Overnight, the weather had changed completely and I was greeted with sun and blue skies. Great !
My target was the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway, about 1 1/2 hrs drive away. A bit cross country, but I got there in plenty of time – indeed, had to wait for the Cafe to open for my breakfast, but well worth the wait.
The plan was to go to the end of the line at Dalegarth Station, do a bit of walking, then back down to Ravenglass. It worked ! The railway is narrow gauge (15” I think), so everything is a bit minature, but well engineered. Of course the dreaded COVID took its toll with social distancing and screens between compartments – not very nice, but absolutely essential.
I took a bit of a punt on an open carriage – a gamble, but it worked out well with the weather on the day. See my perch below, just behind the guard. A bit hard on the bum, but it was only a 40 minute trip. The loco was Northern Rock.
I’ve never been to Eskdale, but judging by the scenery on the way up, I’ve missed a treat. It’s beautiful. Must come again. Here’s just a few photo samples.
From Dalegarth Station, there are loads of walks available, so I selected one to go to the Dalegarth Falls. Didn’t quite make the falls themselves, as there had been a bit of a landslide causing the top bit of the path to be closed – next time. But you get the idea from the pix below. Very pretty.
Stopped for my lunch in the glade and got chatting to one of the roaming litter picker volunteers from the National Trust. Seems this was his first time out after a successful prostate operation – what funny things you get to talk about in strange places on holiday…….
Just a few minutes away from the station was the village of Boot, famed for having an ancient watermill – closed – yes I was there on the wrong day ! I did spot at least one waterwheel hidden in the trees though.
Boot itself is a charming village, with just a couple of pubs.
Just opposite the mill was a beautiful house and garden, with a stream running along the bottom. There was a lot of work going on to make and plant several raised beds. An idyllic location on a day like this.
Back down at Ravenglass, I couldn’t resist poking around the railway museum. Very interesting, going through the history without being too much overwhelming detail.
Homeward bound tomorrow, but what a beautiful “bonus” day……..