Repeat performance…

22/04/2007 by the walkers.

Our last planned walk in preparation for next week’s coast to coast repeated a former walk we did before the blog was started in February. Living on the borders of Northumberland and Cumbria, most of our preparatory walks have been in the former, today’s walk was in the latter.

Talkin Tarn Country Park began our 12 miles circular walk today. Owned and managed by Carlisle City Council, they have spent over £1 million on improvements. The tiled toilet facilities even have showers and easy wheelchair assess. The name Talkin comes from a Celtic word and Tarn is a Norse word. The lake is a hive of activity with rowing boats (since the 1850’s) during the tourist season and the woodland walks are rich in wild life.
Our route took us on to a metallic road with a line of electricity pylons dominating the skyline, a mass of steel looking as if they were hung on top of three coat hangers. Not even the pine or spruce trees obliterated their ugliness. As we used the passenger footbridge over the Carlisle-Newcastle railway we were disappointed the train was late arriving as we missed the driver hooting to our waving by the sidings.

One hour later as we continued weaving our way round the fields and lanes, we were not very far from the start arriving at the town of Brampton. Well, it was the last day of our walking preparations, so why not look out for a coffee stop? Like Haltwhistle, Brampton has a reputation for Saturday coffee mornings. This morning’s was in the cobbled market square Moot Hall, now the Tourist centre. Brampton, near Carlisle, has had a market here since 1252 and continues to have one each Wednesday. The Moot Hall dates back to 1648 when Cromwell kept 40 prisoners in it. Today the friendly tea ladies greeted us with smiles and enquired about our walk. Not one to miss the boat, we fished out of our pocket the AOS charity leaflet with the blog address. They were au fait with blogging, remarking that they were tackled one of the Haltwhistle ring walks on Friday with the U3A. (The University of the Third Age). The coffee morning was held for the Methodist Mission and they promised to pray for our walk. What a lovely start to the day.

On we went to Gelt woods a fairy-land of nature and surprises. For thousands of years this ancient woodland has been served by the fast flowing river Gelt with its many mini waterfalls. It has sculpted and exposed the red sandstone like a work of art and many of the dwellings on the walk are made from this very sandstone. Indeed much of Brampton is built from stone recycled from the Hadrian’s Wall or from stone first quarried here. Two bird hides in the wood are based on roundhouse designs from Celtic times made from hazel and willow. The place is also home to the red squirrel.

Out of the woods we came across ploughed fields now and meadows prepared with seeds for the harvest. The daffodils are past their best and give way to red tulips; dandelions;ox-eye daisies; willowherb; St. John’s Wort and Marsh Marigold. While the apple and cheery blossom are in full bloom, the Japanese maple is just in bud.

We lunched on a bench at Castle Carrock opposite a pub called The Weary Sportsman; last time we wearily lunched on the picnic table at the pub, the angry owner berated us for not asking his permission despite the fact we failed to get a response to our calling out at the door. Our muddy boots prevented us from going inside and the place looked deserted.

A wedding party was just emerging from the nearby ancient church. The Lintel Gate, like the chauffeur driven Bentley car, was decorated with fresh flowers in keeping with the occasion. Apparently this was the first wedding in two years. Eddie said the party were welcome share our ‘butties’!

Leaving the ‘perfume’ of the huge herd of Jersey cows behind and the bleating of a pair of twin lambs, we arrived at journey’s end at the far end of Talkin Tarn with the canopy of beech trees overhanging the water’s edge. Again we had an opportunity to talk about the charity to a group of pensioners resting on the long sculptured bench by the jetty. The cafe above the boathouse with its balcony offering a beautiful view of the lake with its swans and mallards was our treat before we departed for home. Next walk - real thing.

P.S. Don’t forget to log into next blog due 26th April entitled “Dress Rehearsal”.

Veronica

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