the Lakeside Railway Society.


The engine was painted maroon and named Cumbria by Councillor Tim Westall, the Chairman of the then newly formed Cumbria County Council, at Haverthwaite on 11 May 1974. It has since been the mainstay of the locomotive fleet on the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway, covering over ninety thousand miles on the three and a half mile line.


The end of the line at Lakeside


Back at Haverthwaite, and a last glance at the railway bridge after a splendid lunch at the railway restaurant, whose quality (and quantity) was far superior to many similarly located establishments.

 

31 July 2003 - Top O'Selside


George on the descent from Top O'Selside, at 335m (1099ft) the highest point of the ridge to the east of Coniston Water. On the lake in the background can be see Peel Island, better known to Arthur Ransome fans as Wild Cat Island. One to repeat when it isn't raining and visibility is good.

 

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Unless otherwise stated, all images copyright (c) Stephen and Lucy Dawson