Knipescar.

Having descended to Askham from a good half day’s walk on Heughscar Hill I was not keen to risk again the flooded lanes around Penrith and chose to drive south to Shap. The distinctive Knipescar appeared up to my left, I pulled into a layby  to consult Wainwright and the map – an ideal quickie. Parked at the bottom of the lane to Scarside Farm I was in too much of a rush in the late afternoon and had gone well up before realising I’d forgotten my camera. Running back down I greeted four others going up for a late visit. Once camera reunited and relaxed on the lovely limestone promenade along the scar I could take in views of Haweswater, Cross Fell and now distant Blencathra. To my right was a substantial wall, the boundary of Lowther Castle estate. I soon reached  the summit in a maze of limestone pavement with several contrasting erratic boulders dumped by retreating glaciers. Those other four seem to have disappeared – where could they have gone at this time of night?

                                          Erratic boulder, Knipescar and distant Blencathra.

My search in the limestone pavements for the stone circle/enclosure marked on the map was fruitless, I couldn’t even locate the Ministry of Works sign mentioned by Wainwright and as the light faded I didn’t fancy braking an ankle up here. So I headed back as the shadows lengthened and the temperature dropped. The sun went down as I reached the farm lane.

                                                          Where is the ‘stone circle’?

Evening Shadow.

                                                The sun goes down.

The end of a beautiful day.