Day 6 : ENGLAND : Brampton Grange to Orton

The church bell chimed as we left at 8.45 from the Crown and Mitre this morning– a typical English village scene as we crossed the bridge to the fields beyond. We have left the lakeland fells and have moved east to into flat moorland country.

We headed towards the little town of Shap and as the guidebook poetically said as we set off - “Go through a stone stile and straight ahead, with a line of straggly hawthorns and Fairy Crag up on your right, until you reach the lovely packhorse bridge over Swinburn Beck by Parish Crag.” It was very pretty rural scenery.

Packhorse bridge over Swinburn Beck

 Our first surprise was the ruins of Shap Abbey. It was the last abbey to be founded in England in 1199 by a French order of monks. It was dissolved by Henry V111 in 1540 and since then this wonderful construction has been decimated by locals, using the stone for houses, walls, bridges and for Shap’s 17^th century market hall.

Shap Abbey

Market Hall created from Shap Abbey stones

After Shap, which is near the M6 motorway, we passed by cement factory and disused quarry – a contrast to the national parks we have enjoyed to date. At this point, the gentle pastoral scene transformed into flat moorland. It consisted mainly of sheep, cows, heather, thistles, limestone outcrops, treeless – with dramatic views of where we’d walked yesterday in the distance. It was a fine and cool and perfect for walking. We lunched on a rock near a little river, where in 1651 Charles 11 refreshed his army en route from Scotland to the Battle of Worcester against Cromwell.

Crosby Ravensworth Fell - Moorland

As quickly as crossing the road, Gilt’s Lane, the countryside changed again miraculously and we were back in improved pasture, with country lanes, copses (gatherings of trees) and the most attractive village of Orton.

We arrived at 3, stopping by The George pub to book for dinner, and are now ensconced in another delightful B&B with very comfortable facilities, including conservatory and deck. The B&B is an 18^th century renovated barn – one of two original barns in the village. We were welcomed with fresh scones, homemade biscuits and a refreshing bath. We enjoyed a drink on the deck in the afternoon sunshine before dinner.

B&B in Orton

Relaxing in garden of The Barn B&B

 “Another cracking day” as one BBC weather presenter guaranteed.