Tuesday 29 March 2016

#CountryKids Easter hunt up Stickle Ghyll

Country Kids from Coombe Mill Family Farm Holidays Cornwall

We just hadn't had enough of hunting chocolate bunnies after Saturday and Sunday so we consulted the National Trust website and headed north. It was a toss up between Allan Bank in Grasmere or Sticklebarn in the Langdale Valley. As it was already early afternoon I decided to go for Langdale as I thought that Grasmere would be very busy with nowhere to park. It turned out that there wasn't much space at Sticklebarn either but luckily just enough for us. This was a slightly different trail as it turned out to be more of a walk with a quiz rather than a hunt. It was also the most picturesque of the ones we have done this weekend:


We have been to the pub several times as part of my 10 k races but had never really explored up the valley and seen the waterfalls that they are using for hydropower:


It wasn't the easiest of walks so luckily we were both wearing trainers and are fairly fit:


The instructions were to start the trail when you got to the bridge. This was the first indication that we were headed in the right direction (although with only one route it would be hard to get lost!):


My son couldn't resist a bit of mini mountaineering by climbing on the boulders alongside the manmade footpath:


We finally reached the bridge and I read out the first clue:


Once he had worked it out and we had filled in the answer plus the missing letter grid we carried on up the valley:


This is the style that needs replacing and they need to raise the funds to do so:


A walk in the Lakes wouldn't be the same without at least one stream to either step or leap across. I took the sedate stride route whereas my son took the risky route:


It was at this point my son worked out that I had been stringing him along and that we didn't need to walk any further to find answers! All the questions were general knowledge based on the Lake District. Once he had filled in the final clue he refused to go any further:


At least we had made it far enough up to enjoy the views back down:


He then raced it back down to the start to claim his bunny. I took my time as I am not too keen on rocky, steep paths.... It was then threatening to rain so we retired to the pub for refreshments and entertainment:


The pub had a lot of these Victorian i-pads and we had fun playing noughts and crosses, hangman and squares:


We had an interesting drive back down the valley as a farmer was herding some of his Herdwicks along the road with his faithful sheepdog:


And this lovely pair were claiming right of way alongside Elterwater common:


It was a beautiful end to the day on Windermere and I'm glad we spent some of it out enjoying tghe fells:



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