Meet Report: 20-24 September 2021. Held at The New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel, Great Langdale.

The much delayed Social Meet originally planned for May 2020 eventually took place in splendid weather conditions at the New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel in Great Langdale.

Participants: Paul and Anne Dover, Richard and Ann Dover, John and Ros Brown, Peter and Ann Chadwick, Iain and Sarah Gilmour, Alan and Angie Linford, Tim and Elaine Josephy. We were joined by Phillip Dover for the Wednesday walk and supper. I will let the participants describe their various activities.

John and Ros. We arrived on Monday afternoon, a day early as we had to leave on Thursday to look after grandchildren on Friday. After a quick look round we retired to the bar to relax after the long drive, where we met with Paul and Ann Dover. On Tuesday, we spent the day walking up Bow Fell. The weather was kind and we only experienced a cold wind when we got to the top, where there was some low cloud on the summit. This was the first ascent for Ros since lockdown who really enjoyed being able to walk up to a good height.

On Wednesday we went by bus into Ambleside to take the opportunity to have a look around the town. It was very busy but we enjoyed a couple of coffee stops. On our return John walked up to Stickle Tarn where he was able to look over to Pavey Ark, another walk for another day. We had to leave on Thursday but broke the journey at Tatton Park in Cheshire with a look around the gardens. This was a fitting end to a great few days, at a brilliant location with great company.

Iain and Sarah Gilmore. Wednesday, walked up to Blea Tarn and back. Thursday, crossed the river just upstream of NDG to take the path on the far side of the river, and walked to Skelwith Bridge, taking the bus back. A very good meet, and we look forward to the next promotion! Highlights were just being there and enjoying the chat.

Alan and Angie Linford. On Tuesday we did a walk from NDG to Blea Tarn, LHG then over Slaters Bridge to Elterwater to get the bus back but missed it by 10 mins. On time, cannot trust them to be late anymore and had to walk back to NDG. 9.8 miles not bad for Angie in a fragile state but we took our time, stopping often. It was Angie’s choice, a better option than going home, sit it out all day or walk up the valley to Rossett. Angie almost back to normal. We came across a troop of Gurkha soldiers and managed to have a chat and a few words in Nepali. It transpired that one of the troop came from Taplejung, the village where I had a brush with the law in 1959. They were most impressed. The Club had a meet there a few years ago. In 1959 we walked from Phuse, 4 days. The Club came by 4×4 in 4 hours. The ferris wheel I had a ride on is still there. Lovely people, The burra sahib in charge did not want to know us, lacking the good manners of the Gurkhas. On Wednesday we joined the main group, taking the bus to Skelwith Bridge and walking back to the NDG. (Reported more fully elsewhere).

Peter and Ann Chadwick. Ann and I plus dog had 2 pleasant days walking but nothing very exciting. On Wednesday we walked from the hotel up Side Pike, back down and then anti clockwise around the base of Lingmell Fell – Blea Tarn. LHG, Baysbrown  and Oak Howe. On Thursday we intended to go up Bow Fell but at the top of the Band near the Three Tarns it was thick mist so we came down to Stool End and then walked up the valley a little way to extend the walk. We thought the Hotel was very comfortable and well run. And it was good to see people again.

Richard and Ann Dover. We also arrived on the Monday and enjoyed the arrival drive along Langdale bathed in sun. On arrival at the hotel we were met by John and Roz, Paul and Anne having a drink outside the pub. On Tuesday we drove to Little Langdale and enjoyed a gentle walk to LHG then I introduced Ann to the Cathedral Caves where we met a group of employees on a team building exercise. Continuing on to Tilberthwaite we found the car park packed with school mini buses also encouraging the outdoor life to the students. Our return was via Hodge Close and Stand End before enjoying a refreshing drink at the Three Shires Inn. Our Wednesday and Thursday activities are fully covered in Paul’s entry so I will not elaborate further.

Paul and Anne Dover. Monday: Arrived NDG around 14.30 on Monday to find John and Ros already enjoying the sunny afternoon having a drink in the garden. After unloading into our room, we went for a leg stretching short walk via the river path to the NT Campsite and the Old Dungeon Ghyll. We returned to NDG on the direct path across the fields to join John and Ros for a drink, soon to be followed by Ann and Richard. Tuesday am: Walked to Chapel Stile via the track from the car park across the road from the hotel drive towards Ellers and Robinson Place, then turned south towards the Great Langdale Beck which we crossed on the fine packhorse stone arch bridge. Then along the south bank of the Beck and across the meadows towards Chapel Stile. We crossed the beck over another fine packhorse bridge which provides access to Baysbrown camp site.

Instead of joining the road we turned right round the back of the Langdale Primary School where the children were enjoying a warm and sunny lunch break on both natural and man-made obstacles. As it was lunchtime we went to the cafe above the Co-op shop only to find Ian and Sarah also lunching there on their way to the NDG. We accepted a lift back to the hotel. (All the meadows had abundant regrowth after being mown for hay, following recent rain. It was a pleasure to see fields full of well grown Herdwick lambs, such a contrast to the rough grazing on the fells where they had spent most of their spring and summer suckling their mothers. This suggested that our visit followed a relatively recent gather from their hefted grazing on the fells. As is the norm for Herdwicks, the lambs had jet black fleeces.

The ewes gradually lose the deep colour with each successive shearing. Tuesday pm: Walked to ODG via Side House and the NT Langdale campsite, returning to NDG via the riverside path across the meadows. Wednesday am Phil Dover arrived to joined us for the day and dinner. The three of us joined the bus party to Skelwith Bridge. This was quite entertaining, the bus driver, I surmise, was still receiving support from a more experienced driver which came in handy when driving a 32 seater bus meeting a continuous stream of cars on the narrow twisty road with stone walls on both sides and with literally very few inches to spare! The bus does a detour into Elterwater but we eventually unloaded at Skelwith Bridge. We went with the main group through the old slate works on the north bank which after the weir, joins the Cumbria Way back to Elterwater which provided an opportunity to have a coffee stop. The path crosses to the south bank which we followed to Chapel Stile where we enjoyed lunch adjacent to the shelter by the school, again sitting in sunshine. Onward to the NDG via the same path as on Tuesday am.

Phil and I walked via Side House to Middle Fell Farm by the ODG then up Mickleden to below Gimmer Crag. Returned to NDG via Kirk Howe. Thursday am went with Richard and Ann for a walk round Tarn Hows starting at Glen Mary Bridge to Tarn Hows Intake, then along the south side of the Tarns and over Torver Intake, back on the west side and descended via the somewhat tricky path through Lane Head Coppice. (This reminded me of my many visits some combining work and pleasure during our time in Ulverston 1970-74 to observe one of two Bracken control sites, using a post senescence application of Dicamba only to be succeeded the following year by a summer applications (full frond) of Asulox which became the product of choice for 20 years).

Tim and Elaine Josephy. Elaine and I walked with border collie Bramble from Skelwith Bridge via Colwith Force, lunch at the Three Shires in Little Langdale then back to the NDG. All beautiful riverside and woodland walking with the trees just starting to turn. On Thursday we went to Grizedale Forest to look for some of the sculptures but despite following two trails we failed to find more than one. We did manage to find the only part of the SW Lakes where it was raining!

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As you may have gathered from the preceding comments, the staff of the NDG looked after us extremely well, having both breakfast and dinner on one long table in the main dining room. By choosing our dinner options at breakfast the staff were able to serve our meals quickly and all together making dinner time a real joy. After our final dinner we retired to the lounge where John introduced a general discussion about the future of the meet. After thanking Paul for his many years of organising the meet a new co-ordinator was sought. Tim very kindly agreed to take over finding a suitable venue and arranging accommodation. All agreed it was a good time to return to the Peak District next year. After this years meet I am sure we can look forward to a positive response. Richard Richard surveying in Cathedral Caves Paul, Ann, Anne, Angie Alan & Philip in the Langdale Meadows Anne, Paul & Richard at Tarn Hows Ros descending Bow Fell Final breakfast before returning home