ACROSS LAKELAND - A Northern Coast to Coast Walk: From St Bees to Robin Hood's Bay - page 30

THE GREENE FAMILY TRAGEDY
Over on the right-hand side of the dale, small farm cottages sit tight against the fells for
protection. Some were once the home of the Greene family, far-from-affluent farmers,
two of whom died in a snow storm while returning from a sale in Langdale. Unable to
find their way home, the parents lived out their final moments in the storm. Meanwhile,
their eldest daughter, Sally, no more than a child herself, took charge of her siblings,
tended the fire, milked the cows and pressed on with the work of their farm until the
storm abated. Once the alarm was raised, the dead parents were soon found on the
ridge above Blindtarn Moss.
Keep along the lane as it crosses a wide stretch of meadowland, and then
continues to the outskirts of Grasmere at Goody Bridge.
Walkers continuing to Grasmere should simply follow the road ahead
from Goody Bridge, entering the village centre directly.
Variant via Helm Crag
From the head of the dale, a more entertaining alternative is available in
the form of the long ridge on the north side of Far Easedale, passing over
Gibson Knott to the summit of Helm Crag. A prominent, narrow path runs
out from the fence post at Far Easedale Head to pass first round Calf Crag
before continuing in entertaining fashion to Gibson Knott and, beyond the
dip to Bracken Hause, a final steep flourish to the chaotic topknot of Helm
Crag. Though never in question, the path does not always visit the vari-
ous minor summits, but simply presses on its determined and enterprising
way, keen to gaze down on the beauty that is the Vale of Grasmere.
HELM CRAG
The summit rocks of Helm Crag are an amazing array of pinnacles and tilted rock slabs,
many of which, over the years, have attracted names. Indeed, Helm Crag is prob-
ably, visually at least, the best known of all the Lakeland summits, instantly identified
by everyone who continues north from Grasmere bound for Dunmail Raise. One of its
formations, viewed from the vicinity of Grasmere, is immediately recognisable and uni-
versally known as the 'Lion and the Lamb', truly one of the most distinguished of Lake-
land tops. Also named is the summit rock itself, known, for obvious reasons when seen
at close quarters, as the 'Howitzer'. I would encourage anyone who wants to claim to
have 'conquered' Helm Crag at least to touch its very top, but to discourage everyone,
including the most hare-brained, from actually attempting to stand on it!