|
The
Mardale
Hunt
|
Haweswater
from
Harter
Fell
Mardale
Field
system
The
Dun
Bull
Mardale
Old
Road
Mardale
Droveway
The
Old
Clapper
Bridge,
summer
1989
We stood high on the fell side, the cold was bitter. A covering of snow lay on the very tops of the fells surrounding the valley. Below us hounds were working out a "cold drag", where the fox had been "peedling" (wandering around ) during the night before setting his mask towards his laying up point for the cold day ahead.
I don't recall the year but it was sometime in the late 60s. The Coniston for some reason were not accessible and a lift had been offered to Mardale. Several of us climbed in the back of the old van with the obligatory cargo of terriers and sticks - there was not a lot of space and off we went.
We
always
liked
to
get
on
the
tops
before
the
hounds
lowsed
(loosed)
and
so
it
would
be
an
early
start.
Anyway
finally
the
hounds
dragged
(followed
the
scent)
into
the
base
of
a
cliff
and
unkenneled
the
fox
which
went
out
up
the
cliff
face,
leaping
and
bounding
up
the
ledges
and
grooves
towards
the
top
with
the
odd
hound
in
pursuit,
most
preferring
to
go
the
easy
way
round
to
the
top
before
joining
in
the
chase.
The
"music"
echoed
off
the
crag,
it
was
a
screaming
hunt.
Mardale
and
its
meet
have
always
played
a
part
in
our
family
who
were
regular
attenders
in
the
years
before
the
flooding
of
the
valley
by
Manchester.
Unlike
us
who
went
in
a
van
they
walked
over,
taking
their
few
days
holiday
and
staying
for
as
long
as
they
could
find
somewhere
to
sleep
or
until
the
money
ran
out.
The
pub
was
known
as
The
Dun
Bull
and
many
were
the
stories
of
nights
after
a
meet.
Joe
Bowman
and
the
Ullswater
were
the
pack
in
those
days.
But
everywhere
was
demolished,
the
dead
were
exhumed
and
removed
and
the
valley
was
flooded
(see
Mardale
Hunt
Songs).
Don't
think
anyone
knows
when
the
Shepherds'
Meet
began,
it
was
certainly
going
on
in
the
18th
century
because
Dixon
of
three
leaps
fame
was
attending
it.
The
local
shepherds
met
to
swop
or
return
strayed
stock
and
it
became
a
generalised
time
for
meeting.
Apparently
there
was
horse
racing
on
top
of
the
nearby
High
Street
range,
and
some
poor
soul
carried
up
barrels
of
beer.
But
towards
the
end
it
centred
around
the
hounds
and
the
evenings
in
The
Dun
Bull.
I
sat
in
the
bar
of
the
Dun
Bull
and
had
my
sandwiches
and
a
flask.
Seemed
eerie
sitting
there
a
room
full
of
ghosts
(well
the
few
feet
of
wall
remaining!).
It
was
1976
and
a
severe
drought
had
uncovered
the
remains
of
the
pub
and
quite
a
lot
of
the
house
foundations.
A
clapper
bridge
(held
up
by
its
own
weight,
no
cement),
was
revealed
and
I
think
Dennis
(Barrow)
and
the
Ullswater
stood
on
it
for
pics.
Auld
Hunty
(Joe
Bowman)
of
course
was
long
gone
but
it
didn't
take
much
just
sitting
there
to
imagine
the
nights,
the
songs
and
the
"crack"
(banter).
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