As anyone who has walked the ridge between Clough Head and the Dodds knows, it is a flat whale back of a ridge covered in peat.  Many of the settlements in the valley below date from Norse times (1,000 years ago) as witnessed by the names.  For example Fornside, Legburthwaite and Lowthwaite are all of Norse origin.  So peat will have been an important fuel for at least since those settlements were created.  Fornside and Lowthwaite have their peat tracks on which peat was brought down from the ridge above on wooden hand sleds.

Our walk started at Fornside and passed north along the valley above the fell wall, past Bram Crag, and across the almost dry bed of Sandbed Gill (most of the water is underground at the bottom end of the Gill).  Then into Lowthwaite Quarries and along an old tramway almost to the Old Coach Road.  Up to the fell wall once more and then we doubled back to the bottom of Fisher Wife's Rake above Lowthwaite.  The Fishers lived at Rake How, now in ruins across the valley.  He cut the peat and his wife had the job of transporting it down the most improbable zig zag of Fisher Wife's rake.  Hard work but at least she got a path named after her!  Seriously if you walk this path you have to have admiration for those who used it daily.  It is steep, exposed - and fun - if you have no sled to pull or push!

Then up to Clough Head via Jim's Fold and a photo session on the summit for the Hiley Dogs.  Along the peat ridge to Calfhow Pike.  More like a Dartmoor Tor than a Lakeland Peak, the Pike is visible for miles right across the Lakes.  A 400 yard walk downhill leads to a ruined fold in the rushes at the top of the Fornside Peat Track. This track is in excellent condition considering it has not been used for over 200 years - one of the best preserved of many in the Lakes.  It winds down Beckthorns Rib which also gives great views over the impressive Beckthornes Gill and over the valley.

Soon we were back at Fornside after a walk which very few people will have ever done as a single walk.  I've owned Fornside for 12 years and this was my first time around the whole circuit.

The full album is available on Webshots at http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/565077734wfQKwE

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