Do I ‘ken’ John Peel? The answer is not as well as I thought and hence the reason for this walk. Everybody knows huntsman John Peel wore his red coat so gay and mounted on a fine horse. Actually his coat was grey and not gay and he mostly hunted on foot. To find out the truth I visited his home village of Caldbeck, which was the base for the Blencathra fox hunt. John Peel died on November 13, 1854 and was known as a hard drinking arch-enemy of the fox. His grave can be seen in the village churchyard and sadly at times it has fallen foul of those against hunting.

There is now a fine conservation area in the village with old mill buildings and a waterwheel. There is a lovely little waterfall nearby which is called the Howk. Caldbeck once earned its living from mining and milling and here there were once eight mills powered by the beck. Priests Mill close to the church has been restored and is quite a tourist complex. Nearby is St Kentigern’s Well which is a small trough cut into the River Caldew.

How to get there:

From the M6 turn off at Junction 40 and follow the B5305 and then left through Hesketh Newmarket to Caldbeck which is set on the Cumbria Way footpath. In the village is the Lake District National Park Authority car park.

Map: OS OL5

Grid ref: 323 399

Distance: 1.5 miles and so this is more of a stroll than a walk but there is so much to see that it is well worth it.

Route:

1 From the car park follow a little lane to a T junction close to the village pond. Turn left to reach another T junction opposite to which are the Old Bridge End Stables. Look for a footpath sign to the Howk. Follow this track through a gate. Pass through this to see the chimney of an old brew house. I am sure John Peel would have enjoyed several pints of beer made here.

2 Old industry can be seen all along the river here and there are a couple of mills with weirs to accelerate the flow of the River Caldew. Visitors to the Lakes these days only think of tourism and do not realise the importance of these villages in the early days of the Industrial Revolution.

3 Pass the mill complex and follow the track upstream past a series of small cascades to reach a flight of stone steps. These steps lead to the Howk Waterfall. It cuts its way through a bowl of limestone and at this time of the year the flowers growing in the area are a joy and include wild strawberry and rock rose. Climb steps to reach a wooden footbridge. At this point the path divides. Go left over the footbridge and take time here to enjoy one of the best views of the Howk. Then climb another set of stone steps and leave this area of woodland through a gate and through fields to reach a road.

4 At the B5299 turn left onto the road. If you, like me, have a dog with you then this is time for the lead. At this time of year, however, I always leave my labrador on a lead even though she is very well trained. We should all remember that we visit the countryside but farmers work in it! Follow this road to reach St Kentigern’s Church.

5 St Kentigern’s has a fine Norman doorway dated to 1122 but there was a Saxon church on this site. St Kentigern founded many churches at this time and he was also known as St Mungo, the Patron Saint of the City of Glasgow. Behind the church is Friar Run named after a hospice set up by the priors of Carlisle to care for the sick. Turn left at the church to reach Priests Mill Car Park.

6 Priests Mill was built in 1702 by the rector of the church and was initially a water powered corn mill. It later functioned as a sawmill. The old name of the river and village comes from the Old Norse Kaldr Beck meaning a cold stream. Even though I visited the place in May it was still a pretty cold spot. It is no wonder that this bred tough folk and John Peel was among the toughest. Return from the mill to the starting point.

NB: Restrictions on space mean that this article provides a general summary of the route. It is advisable for anyone who plans to follow the walk to take a copy of the relevant Ordnance Survey map.