On the trail of Stephenson's Rocket

PATRICK BARKHAM

It was a wintry late afternoon when I arrived at Geltsdale. Wet, windy, muddy and very, very grey. This is Pennine Cumbria, an austere, bleak and peaceful world away from the bustle and easy beauty of the Lake District. I had planned a route. But, at the car park beside these two hill farms that have become a vast RSPB nature reserve, I discovered there were a multitude of trails – many more paths than on the OS map. Sometimes you just want to follow someone else's trail. So I did. I combined the Forest Head Quarry Trail with the Stagsike Trail to make a circuit of the nature reserve in what was billed as a three-hour walk. I began by following in the footsteps of the Rocket. This was…

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The Oldie (Digital) - 1 Issue, April 2025

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