The Tebay Gill Round.
Start. Tebay.
Route. Tebay - Tebaygill Farm - Roger Howe - White Combs - Powson Knott - Blease Fell - Tebaygill Head - Hare Shaw - Knott - Weather Hill - Waskew Head - Tebay.
Notes. A straggled village of terraced houses nestling in a delectable setting on the edge of the Lune Gorge, rail and road seem to pass it by, this is Tebay, but it wasn't always so. Tebay grew as a result of the Turnpike in 1760, ideally placed it became an important staging post, with the coming of the railways in 1846 it grew into a significant railway junction, this all ended when the Beeching axe fell in 1968. The proceeding years have been cruel to Tebay, the whole place has a slight air of neglect about it, with businesses finally moving back to fill the void left by the demise of the railways Tebay is finally on the up, as far as us hill walkers are concerned it's an ideal gateway to the north west Howgills, and that’s where I was today.
I parked the car at the recreation ground, across the road next to the Old School House a lane heads up the fell, this I followed, over tarmac at first, passing between lock up garages before crossing a cattle grid, the lane climbed to a junction guarded by a sign inviting me to Tebay Gill. Following this track I passed Tebaygill Farm to reach a ruinous barn, here I left the track to ascend Roger Howe, once on the ridge a green path carried me upwards, soon crossing White Combs then Powson Knott followed by the long ascent to Blease Fell.
To the north-east Tebaygill Head, a formidable tract of peat hags and sphagnum moss filled pools guardian of the grassy slopes of Hare Shaw, a faint path guided me towards the mire before abandoning me to my own means, carefully I picked my way through reaching the summit of Hare Shaw thankfully with dry feet. A small cairn adorns the summit backed by stunning views to the north, views also of my descent route over the wide grassy rolling ridges of Knott and Weather Hill. Following the obvious path I kept to high ground as long as possible, the ridge ended at the rather sad remains of Waskew Head, this dilapidated farmstead is still in use, obviously not as a farm, at least the farm lane is serviceable, just, I followed this track into the valley cut by Tebay Gill, after crossing the gill at a delightful little bridge I joined tarmac for the short stroll back into Tebay.
On the skyline the two trees mark the sad remains of Waskew Head.
Seen from Tebaygill Farm, across a sunlit Lune Valley Orton and Great Asby Scars.
Hare Shaw across Tebay Gill.
Ascending Powson Knott looking to the Great Coum face of Grayrigg Knott.
Sunlight on the tiny hamlet of Roundthwaite, as seen from the slopes of Powson Knott.
Spectacular sweeping panoramas, stretched out across the skyline the north Pennines.
Sunlit brushes the summit of Jeffrey's Mount, dark on the horizon the Whinfell ridge.
A stunning view over the upper Lune Valley.
The threat of a storm.
A glimpse of Morecambe Bay, seen from the north cairn on Blease Fell.
In the distance seen over the slopes of Hare Shaw the north Pennines.
Here's a photo that turns the pages of the history books, from left to right, Fairmile Road built by the Romans after the invasion around 43 AD, to it's right the River Lune trade route used by Viking invaders and settlers around 925 AD, most of the place names in Cumbria date back to this period, the West Coast Main Railway Line driven through the Tebay Gorge between 1830-1870, and finally the northern section of the M6 Motorway built in the 1960s to early 70s, what next?
Views over Grayrigg Pike, the flatlands of the Kent Valley including Morecambe Bay and to the left on the horizon Arnside Knott.
Still under cloud Fell Head, seen over the deep cut ravine of Carlin Gill.
Viewing the deserted valley of Borrowdale with the High Street massif across the skyline.
Rising from Carlin Gill, at last free of cloud, Fell Head.
The summit cairn Hare Shaw, small cairn big view.
Lit by the afternoon sun, the northern slopes of Hare Shaw, my descent path clearly visible.
Viewing The Calf across the many rolling summits and grassy ridges of the walker friendly Howgill Fells.
Tebay Gill and the delightful bridge that aided my crossing.
I took this shot because I liked the colours, Edge Farm, on the edge of some delightful walking country.