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Smardale orchids

By Hugh Stewart June 21, 2014 Leave a Comment

Midsummer is the time for the Smardale circular walk: last week was fine weather so we tootled off with some friends staying at the Hall, a holiday let. Plenty of butterfly orchids in the Smardale Wood, but no wintergreens seen this year. As always, a visit to Waitby/Greenriggs nature reserve is a must, and is joined up to Smardale by continuing on the disused railway line westwards., see Blog “Smardale and Waitby reduced walk” of 21/6/19. A couple leaving the reserve said there were no fly orchids to be seen, but they are there, within 30 yards of the entrance, on the south bank. They are marked with white tags but are quite small. All told 64 different flower species seen on the round. Some orchids shown below. (Left click to expand)

Greater Butterfly Orchid, Smardale Wood.
Fly Orchid, Waitby/Greenriggs reserve.
Common Spotted Orchid, lined and three lobed, Waitby.
Northern Marsh Orchid, Waitby.
Bird’s eye primrose, Smardale.

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Hillwalks from the Settle to Carlisle Railway Stations

24 walks into the hills surrounding the historic and iconic Settle to Carlisle railway, based on the stations between Settle and Appleby. The area has some of the finest walking of the north Pennines: the Craven district around Settle; the Three Peaks area; Dentdale, and Mallerstang and the upper Eden valley.

£12.95 (P&P may apply)

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Mountain Biking Adventures: Multi-day Routes in Northern Britain

Over the last two decades, mountain biking has developed enormously as a “sport”. We greatly admire the technical and athletic capabilities of modern day mountain bikers and recognise that many excellent guides have been written and custom-built trails set up. In this guide we try to reopen a sense of adventure and wilderness to mountain biking, providing multi-day routes with a remoteness, continuity and “arc” missing from many modern guides with their focus on day and half day outings.

UK £13.95 ( inc. P&P)

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Settle to Carlisle – Hill Walk with Return by Classic Train Route

With over 22,000 ft of ascent in 105 miles set out over 8 days, this walk sets out from Settle, taking in the classic summits of the North Yorkshire Dales, Howgills, Eastern and Northern Lakeland Fells, to arrive at Carlisle. The return journey to Settle by one of the classic train journeys. Illustrated with photographs and route maps.

£12.95 (P&P may apply)

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The Highfields walk, Halton with Aughton.

Another plague walk which we could do from home, and although this seems to be a popular walk for locals, we had never done it, and decided to do it both because of that and as we thought it would be less popular and hence less boot-churned muddy than others round Caton and the Bowland Fells. The

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Watendlath and Borrowdale circular

A suitable pre-Theatre by the Lake evening production, when the cloud level is low and you don't fancy walking with no views in the damp. It comes to just under 9 miles with 2100ft of ascent. From the Lodore Wood car park up the Watendlath road, take the road south till an obvious track leads off

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Addition to the book of Trespass: Warcop.

This is an 8 mile walk over Little Fell and down and along the side of Scordale. A wild, lonely, and in places rough walk, with 2100ft of climbing. The trespass refers to the fact that most of the walk is in the MOD's land, with access granted by them on 12 weekends per year and other odd days. The

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