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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Hawes Bridge, Kendal, Cumbria, Summer
COVID-19 is in da house.
COVID-19 is in da house.
2 years and 3 months after the initial UK-wide Lockdown announcement, my poor Lisabet has contracted the virus.
She’s being quarantined in the bedroom, door shut, windows open, and donning a mask whenever I need to go in to deliver brews or food.
She’s coping well but the coughing does not sound nice.
As I’m transitioning between jobs at the moment, I actually have a bit of free time before I start at my new position. Thankfully this means I’m able to be useful in the house and help look after her.
Today, Lisabet insisted I make use of this week’s mini-heatwave and head out for a nice waltz in nature. So I did. A good 7-mile circular jaunt from Kendal town centre to a local favourite and back, Hawes Bridge.
All photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Vivitar “Series 1” 28–105mm ƒ/2.8–ƒ/3.8 and a Laowa 9mm ƒ/2.8 prime. Images made 90% in-camera using Øyvind Nordhagen’s OWH Daylight Fujifilm recipe, gently finished off in Affinity Photo.
A grey heron (Ardea cinerea) standing in the middle of the River Kent, waiting for lunch. I love when they adopt this more “hunched” stance; sort of makes them look like a grumpy old man in the rain.
Looking back at the heavily overgrown path I was following all the way to Scroggs Wood.
Beyond Scroggs Wood the trail heads through the open fields alongside the River Kent. It’s at this point that pollen from all the grass really starts to wreak havoc with my sinuses.
Like a beautiful bonsai tree, but bigger.
The clear way to the falls at Hawes Bridge.
Above Hawes Bridge falls lots of teeny falls trickle into the river from the fields above.
The gorge around Hawes Bridge is proper lush with flowers and vegetation. And insects. And pollen.
Hawes Bridge falls, looking a lot tamer and smaller with the lack of rain in recent months.
Thousands of years of erosion because of this waterfall have carved overhangs above the river. Be careful near the edge.
Bumble bees happily lapping up the pollen on all the flowers in the gorge. My sinuses and eyeballs were not has happy with all the pollen.
The gorge is lush and verdant, framed nicely underneath Hawes Bridge.
On goes the ultra-wide lens to really feature some of the shapes in the limestone carved by the waterfall.
Through the bridge I zoomed in deeper into the gorge, looking almost jungle-esque.
I hopped on top of Hawes Bridge for some compositions looking down into the deep dark gorge.
The other side of the gorge towards the falls. You can see how the waterfall has carved shelves and ledges.
Spider webs? No. These are probably from ermine moth caterpillars, created as a form of protection. Creepy-looking, eh?
Back out of the gorge, I elected to follow the footpath along the A591 all the way back into Kendal. I knew this route would be windier and keep the bugs away. And help cool me down.
This beautiful cottage at Prizet sits just alongside the A591.
As I near Kendal, this scene reminds me that—in Cumbria—you’re never far away from the countryside.
The ruins of Kendal Castle sitting above Lound Road.
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West Burton Falls, Yorkshire Dales, Spring
Another Yorkshire Dales waterfall ticked off.
Another Yorkshire Dales waterfall ticked off.
On the way back from our weekend at Pateley Bridge, where we scrambled up Trollers Gill and explored Almscliffe Crag, we decided no the scenic route right through the centre of the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
From Pateley Bridge this involves driving through Upper Wharfedale and scaling the gap between Buckden Pike and Yockenthwaite Moor, before dropping down into Bishopdale and joining the A685 west at Aysgarth.
Before the main road, though, we decided to stop at West Burton, a small and beautiful village. Scenes of a pristine Yorkshire Dales village are available in every direction, featuring a large village green, aged limestone buildings, and friendly residents.
Even better, not 5-minutes walk from the village green, one can find and explore the stunning Cauldron Falls, also known as West Burton Falls.
All photo shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using two of my prime lenses: the Fujinon 23mm f/2.0, and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. Images developed using RNI Films' Portra 400 film profile.
Even after a dry spell there was still plenty of water flowing over the falls.
From the other side of the gorge that the waterfall had carved out, it's possible to navigate across some rocks to get right in the middle of the gorge.
It's easy to see these falls are called Cauldron Falls, as millennia of erosion by the waterfall has created a natural bowl of an amphitheatre.
No Yorkshire Dales beck would be complete without a beautiful and ancient stone packhorse bridge.
I navigated as close to the waterfall as the slippery rocks allowed.
Back at the village green, father and son enjoy a kickabout.
The fells of Bishopdale and Walden Moor embrace the village in a comforting hug.
The beautifully manicured village green runs alongside the Main Street through the village. In the distance are the Wensleydale fells.
There were some gorgeous old Yorkshire Dales cottages to gawp at around the green.
A proper cosy and sleepy little place.
Gotta have a local pub in a Yorkshire Dales village.
A crackin' way to cap off the Easter weekend.
Pandemic Peregrinations: Helsfell Nab, Kendal, Cumbria, Winter
The Pandemic Peregrinations are back.
The Pandemic Peregrinations are back.
On the 4th of January 2021 the UK entered its 3rd National Lockdown due to rising COVID-19 cases and a new—more infectious—variant ravaging its way through the nation.
The British public are being urged to stay home at all times, save for one lot of exercise a day and essential shopping. I’m back working remotely from home again, and we’re only heading out to get some manner of exercise in, plus occasionally shopping for food.
Winter has well and truly arrived.
We decided to combine both an essential food shop with our day’s exercise today, so we hiked up Kendal Fell via Helsfell Nab, aiming towards the wonderful Plumgarths Farm Shop.
Despite the lockdown plenty of people were enjoying sledging in the somewhat slushy and frozen snow slopes of Kendal Fell. We carefully dodged the kids and adults alike whizzing passed us in their sleds, and continued on an occasionally perilously slippy walk to Plumgarths and back.
Lots of sheep about, too.
In other news—as of Saturday 9th January 2021—3,017,409 people in the UK tested positive with the virus, with 82,624 recorded deaths.
Stay safe and warm, everyone.
All photos shot with a Fujifilm X-T2 using my Samyang 35mm f/1.2 lens. Developed using RNI’s Kodachrome film profile.
Fresh snow everywhere.
Winter has well and truly arrived.
We made friends with this gorgeous girl, who was exploring the winter landscape.
We really had to watch our footing on most of the walk. Most of the snow had either frozen over or was heavily compacted, making it all rather slippery.
A wintery Kendal town.
There were plenty of sheep around the lower slopes of Kendal Fell. Not sure of the breeds, probably a lot of North England Mules.
You’re never far from the countryside in Kendal.
I love the quizzical expressions sheep give you.
Managed to snap this young lass as she sped down the slopes of Kendal Fell.
Our way forward.
It was nice to see families out enjoying the “snow”.
My lovely Lisabet keeping up, despite slippery conditions.
Navigating through the woodland below Helsfell Nab.
As we gain height the views open up and the cloud shelf lowers.
We skirt around the lower slopes of Cunswick Fell to head towards Plumgarths Farm Shop. A beautiful Cumbrian winter scene.
The lonely track towards High Helsfell Farm.
Our destination for the day: Plumgarths Farm Shop. It’s a small place, so Lisabet went in to get supplies and I stayed out.
Christmas Wanderings
I enjoyed a wonderfully chilled and wholesome Christmas with my Dad and Lisabet, at Dad’s farm cottage in the middle of nowhere.
How was your Christmas? I enjoyed a wonderfully chilled and wholesome Christmas with my Dad and Lisabet, at Dad’s farm cottage in the middle of nowhere.
In between the gifting, the presents, the drinking, and the cooking, Dad and I had a wander around the glorious rural area he lives in. Being the sneaky bugger he is, Dad got me a new lens for Christmas: a Fujinon XC 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 OIS. So now I can finally zoom in on my landscapes and get some fresh perspectives! Here’s a couple of shots from our wander using my new lens, all shot on the Fujifilm X-T2.
Dentdale, Yorkshire Dales, England
A week ago, in the Yorkshire Dales, we experienced a winter fairytale. Today, all the snow has gone. The air is damp and drizzly, everything is wet, and the fells are cloaked in swirling clouds.
A week ago, in the Yorkshire Dales, we experienced a winter fairytale. Today, all the snow has gone. The air is damp and drizzly, everything is wet, and the fells are cloaked in swirling clouds.
It’s still beautiful, though. Lisabet and I enjoyed a stroll around Dentdale, one of the westernmost dales in the Yorkshire Dales, its village and its valley. Further up towards the head of the valley you’ll find a couple of viaducts crossing steep gills, with Arten Gill Viaduct one of the more epic ones. Today was a different kind of winter; gloomy skies, vivid moss, and a rain-soaked landscape.
Photos taken with a Fujifilm X-T2 and a Samyang 12mm f2.