Orrest Head and Reston Scar

784 feet and 834 feet respectively

Date                    21/3/2009

Walks done to:  Celebrate my birthday with Susan, Neil, Tony, Alison, Paul, Billy, Tom and myself

Weather:            Lovely, warm and sunny

Distance             5.5 miles.

Started at:          Windermere Railway station

After meeting at Chorley Railway station we caught the direct 9.21 train to Windermere, with Paul getting on at Preston (just). Making excellent time, we arrived at Windermere and resisting cafe and pie shops, we set of to Orrest Head, the very first summit Wainwright climbed in the Lake District. Although the weather was sunny, there was a haze which ruined any good views we may have hoped for, but the views down Lake Windermere were still good.

Leaving the summit, we headed for Reston Scar. A map was needed to find the multitude of paths we needed to get to our second objective of the day. After a brief stop on Reston Scar we headed down to Staveley.

After several pints in the Beer Hall we made our way to The Eagle and Child. This is a pub we have been to several times and enjoyed good food. This time however, they failed miserably. The previous Tuesday I had sent an email to reserve a table for 6pm. I got a reply

"Hi Jed, no problem early doors - we start serving food from 6.00pm however open all day. Just come & grab a table early if you want a specific one !! restaurant is fully booked so we cant really allocate too many tables
see you Sat."

We arrived at 5pm and when asked if they had a table for 8 we got the retort, "Can you see one?" Most of the tables had reserved on them - something we had tried to do. If we had been told that no tables were available we simply would have gone elsewhere, but being greedy he tried to get us to go and at least buy a drink or two. Well his plan backfired, we left immediately, phoned the Station Inn at oxenholme, reserved a table, and jumped on the train. A lovely meal it was too. So from us alone the Eagle has lost hundreds of pounds, which will probably be spent in the Station Inn in the months and years to come.

After the meal we walked down the hill to Oxenholme station, boarded the waiting Virgin train and enjoyed a smooth ride home in the First Class section.

Thanks to everyone for making it a lovely way to celebrate my birthday.

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Inscription stones on either side of an old Victorian kissing gate

 

 

The stone to the right of the gate

 

Alison, Tony, Susan and Tom ascending the final few steps to Orrest Head summit

 

 

Tony at the information board near the summit

 

Tony, Alison, Tom and Billy about to have lunch. Susan requested i "crop" her off the picture because her bum looked big!

 

The lane to Heaning, off the A591

 

After passing through the village we took a path across the fields towards Broadgate Farm

 

Billy and Tom race to Broadgate Farm

Our party head off to Hugill Hall after climbing away from Grassgarth

 

 

 

Heading up to the unnamed summit of 273 metres west of Black Crag

 

This is Williamson's Monument

 

And this is the view to our objective, Reston Scar from the unnamed summit

 

Tom aits for us to catch up

 

Zooing in on the village of Kentmere to the north

 

Beginning the descent from the unnamed summit towards Reston Scar

 

Billy and Tom, having run down the path, wait for the old timers to catch up!

 

Tony and Alison race ahead, followed by Susan and Paul

 

Tony tries to reach the top before Tom and Billy, but he just loses out

 

Staveley from just below the summit of Reston Scar

 

Alison, Paul, Susan, Neil, Billy, Tom and Tony on Reston Scar summit

 

Tom on the best viewpoint way above the A591

 

And Tom again - standing where his Dad could never, ever stand.

 

Billy and Tom discuss the geography of the landscape.

 

Makeshift bench with splendid view

 

Looking east over Kemp Tarn

 

The final descent to Staveley

 

The weir behind the Beer Hall (Photo Tom Ryding)

 

The River Kent, looking upstream from the Beer Hall, (Photo Tom Ryding)

 

View from the Beer Hall (Photo Tom Ryding)

 

Evening sunshine on the hills taken from Staveley Railway station

 

On the train to Oxenholme

 

Another shot on the train

 

 

 

On the Virgin train to Preston, First Class of course.

 

Billy, looking like a participant of "Most Haunted"

 

Mr Gore Wan - planning his future?

 

Preston station - Late pm

 

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