Freeman's Pools

I’ve just found a missing post. I was looking for it because I wanted to pop in a link to it from the Freeman’s Wood post I'm writing. But I couldn’t find it, until I realised that it was the one post that I'd written on WordPress. So I’m just copying it into here so that anyone who never made it to the WordPress site can read this missing one.

Here it is, with WP references taken out because they didn't make sense, the Freeman’s Pools post from the 18^th of June:

Wednesday was the last evening of properly fine weather, and I made the most of it. On my own again. Honestly, that Matthew. I tried to tempt him by telling him that I was going to see the Scandinavian houses up close, but he was having none of it.

You'll recall that the Scandinavian houses are on the other side of the river, so I had to go over the ugly blue train bridge to get there. On the way, whaddya know, I saw a ladybird on some grass seeds. Awesome.

Grass is getting super seedy now, eh? It's kind of lovely to see the wild taking over. Perhaps I can just leave my garden as it is and say that I like a natural style. No need to cut those brambles at all.

You actually just want me to stop looking at bits of grass and get to the good stuff, don't you? Okay, you're right, I'll get on with it.

With bags of energy, I skipped over the bridge, stopping only to notice that the mud has turned green this week and that the swans are loving it. What is it? Algae? Well, whatever it is, swans eat it.

Now, it perhaps looks like an unlikely place for a nice walk, but that building site is where we're going. Ready? Yessss, fun times! Come on then!

Oh, just before we go, swans eating green slime. Brilliant.

The first sign that things might not be as they seem from my side of the river was this. How wide is the Lune at this point, I wonder. Well, however wide it is, that distance makes these buildings look completely different. For months, this one has looked to me like the shell of the old warehouse that it used to be because I haven't looked very closely at it. Turns out, it's nearly finished. And, it's got stuff in it. I guessed that it was going to be offices, but I was wrong – it has identical beds and desks in all the rooms, so it's clearly student accommodation. Lancaster has a lot of student accommodation, but how cool will it be for them to be down here, on the quay, right next to town, with a cracking view of the river? And near the home of a by-now world-famous blogger! Well nice. 

What also looks very different is the other bank where Matthew and I usually walk. This is where we get onto the river from the cycle track, and our house is just beyond that wooded area. It looks so pretty from over here, doesn't it? And also really tiny. Walks are amazing for changing your perspective – you can take that literally or philosophically, just as you please.

Now, let me tell you, the anticipation was strong as I approached the Scandinavian houses. I was a little nervous (honestly, I was) because I didn't want to be disappointed. I've long admired these houses from our side of the river, and I didn't want to get up close to them and find they looked cheap or small, or just ordinary. What you'll find now is that you won't understand my enthusiasm for them based on a couple of photos that don't give any real sense of what they're like – but I LOVED them when they came into view. They are really pretty, and MASSIVE! Well, they have that extra floor, so of course they're tall. These with the blue cladding are the nicest, I think. But the ones without the cladding have the nicest balconies.

These ones are also wonderful, except that you can't chat to your neighbours from your balcony. I love the quirky dormers – one of these is for sale. I checked when I got home – these are well out of my price range by about £100k! But that's not surprising at all. *deep sigh* we can't have everything, now, can we? I'll just have to set my sights a little lower. And that's okay. I can still walk here sometimes and admire these terribly clean houses. I mean, they are sooooooo clean it's like falling into Stepford.

Anyway, I was pleased that I'd come over to the posh side for my walk. I was delighted with the Scandinavian houses, which don't look quite as Scandinavian up close, but perhaps slightly Scandinavian inspired.

But that wasn't it. I'd come over for a decent-lengthed walk and I wanted to reach the cycle track that goes to Glasson before turning back for home. It's not difficult to find the cycle track to Glasson – for normal people. But somehow, despite cycling along the track several times in my life and having no trouble locating it, this evening I got lost ... just a little bit. It was the fault of this path: 

Which led to this path. You know by now that if I see a path and I've got juice left in the old legs, I will take that path. I just love a path. Especially if it's a bit overgrown. I suspected that this little one would just follow the river a bit and I'd reach the Glasson track very quickly.

I was sort of right. There's the tip – I told you it sometimes has horses on it. That's where Matthew and I decided to keep going along the river one day and reached Snatchems. That was a delightful walk (apart from the sheep carcass), and I think we should do it again one day.

This path seemed to be taking me completely away from the road. I mean, it definitely was following the river; I just hadn't realised the road wasn't following the river as closely. But intrepid as I am, I decided to see where this path would lead me. I was having a grand old time, tramping about this tiny bit of countryside, and I suspected – based on a whole three months of experience now – that I would be rewarded for my curiosity and bravery. Yes, bravery – because I could hear burly voices off to my right, where there seemed to be another path along the river bank.

The voices sounded cheery enough, and I wasn't actually scared because it was broad daylight and I'm a stocky and double-'ard lady who would have no qualms about kicking someone in the nether regions if I needed to. But also, well, coronavirus – I still don't fancy being breathed on by people without masks.  

I passed a gap in the hedges and saw that the burly voices were probably on their way to a little socially distanced party on the river bank. Several cool-looking young chaps with bottles of Bud and some bangin' tunes nodded to me and said 'a'right?' as I walked past on my little path. Nice. I wonder if these little gatherings will continue when everything's properly open again. I guess not, because we'll all flock back to the pubs. That's a bit sad, but I get it. I fancy a nice pint in a beer garden too.

Well, helloooooo! That's an intriguing-looking new path, is it not? Up we go then. 

What the devil ...? What's this? A moat? Some kind of earthwork? If an earthwork, a modern one, or an ancient one? 

I stood here for a bit, slightly baffled because I've never been here before and I didn't know this particular bit of greenery existed. This isn't the cycle track to Glasson, and that track was nowhere in sight. I wasn't lost in the sense that I wouldn't be able to find my way home, but I was slightly lost in the sense that I wasn't where I intended to be and I wasn't sure where I was. I was in a very pretty place, though. Well then, I thought to myself, let's see what's over there.

It was loud here. The birds were going absolutely nuts, because it was getting towards twilight and they were starting to roost in the trees round about. I found a ... it's not a pond, what is it? It's like a bit of marshland or something. There were swans and other wading-type birds that I couldn't make out (I really need to get some binoculars, man!). Utterly intriguing. I say that because this is clearly here on purpose. It looks like the kind of place that's been preserved for the wildlife. You can visit it if you want, but it's not for people – that's why there's no gift shop. You can always tell if a place is for people because there'll be a gift shop.

Perspectives (physical ones) are strange in photos, but I think I was walking along the top of the earthwork for about two days (because it's longer than it looks), but eventually I came to the end of it and found this lovely big tree and a gate.

Obviously, I went through the gate. I was quite sweaty by now and ready for a cup of tea to refresh myself. This was the perfect spot to break out the flask and have a rest. There's Snatchems, where Matthew and I sat for ages and gazed out at this lovely side of the river. Brilliant. I love looking at the walks I've done over the past three months and enjoying all of the memories. So many of them, already!

There's the earthwork from this side. I love it! I'm going to come back here one day and sit for ages, watching the swans, reading a book, having a cup of tea, and just being quiet. Wicked.

It carries on round the bend, but you can't get to that bit because there's a huge locked gate. Gates can be clambered over, of course, but it didn't seem like the right thing to do, not being my land, so I didn't. I drank my tea, nodded to a couple more burly voices who were out for their state-approved exercise, and then decided it was time to turn back. I could've stretched out my walk for many more miles because there were paths going off in several directions, but I also hadn't had anything to eat and neither had the boys.

There's one of the paths that will need to be explored at some point. I showed the photos to Matthew when I got home and he fancies seeing what's down here. Nice one.

Back on the earthwork, I saw a murmuration. They never fail to amaze, do they? A completely wonderful sight. When I lived in Aberystwyth, we watched such a thing from my window on many, many evenings. That murmuration was soooo gigantic that you had to take shelter until the starlings had roosted under the pier, otherwise you were liable to get pooped on. Ahhh, fun times.

The murmuration split into two groups and this one flew right over my head. I didn't get pooped on. Actually, Matthew and I marvelled the other day about the fact that I have never been pooped on by a bird. Watch now, I'll get pooped on when I'm out for a walk. Of course, I'll show it to you when I do. 

Some horses had come out to play in the field while I'd been drinking my tea. Aren't horses wonderful? I always wanted to learn how to ride a horse, and I don't suppose it's too late. I'll put it on the list. It's quite a long list now.

I skidded back down this intriguing little path, this unassuming gap in the hedge that had led me to a place of astonishing beauty. Brilliant. 

Deciding now that I needed to make sure the Glasson track was still in the same place – you never know in this strange world, a path could have moved – I didn't go the same way back, but followed a different path that I thought might lead me towards the road and away from the river. It did, but, man, I find myself in the most unsuitable places sometimes, don't I? Especially when I'm on my own. Idiot. The whole way along this very narrow gap between two industrial-type yards, I muttered to myself, 'where the hell am I?' and 'you've done it again, woman, got yourself in a pickle'.

But I hadn't really. No pickles here at all. I'd found what I was looking for, the cycle track to Glasson. And the sign says it's four miles away, so I definitely wouldn't be doing this today. But four miles there and back, plus the four to get to this bit and back home, is twelve miles. I think I could manage twelve miles on a weekend day. We'll find out soon!

There's this near the Glasson path. Until quite recently, there were more of these where the Scandinavian houses now stand, and on the site of the new student accommodation. Maybe they're going to build more Scandinavian houses here. Maybe these ones will be smaller and a little more affordable.

Derelict buildings are beautiful though, don't you think? 

I mean, look at that ... that's a piece of art, right there. It has a lot to say.

But anyhow, that was about it for the day. Two miles back down this very clean road, past these very clean houses, over a couple of very neatly trimmed lawns (public ones, don't worry – I didn't go tramping through anyone's front garden), and I was back at the bridge, really sweating now because I'm a very classy gal.

Even sweatier when I got to the top of these bad boys. I don't know if I've mentioned it, but there are more steps on the south side (this side) than there are on the north because the north bank is higher than the south. Fun fact. 

I stood here for a while because on nice days I just don't like going home. My fabulous boys are there, and I like being in my house, crap as it is, but when you're outside and the weather is lovely (Goldilocks weather, about 20ºc), you might as well stay out for as long as you can, no? 

So that was my little world three months ago, when it was still toasty warm out and everything was properly locked down, and when I was walking every day like a good girl. 

Until later, WordPressers.

WQ