Harrisend Fell

After a breakfast of rump steak, poached eggs and grilled tomatoes for me and wild mushrooms on brioche toast for Pete, we headed to the Forest of Bowland to walk it off! We started out with a short circular walk on Harrisend Fell, where we admired views across to Morecombe Bay and Blackpool tower, were beguiled by the  purple haze of the heather and found a small mire with cranberries and crowberries.

We then moved on to a parking place at Grizedale Bridge and walked through Holme Wood, which is an area of mixed alder and sessile oak woodland along the Grizedale Beck, nestled in a deep rocky valley and filled with luxuriant ferns and carpets of opposite-leaved golden-saxifrage. Very Middle Earth! Strictly the path was closed due to a fallen tree, which had smashed the boardwalk, but we (along with a fair few other people) ignored the sign and scrambled through the obstruction.

After a cloudy start the weather became glorious and it was hard to tear ourselves away to begin the long drive home. But, as we were travelling on the Friday preceding a Bank Holiday, I thought it was best if we didn't leave it too late. In the end we only had a couple of delays, but I was very glad we were heading south-east, as the roads heading north were much busier!