The Nab

Martindale

It was at this point that I heard the first deer roar emerging from the mist filled valley. Then I watched a large herd head at speed high up across the flank of Beda Fell. I'd have needed a telescopic lens to be able to capture them sadly but the Martindale herd are apparently the oldest native upland red deer herd in England.

After that it was a dismal walk. I walked into low cloud and mist and it got wetter and wetter. I held off as long as I could but then put all my waterproofs on and committed myself to an hour or more of 'boil in the bag', or 'sous vide' as they might say in more sophisticated gastronomic circles these days. I returned to thoughts about pets and realised this was one of my 'pet' hates ... 

The mists cleared as I headed down off Beda and I had a little look in the old church at Martindale; a favourite (pet?!). I love the font which is thought to be an old Roman alter with deep serrations where it is believed it  has been used for tool sharpening. And I also love that they haven't yet managed to decipher the inscription on the medieval bell and that the yew tree is about 1,400 years old. I watched the buzzard soaring high above and 2 ravens calling their guttural 'caws' as they flew into the valley mist.