Lakes and Dales Horseback Rambler

  Alfred Wainwright described Ennerdale as 'a dark and funereal shroud of foreign trees', but today it really is a beacon of hope for nature and is one of the largest National Nature Reserves in England. The Wild Ennerdale project started in 2002 with the aim of regenerating habitats and landscapes to enable nature to thrive. The River Liza has been allowed to become a natural mountain river and the trees are now a mix of native and conifer species with meadow and glad areas. Hardy cows graze the woodland along side wild deer. Rare species include red squirrels and Marsh Fritillary butterflies and there is a plan to reintroduce beavers and it hoped Pine Martens will find Ennerdale soon too.  When you step into Ennerdale you could be in the Canadian wilderness and it really is a place that is good for the soul!  There are over 15 miles of car-free tracks and paths to explore and many other routes link into the valley including Wainwrights Coast to Coast, whi...

  To most going on holiday with your horse is a bit of a crazy idea, but in fact like all holidays it just needs a bit of planning. My friend Bridget had lots of experience of this and we had talked for some time about taking our horses away. After a little research we found out that Wha House Farm ( http://www.whahousefarm.co.uk/ ) would rent us a field and we booked one the Byres camping pods at Stay at Eskdale ( https://www.stayineskdale.co.uk ), which had everything we needed including the Woolpack Inn next door for an evening meal.  Our camping pod The weather the weekend before our trip had been solid rain after an unusual dry period for Cumbria. The forecast for the three days we were away was going to be just as inclement, and as I stood in the field layby with Ryan waiting to be picked up by Bridget I was starting to think we had to be a little bit mad. The rain was on and off and I was already in waterproofs!     The traffic to Eskdale was surprisingl...

This was our last day away and as we needed to be out our accommodation by 10am we decided to do a ride on the way home. After three or four days of rain the sun came out for our last day and it was so nice not to be in full water proofs! We found Ryan and Hope having a lovely nap in their holiday field and I don’t think they really wanted to move.   Finally sunshine!  The tides were not right to go to Silecroft beach so instead we opted for a ride in the dunes and along the seawall at Haverigg. The Cumbria coast is very much a place where people do not think to visit, but if you have not been here you are missing out! In Haverigg y ou can park by the cricket club or on the road near the café.  The route meander through the dunes and if the tide was out you could ride all the way to Silecroft and vis versa. On this ride we just did a short loop through the dunes and along the high tide line and then around the seawall of the RSPB Hodbarrow Nature Reserve. This is a ...

  The weather did not disappoint and I think I spent most of the night listening to the rain, muttering to myself I hope those ponios are ok. Of course they were, they were in a lovely field with lots of grass. A real luxury for Ryan practically as his diet is normally restrict to keep him trim! Feeding horses is an art and it does not take a lot to send the balance the wrong way! We were going to ride high up to Burnmoor Tarn, but the weather was most defiantly against us so we decide to ride on a loop around and over Muncaster Fell. Most of this route is promoted as the Eskdale Trail from Muncaster Castle so hopefully it should be straight forward for a rainy day. With a lot of the route under trees we hoped that this would provide some shelter from the weather!   From the Woolpack we turned right down the lane past Dalegarth Station and then took the lane that leads to the bridleway past Dalegarth Hall. You will then pass through Low Wood and continue onto Forge Bridge....