Walk Report
Click any picture once to start the slideshow
Guided walk with Andrew Lowe at Askham - 29th July 2011
Askham A village explored and explained
Should you ever have the chance to accompany Andy Lowe on a guided walk in Cumbria, don't pass it up! The twenty-plus U3A members who recently enjoyed a visit to the village of Askham would agree with me, I'm sure.
Some of you may remember Andy from the talks he has given at monthly meetings, most recently on Cumbrian churches. He is a former building conservation officer for the Lakeland National Park, and has 32 years' experience of the district's vernacular architecture. What he doesn't know about cross-passage plans, date stones and fire windows isn't worth knowing.
On a beautifully sunny day we drove to Askham, a conservation area where the cottages, all listed buildings, surround stretches of village green. There, Andy led us from one building to another. All seemed tohave interesting features to discover. Though an early nineteenth century directory showed weavers, coopers, a tailor and a shoemaker living there, over the years the farms, barns and workplaces have gradually been converted into dwellings. Fascinating to learn from Andy how the size of the window panes give away their date, how the 'bottle-glass' panes now so carefully manufactured to give an 'olde worlde' feel were in fact the rejects from the glass-makers and would have been put into an out-of-the-way back window, how eighteenth century date stones over the door are distinctive in having a 1 in the shape of a J. And so much more.
We paid a brief visit to the village church, could glimpse an ancient tower over the hedges, and Lord Lonsdale was mentioned as the owner of almost everything in sight, but our interest was in the homes of the village people and the way they had developed over the years.
Our slow progress around the village took about two and a half hours, ending with an appetising lunch at the Queen's Head. We were all grateful to our drivers, to Hugh Kennon (who had organised the trip), and,of course, to our outstanding guide Andy Lowe.
Jean English
Photos: Annie Stephens
Click any picture once for the slideshow
