Ruined Farm, Bretherdale

I seem to be developing a bit of an attraction to ruins, last week there was a ruined barn (Monday's alternative blip) and Friday a ruined wharf.

This was in upper Brethersdale, a valley to the south of Birkbeck Common where I was last Monday, and in the no-man's land between the A6 and the M6 north of Kendal. This is outside the Lake District National Park. On a fine weekend day like today, most of the National Park to the west crawls with walkers, but on my walk today, I saw two other people all morning. This is the land that time forgot.

Beyond the last working farm going up the valley, I counted four abandoned, ruined farms. This is the second one. The third is shown here, in a view back down the valley and towards the Howgill Fells in the distance.

This was one of the more intact, and I liked it particularly for the mossy green roof. The roof of the adjoining barn has fallen in. The farm is overtopped by large sycamore trees, and the stonework in this photograph has the morning shadows of trees traced all over it.

The verdict on yesterday's blip appeared to be in favour of the alternative, the mist enshrouded Arnside Tower farm. They were difficult to compare as they were such different subjects. Swans are always elegant and when floating on still, blue water, they are hard to beat. The misty farm though is an unusual sight, the farm is ugly when in the full glare of sunlight, but yesterday it did have a little magic.

A weekend of beautiful late Autumn weather. We are battening down the hatches for a wild day tomorrow as the next front storms in from the west.