CRACKPOT IDEAS
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06nr54x
With the legend in mind, we set off for Keld, a remote little hamlet in the middle of the dales. The walk began just outside the village, taking a steep path down the hill and behind an old church, with a precariously placed graveyard.
Then the path began to curl upward once more, opening out onto the dales on the opposite side of the valley, it lead over several fields and stiles, during which we had an unnerving experience with a slightly anxious cow, that came gambolling down a hill to find its calf! All over the dales were natural stone barns and bothies, secured against the elements. My phone came in handy to poke into holes and gaps in the walls to see inside!
The River Swale was a very popular walk for ramblers and tourists alike and had beautiful views of the surrounding countryside.
On a bend in the road stood an old barn, with an unfortunate lamb lying just outside.
Passing the barn, the remains of an old tractor mark a fork in the road and after a few yards uphill, we found Crackpot Hall. Interestingly, as we arrived, another party were just behind us and they hurried past to inspect the site - but after a very brief look round and an almost audible remark of " Is that it?" they turned and left.
Whilst Crackpot Hall is no longer a full building, just a series of walls and open rooms, it is still quite an atmospheric place to visit. Apparently it had been a 17th century hunting lodge before it was taken on as a farm building. The name is derived from the Old English word kraka or crake, meaning "crow," and the Old Norse term pot or potte, denoting a deep hole, pit, or cavity, indicating a strong Scandinavian influence, from the original Viking settlers in the region.
Most of the interior structures have now fallen in, due to subsidence from the earthworks below and the action of the weather.
Whilst we prepared ourselves for the return journey, we stopped for a drink and a snack and listened to part of the podcast about Crackpot. A friendly Robin was hopping about the walls and inside one of the stalls, I saw a tiny nest.
In the village was a tiny museum and Heritage centre, which had a display including a section on local wildlife photographers, the Kearton Brothers, from the nearby village of Thirsk. The brothers were famous for their unotrthodox and quite inventive methods of obtaining photographs of birds and other wildlife, including using a fake cow as a hide and custom made tripods and harnesses to dangle from the scarps on ropes, in order to obtain their shots!
Heading down into the valley, the path encountered a series of waterfalls, running in spectacular fashion amongst the trees.
The biggest draw for me was as the path wound higher into the hills as we approached Crackpot, with yet more run down buildings to discover.
The Aerochrome/Infra Red photography app on the phone brought the natural stone into sharp relief against the red grass.
Some of the old wooden stalls in the barn have graffitti carved into the wood, mostly fairly modern, but some suggesting an earlier vintage.
Once refreshed, we set off back down the hill to the waterside, before the arduous climb back into Keld.
In the village was a tiny museum and Heritage centre, which had a display including a section on local wildlife photographers, the Kearton Brothers, from the nearby village of Thirsk. The brothers were famous for their unotrthodox and quite inventive methods of obtaining photographs of birds and other wildlife, including using a fake cow as a hide and custom made tripods and harnesses to dangle from the scarps on ropes, in order to obtain their shots!
