The June Ramble – Led by Jim & Janet Sommerville
Only five walkers and two spaniels assembled in the car park at Cartmel Racecourse, which was hosting a large dog show at the time, and set off on the road to Grange over Sands until a stile leading uphill towards Grange Golf course.
Clambering over another stile, the ramblers followed markers up through the course to another stile and onto Fell End part of Hampsfield Fell. The walk continued along the Fell until the Hospice was reached, the highest part on a limestone pavement. The Hospice (a stone built shelter with an observation platform on the roof) has an open door facing due East and an ancient Greek Inscription on its lintel which possibly stated “Greet the dawn”, and the poem below was inside the building: –
Lunch was taken at this point and afterwards the ramble continued following a track downhill across fields to Borwick’s farm and turning right then left on B-roads to Aynsome Mill farm. Taking a footpath on the left the group met another minor road and a further left, right and then a further left walking up a cul-de-sac alongside the racecourse then continuing for a mile until Hill Mill then turning on to the Cistercian Way which eventually led to Cark via Holker Hall.
It then skirted around Cark and the track took the ramblers back to the car park, and the Sticky Toffee Pudding shop.
An excellent walk on a beautiful day. Length eight miles.
Jim & Janet Sommerville