Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria, Summer
It was time for Lisabet’s quarterly haircut at Wilderness Hair in Kirkby Lonsdale.
It was time for Lisabet’s quarterly haircut at Wilderness Hair in Kirkby Lonsdale.
Whilst she was getting an upgrade for her glorious curls, I enjoyed a long summer’s hike all around Kirkby Lonsdale and it’s beautiful environs.
Kirkby Lonsdale’s generally gorgeous whatever the season, but it is particularly resplendent in summer. All the trees are in bloom, houses are decorated with flowers, and the views are rolling, green, and pleasant.
Even better, there was a cricket game on. Can you get more English bucolic?
All photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Vivitar “Series 1” 28–105mm f2.8–f3.8 lens. Developed with the new Capture One for iPad.
Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria, Summer by Ian Cylkowski is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Main Street features this beautiful house completely covered in ivy. One of my favourites.
Currently Kirkby Lonsdale is decorated with Union Jacks, occasionally interspersed with Ukrainian flags. The Union Jacks have been since Armed Forces Day on 25th June.
Main Street features rows of independent shops, cafés, and pubs, adorned with potted flowers.
I followed the path through St. Mary’s church yard and down the Radical Steps to the riverside walk.
The River Lune at Devil’s Bridge was swollen and fast-flowing after the week’s intermittent heavy downpours.
Devil’s Bridge was built sometime in the 14th century, making it around 600–700 years old. Motorised traffic still crossed the bridge until the 1930s when the new Stanley Bridge—pictured in the distance—was built in 1932.
From the top of Devil’s Bridge you can enjoy gorgeous views of the River Lune.
Plenty of people and families were happily playing around the banks of the swollen Lune. Even divers felt brave enough for a dip and a swim.
The green by the bridge and river is a popular picnic area too.
Nearby Devil’s Bridge, cricketers were beginning their warm-up for the day’s match.
Abbot Hall on Mitchelgate, one of Kirkby Lonsdale’s older buildings. Constructed in the 17th century with modifications in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Mitchelgate, one of Cumbria’s most beautiful streets, with its view downhill towards Gragareth in the Yorkshire Dales.
See what I mean about Kirkby Lonsdale in the summer?
Looking up New Road. Lots of posh and/or expensive cars in Kirkby Lonsdale these days, indicative of the people’s wealth in this town compared to when Lisabet was growing up here.
Sometimes there’s nowt better than chilling on a bench and enjoying a local game of cricket. Even better in a setting like this.
We ventured back to St. Mary’s churchyard for some ice cream with one of Lisabet’s friends, Marie. On a nearby headstone I spotted this Jackdaw that I had to take a snap of.
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Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria, Spring
Cumbria’s got super cold again after last weekend’s bizarre heatwave.
Cumbria’s got super cold again after last weekend’s bizarre heatwave.
Following the weekend’s temperatures pushing 20ºC, Monday onwards saw conditions plunge back down to freezing point with fresh snow falling on the fells. Thankfully, as the week progressed, the atmosphere cleared up and blue skies have been a regular feature, but temperatures are still barely reaching 10ºC.
Yesterday, after a morning of Life Admin, Lisabet had a long-awaited hair appointment at the newly established Wilderness Hair Lune Valley at Kirkby Lonsdale. Whilst she was enjoying having her glorious curls revived, I enjoy the glorious spring day in this ancient and bonny town.
All photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my three prime lenses: a Fujinon 23mm f/2.0, a Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. All images made 80% in-camera using the standard Provia profile, finalised afterwards in Affinity Photo on my iPad.
The site of the old Swine Market before you head down Mill Brow.
Heading down Mill Brow, an almost timeless scene.
The Old Manor House, largely built in the 1700s, though some surviving parts of the building are even older.
From the bottom of Mill Brow I followed the River Lune all the way to Devil’s Bridge. Here, limestone formations are abundant and I had fun arranging compositions involving these rocks and the formidable Devil’s Bridge.
On top of Devil’s Bridge a clear is offered to Stanley Bridge, which carries the A65 over the River Lune. Below, some folk play around the limestone formations alongside the river.
People checking out the views from Devil’s Bridge and helpfully providing my photo a sense of scale.
Always a good view from the top of Devil’s Bridge.
Heading back into town, I can never resist a shot of this majestic house covered in ivy.
On Market Square in the middle of Kirkby Lonsdale sits the former Trustees Savings Bank, built in the middle of the 19th-century. It’s now a private abode.
St. Mary’s Church, one of the oldest buildings in Kirkby Lonsdale. Parts of it date back to Norman times.
And, at this time of year, the cemetery grounds of St. Mary’s are covered in a variety of daffodils.
Just beyond the church is a short path to Ruskin’s View. Described by 19th century art critic, social theorist, painter and poet John Ruskin thus: “I do not know in all my country, still less in France or Italy, a place more naturally divine.”
Zooming in on the Barbondale fells and the heavy clouds looming above.
From Ruskin’s View, I navigated back to the town centre and up to nab one of my favourite views in all of Kirkby Lonsdale: the view down Mitchelgate with Gragareth in the distance.
Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria, Summer
Of all the times I’ve visited Kirkby Lonsdale, I’ve never thought to properly photograph it.
Of all the times I’ve visited Kirkby Lonsdale, I’ve never thought to properly photograph it.
So… welcome to Kirkby Lonsdale! This historic town, situated on the edge of Cumbria near the borders of both Lancashire and North Yorkshire, was where my lovely Lisabet grew up. Kirkby is a truly beautiful place, which has attracted a lot of money in recent decades. Quite the difference compared to its more humble origins.
Kirkby Lonsdale is one of the few Cumbrian towns mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 AD, where it was recorded as Cherchibi (“village with a church”). This would suggest the presence of a very old church, which is indeed the case. The earlier construction was rebuilt by the Normans in the 12th century, and parts of the church, now known as St. Mary’s, still survive from this era.
The town gained a market charter in 1227 AD and an outdoor market has been held on Thursdays ever since. This long-held tradition of trade and markets is evident in some of the street names in Kirkby Lonsdale, such as Horsemarket and Swinemarket.
After a particularly lazy start to our Sunday, we ventured around Lisabet’s home town and the surrounding countryside to get some miles under our belt and some photographs in our cameras. The day was another glorious summer fare.
All photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using two of my prime lenses: a Samyang 35mm f/1.2 and a Laowa 9mm f/2.8. The images were 80% made in-camera using a customised Velvia film simulation, with minor edits afterwards in Lightroom and Affinity Photo.
This is Devil’s Bridge, with more people swimming in the Lune than I’ve ever seen before in Kirkby Lonsdale. The bridge was built around 1370 AD, probably by the monks of St. Mary’s Abbey in York. It once carried traffic over between Skipton and Kendal, but was closed to traffic in the 1930s as it was too narrow for modern vehicles.
So many people swimming in the Lune and enjoying the Cumbrian summer. Some more respectful of the environment than others.
This part of the Lune around Devil’s Bridge is very popular for outdoor swimming, owing to its easy access, deep pools, and clear water.
People of all ages, genders, and races were enjoying a paddle and a swim in the river. And why not.
The verges of the riverside were lush with flowers and vegetation.
We took the riverside trail alongside the Lune, heading towards the Radical Steps.
This point marks the end of the riverside trail. The Lune was very low, which afforded us with some excellent reflections to photograph.
Heading up the Radical Steps. They lead down from the churchyard of St. Mary’s church to the riverside. Built in 1820 for a Dr. Francis Pearson, who had apparently developed a reputation as a political radical, the steps were constructed to divert the footpath away from his garden.
The view that John Ruskins once described as “one of the loveliest views in England, therefore in the world” (lol, funny man). It is a nice view, I’ll grant him that. It became famous after J. M. W. Turner painted it.
If Ruskin’s View is looking northeast, then this is the view southeast from the same spot. I would argue that it’s more interesting, especially as you can often make out the flat top of Ingleborough (723 m/2,372 ft) in the distance.
The riverside trail towards Underley has some rather beautiful trees.
The last of this year’s blossom of rhododendron. Pretty but invasive, and has a tendency to take over a woodland.
Out of the woods and into the open countryside, heading towards Underley. A rather perfect tree helped make this composition easy. If you were to draw any tree, this would be that tree.
Lisabet and I spotted some seriously massive bracket fungi on some of the trees on the edge of the riverside trail.
This tree would be a little harder to draw from memory, but only because of how fantastical its shapes and twists are.
This is the Underley Business Centre, revamped after a £250,000 investment with the Underley Estate. But once it was the Underley Works and Home Farm, workshops for more than 100 tradesmen who were employed on the estate, from foresters to joiners.
A new footpath connects Underley Business Centre with Kirkby Lonsdale, helping pedestrians to keep out of the road. Happily, it also offers lovely views towards the Barbondale Fells.
Roughly halfway between the Underley Business Centre and Kirkby Lonsdale is this gorgeous little building, so out-of-character compared with the rest of Kirkby.
A little bit of internet investigation reveals that this is Underley Lodge, a former gatehouse to the Underley Estate, now private tenanted accommodation.
The old primary school, St. Mary’s. This was also where Lisabet spent her primary school education. In fact, during her last year at primary school there, she spent a good chunk of it helping staff move books from this building to the site of their new school.
Another one of Kirkby’s famous scenes. This is the view down Mitchelgate towards Gragareth (628 m/2,060 ft).
Looking down Market Street from the bottom of Mitchelgate. Kirkby town centre is bonny.
St. Mary’s Church, probably the oldest building in Kirkby Lonsdale and ultimately what gave rise to the town’s name.
Parts of this church have survived since its Norman construction in the 12th century.
St. Mary’s churchyard is well-maintained and packed with flowers and trees alike.
The view down Mill Brow, which was once the industrial heart of Kirkby Lonsdale.
Halfway down Mill Brow is this incredible house. This is the Old Manor House, or 14 Mill Brow, most of which was built in 1700s (though apparently there are elements of the property that are older).
Looking south down Main Street, the heart of Kirkby Lonsdale town centre. Relatively few people about, but then I suspect that’s because most folk were swimming in the Lune.