Michael

Bolam Lake Visitor Centre – Bolam Low House – Shortflatt Tower - East Shaftoe Hall – around Shaftoe Crags by Shaftoe Grange – Bolam West Houses – Visitor Centre.

Light cloud at first which cleared to give clear blue skies and sunshine. Some heat in the sunshine.

Michael, Michelle, Ron, George.

Ashley - injured

Sandy - at a baby shower at Nancy's Bordello - Excuse of the Year

Diane and Richard - in South Africa

Comments

A nice walk without too much happening. It was a shorter walk than originally planned because we had to leave the cars in the visitor centre car park, which closes at 4pm. We did so on the advice of a kind lady who advised us that the police issue tickets for cars parked on the verge outside.

We started the walk by going around the south side of the lake. A signet accompanied by its mother had to brake hard to avoid crashing into the bank. We heard the hounds and a hunting horn near Shortflatt Tower.

Lunch was taken sitting against the wall of East Shaftoe Hall – we enjoyed the warmth of the sunshine. A friendly robin visited us, and then followed us for a short way after being fed. The walled garden had a fine aspect, on a slope facing south.  We met a single ram with attitude on the track – Ruby kept well clear. We diverted from the path to inspect the Punch Bowl rock, which was too icy to clamber up on to. We passed the remains of a Romano-british fort. There were good views of Wallington Hall and Cambo Church from the east side of the crags.

We saw three young people carrying what looked like a folded mattress on their backs, up on to the crags. We met a golden retriever with shoes on his front paws to protect them from the cold. We saw the Poind stone where lookouts used to be posted for rustlers and Scottish raiders.

At the end we went down to the lakeside and saw some swans squabbling. Then we had refreshments at the café. The hot chocolate was extra hot.

After the meal we had an interesting discussion where Michael argued that the moon spun on its axis and the rest of us said (correctly) that it did not. Dave Hayes phoned from Spain while we were eating.

Wildlife:

Birds: robin, chaffinch, fieldphare, starlings and a buzzard.

Highlander, Belsay - joined by Ashley, Evelyn and Sandy. Nice meal beside a warm fire.

January Walkers minus one

Bolam Lake Swans

Near Shaftoe Hall

East Shaftoe Hall

Lunch

Cold Landscape

Shaftoe Crags

Nearing the Punchbowl

Walkers in the Snow

View North from Crag

Shaftoe Crags

Walkers at the Punchbowl

The Punchbowl

View from the Punchbowl

Back of the Crags

Snowy Landscape

Towards Simonside

Salters Nick

The Tumulus

Joint winner - Photo of the Year

Back at Bolam Lake