Autumn in Arkengarthdale

Suddenly the weather has turned - its feeling colder and this weekend the weather forecast says we shall be having a really stormy time - particularly in the South of the country.  So its likely we shall have the autumn leaves stripped from the trees by the beginning of next week.  We're a bit short of woodland up here in Arkendale so I got out and took a couple of photos of the woodland we have and the autumn colours before the leaves go.

Scar House Wood from CB Inn

This is a shot of Scar House Wood taken from the CB Inn in Arkengarthdale.  Scar House belongs to the Duke of Norfolk who also has the shooting rights on North side of the dale which includes the moors behind Hill Top Farm and the High Faggergill valley.  Occasionally there are shooting parties shooting over the Arkle Beck valley directly below our house.

There is a great walk that I use when training for my summer hut-to-hut trips in the Austrian Alps which goes left up the skyline in the photo above and traverses left to right along the skyline turning down to Booze which is the small hamlet "off frame" to the right in the photo and returning to Hill Top Farm by walking through Scar House woods and along by Arkle Beck up to Whaw then up to Hill Top Farm past Low Faggergill Farm.  The views from the top are just wonderful taking in the whole of Arkengarthdale all the way down to Reeth.  I guess I'll miss these walks when we move down to Reeth - it's great having them literally "on the doorstep" where I can just open the back door and start my walk.  I must compile a list of favourite "on the doorstep" local walks for whoever buys Hill Top Farm - it would be satisfying to know that someone is following my favourite walks from Hill Top. 

It will be rather strange waking the right-of-way past Hill Top Farm when it belongs to someone else - but I'm sure I'll get used to it very quickly.

Hilltops Wood from Hill Top Farm

 This is the wood directly opposite Hill Top Farm taken from our kitchen window - its just starting to change colour and looks lovely in the sunshine.  In the 25 years we have been here this wood has really taken-off & grown.  Its sad that when all of Swaledale & Arkengarthdale were Royal Hunting Forests in the Middle Ages one would have seen dense natural woodland everywhere carpeting the whole of the valleys - but the need for charcoal for the smelting of  lead put paid to that and now we have just got small "pockets" of woodland here and there.  However there has been extensive re-planting across the dale and in time - probably long after I have gone - the dale will be forested again.

Anyway Autumn chores call and tomorrow I shall be over at Lake Ullswater stripping the gear off my Freedom 21 DAYDREAM and bringing my tender back from the sailing club.