CONTENTS

• Introduction
• Publications
• Lyth Valley Damson Walk
• Country Code
• Damson Menu
• Local Producers and Outlets for Damson Products
• Public Houses and Restaurants
• Getting Around
• Credits

INTRODUCTION

Damsons have been grown in the Lyth and Winster valleys for generations. It is thought they were originally imported from Damascus (now part of Syria) during the Crusades and given the name 'damascene' - later shortened to damson. Damson trees grow so prolifically in this area because they are suited to the thin calcareous soils and relatively mild climate of the area. Damsons were not only eaten as fruit, but were used in the textile industry as a source of dye.

Damsons are typically found in small orchards adjacent to farms or planted in hedgerows and along boundary walls. They were regarded as an important local commodity and traded every year on Damson Saturday in Kendal. Much demand came from the jam factories of Lancashire and Yorkshire, with around 300 tons of damsons being sent away annually for jam making during the 1930s and 1940s. The income from damsons was often used to pay the annual rent of a farm.

Damson trees produce a profusion of white blossom in early spring that attracts visitors to the area. Every April, the Westmorland Damson Association holds a special Damson Day to promote the damson and to raise awareness of the importance of regenerating the old orchards. You can purchase damson products, enjoy a guided walk around the local area to see the trees in blossom, and learn more about the fruit, its history and its uses.

The fruit is produced from late August to early October and picked by hand. Many local farms put up signs on the roadside enabling you to buy damsons directly from the producers.

Damsons can be eaten when fully ripe, but are more suited to preserving and cooking. They can easily be made into jam or chutney, preserved as bottled damsons or steeped in gin to make a delicious liqueur. Their distinctive flavour makes them an ideal accompaniment for chicken, game, ham and fish dishes. Apart from being used as an ingredient in fruit pies, they can also be added to meat pies, ice cream, chocolates and even bread! A book on damson recipes (A Taste of Damsons by Victoria Barratt) is available from the Westmorland Damson Association, local bookshops and Kendal Tourist Information Centre.

PUBLICATIONS

Damson Country: Walks around the Lyth and Winster Valleys. Published by Crosthwaite Post Office, 1999.

The Lyth Valley Damson. Video on damson production, history of, damson propagation and damson recipes. Produced by the Westmorland Damson Association (WDA).

A Taste of Damsons: From Jelly to Jam by Victoria Barratt. Published by the WDA, 1997.

Cameos of Crosthwaite and Lyth by P. Bownass, P. Mutch, H. Trotter and J. Wilson. Published by Titus Wilson & Son of Kendal, 2002.

Life on the Fell: a Pictorial Chronicle by H. Caldwell, J. Caldwell,
J. Forsyth and B. Offley. Cartmel Fell and District Local History Society, 2000.

LYTH VALLEY DAMSON WALK
(3.5 miles/5.6 km, approx. 2-2½ hours)
Please click here for a pdf of the damson map (2MB)

The best way to enjoy damson country is by bicycle or on foot. There are numerous small country lanes and footpaths that wend their way through woodland, farmland and villages, and at a slower pace you have more time to explore and fully appreciate the distinctive character of damson country. The map highlights a circular walk around the villages of Row and The Howe where damson trees are prolific.

Please note that these two villages have narrow, winding lanes with no parking and are not suitable for exploring by car. It is recommended that cars are left in the layby opposite the Lyth Valley Hotel on the A5074 and that the walk is undertaken on foot.

Directions:

From the layby (1) on the A5074, take the bridleway opposite the Lyth Valley Hotel. This is a steep uphill section with damson orchards on either side. Where the path forks, take the left-hand fork in front of an old lime kiln (2). The path soon becomes a wide track. On the right is a restored dew pond (3), created to provide a ready source of water for livestock.

Continue on to the village of Row, passing a damson orchard on the right. Notice the massive stone trough (4) set into the wall on your left at Sibble Howe. After Barrow Tenement, take the first track on the right, pass in front of Row Farm and turn right up another track. At the top of this track (on the left) is a good example of a well-maintained orchard (5).

Continue through the gate and follow the footpath round by the wall. On your right is another lime kiln (6) with the incline plane still visible. Lime kilns were used to heat limestone rock to sufficient temperatures to produce quicklime. This was then applied to the acidic soils on the reclaimed mosses to neutralise or 'sweeten' them.

Continue following the path adjacent to the wall (7). This wall marks the boundary of the intake fields - fields that were 'taken in' by the villagers from the surrounding common land.

Eventually the path enters a wood through a gate. Keep following the path next to the wall. The wood (8) is a mixed ash and hazel coppice, which may have been used to produce charcoal for the lime kilns. The path gradually diverges away from the wall and eventually meets a track with waymarkers. Turn left here and follow the track downhill past a series of quarries. The track eventually joins another coming in from the right. A little further on lies a huge abandoned millstone (9). This may have been intended for use in a gunpowder works. Limestone was ideal for grinding the components for gunpowder as it did not produce sparks. Continue on the track through a gateway (where another old kiln can be seen on the right) and down into The Howe.

At a T-junction turn right and follow the road downhill. Opposite a house called Draw Well, turn left down a narrow lane. This takes you past several orchards with damson, apple, pear and bullace trees (10).

At the end of the lane on the right, a squeeze stile leads onto a footpath to South Low Farm. On the left is a large terraced damson orchard and on the right, a line of damson trees marks a field boundary. Descend towards South Low Farm, where there is a small damson orchard adjacent to the farm buildings. Cross over a stile and exit onto the A5074.

Turn right and follow the road around an 'S' bend, taking great care as the double bend reduces visibility. At a suitable place, cross the main road and take the footpath on the left. This leads onto a raised bank. Follow to the far end where the path exits onto a minor road. Turn left over the bridge and follow the road around a bend. Ahead are buildings known as Savin Hill (11). Savin Hill Farm produces a range of pies and sausages using meat from their traditional breeds of cattle and pigs.

Although the road bends round to the right at this point, continue straight on and enter onto the Lyth Valley Moss Road (12). Where the track splits take the left-hand fork. These moss roads were built to serve the fields created from the drained mosses. As you walk along this track, notice the long, straight ditches that were excavated in order to drain the land.

Continue on to Cockmoss Bridge, where there is a junction of paths and tracks. Turn left over the small bridge and follow the footpath back to the start, passing a small damson orchard. This footpath (13) is part of a drover's way - a track used by herdsmen to 'drive' their animals to market. At the top is the Lyth Valley Hotel, which was built in the 1930s to replace a former drover's inn that stood nearby. You are now back where you started the walk.

The moss road between Savin Hill and Cockmoss Bridge is not a public right of way. However, users of this trail are permitted to use the road by courtesy of the Lyth Moss Roads Committee and at your own risk. Please note that shooting occurs at certain times of year, particularly in the autumn.

THE COUNTRY CODE

• Keep your dogs on leads in the vicinity of livestock.
• Leave livestock, crops and machinery alone
• Take your litter home.
• Fasten all gates
• Use gates and stiles to cross fences, hedges and walls
• Keep to public paths across farmland
• Guard against all risk of fire
• Protect wildlife, plants and trees
• Help to keep all water clean
• Take special care on country roads
• Enjoy the countryside and respect its life and work

For information on Hervey National Nature Reserve and Latterbarrow, contact Cumbria Wildlife Trust, Plumgarths, Crook Road, Kendal, LA8 8LX. Tel: 01539 816300.
Email: mail@cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk.
Website: www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk.

DAMSON MENU

Aperitif
Damson Gin

Starters
Beef, Damson & Redcurrant Terrine

Main Course
Pork & Damson Sausage with Damson Chutney
Steak & Damson Pie

Desserts
Damson Ice Cream with Damson Syrup
Damson Chocolates
Bottled Damsons

Afternoon Tea
Scones with Damson Jam

Drinks
Damson Wine
Damson Beer

All products available locally

LOCAL PRODUCERS AND OUTLETS FOR DAMSON PRODUCTS

Westmorland Damson Association:
Secretary, Cartmell Fold, Crosthwaite,
Tel: 015395 68246.
Email: enquiries@lythdamsons.org.uk.
Website: www.lythdamsons.org.uk.
Damson wine, jam and bottled damsons.

Cowmire Hall Damson Gin:
Oliver and Victoria Barratt,
Cowmire Hall, Crosthwaite, Kendal, LA8 9JJ.
Tel: 015395 68200.
Email: cowmire.hall@btinternet.com.
Website: www.cowmire.co.uk.
Damson gin and damson chocolates.

Strawberry Bank Liqueurs:
Helen Walsh, Wood Yeat Barn, Crosthwaite, LA8 8HX.
Tel: 015395 68812.
Email: damsongin@aol.com.
Websites: www.damsongin.com or www.strawberrybank.com.
Damson gin and damson beer.

Windfall Cooperative:
Annette Cook, c/o Moss Howe Farm, Witherslack, LA11 6RX.
Tel: 015395 52585.
Damson jam, damson syrup and damson jelly.

Savin Hill:
Michelle Partington, Savin Hill, Lyth Valley, Kendal, LA8 8DJ.
Tel: 015395 68410.
Email: food@savin-hill.co.uk.
Website: www.savin-hill.co.uk or www.lakelandpicnic.co.uk.
Produce a range of meat-based pies and award-winning sausages from rare breed cattle and pigs. Fine food store offering Lakeland Picnic hampers.

Kennedy's Fine Chocolates:
The Old School, Orton, Penrith, CA10 3RU.
Tel: 015396 24761.
Email: kennedys.chocolates@btinternet.com.
Website: www.kennedys-chocolates.co.uk.
Damson chocolates.

Hawkshead Relish Company:
The Square, Hawkshead, LA22 0NZ.
Tel: 015394 36614.
Email: info@hawksheadrelish.com.
Website: www.hawksheadrelish.com.
Damson jam and damson chutney.

Crosthwaite Post Office and Village Store:
Crosthwaite, Kendal, LA8 8HX.
Tel: 015395 68201.
Email: cpo@kencomp.net.
General groceries, off-licence and quality greetings cards. Sells a range of damson products including English Lakes damson ice-cream (sole outlet). Produces own damson chutney, damson gumbo and more!

Bowland Bridge Post Office and Stores:
Bowland Bridge, LA11 6NN
Tel: 015395 68643.
A well stocked store with off-licence and tea room serving coffee and delicious light lunches. Produces damson vinegar and stocks other damson products.

Witherslack Post Office:
Witherslack, Grange over Sands, LA11 6RN
Tel: 015395 52221.
Stocks a range of groceries including damson jam.

Plumgarths Farm Shop:
Crook Road, Kendal, LA8 8QJ.
Tel: 01539 736300.
Email: info@plumgarths.co.uk.
Website: www.plumgarths.co.uk.
Stocks damson gin and damson beer

Low Sizergh Barn:
Sizergh, Kendal, LA8 8AE.
Tel: 015395 60426.
Email: apark@low-sizergh-barn.co.uk.
Farm shop offering locally sourced food and a range of damson products. Tea room, craft gallery and farm trail.

National Trust shop:
Sizergh Castle, Sizergh, Kendal, LA8 8AE.
Tel: 015395 60951.
Email: fiona.clark@nationaltrust.org.uk.
Website: www.nationaltrust.co.uk.
Stocks a range of damson products including damson wine, damson jam and bottled damsons in syrup.

PUBLIC HOUSES AND RESTAURANTS

1. Derby Arms
Witherslack,Grange-over-Sands, LA11 6RH
Tel: 015395 52207.
Email: derbyarms@msn.com
Local speciality is damson crumble (in season).

2. Mason's Arms
Strawberry Bank, Cartmel Fell, LA11 6WW
Tel: 015395 68486.
Web site: www.strawberrybank.com.
Sells damson beer, damson gin and other locally made products. Damson orchard at rear and good views over surrounding area.

3. Hare and Hounds Inn
Bowland Bridge, LA11 6NN
Tel: 015395 68333
Sells damson gin, damson vinegar and offers damson dishes on menu when in season.

4. The Brown Horse
Winster, nr Windermere, LA23 3NR
Tel: 015394 43443
Sells damson beer and damson gin.
Damson dishes on menu in season.

5. Damson Dene Hotel
Crosthwaite, Kendal, LA8 8JE
Tel: 015395 68676.
Web site: www.damsondene.co.uk.
Damson dishes on menu when in season.

6. Punch Bowl Inn
Crosthwaite, near Kendal, LA8 8HR
Tel: 015395 68237.
Email: enquiries@punchbowl.fsnet.co.uk.
Web site: www.punchbowl.fsnet.co.uk.
Award winning pub and restaurant. Sells damson beer and damson gin. Damson dishes on menu when in season. Booking essential.

7. Punch Bowl
Underbarrow, Kendal, LA8 8HQ
Tel: 015395 68234.
Country pub serving bar meals.

8. Lyth Valley Hotel, Restaurant and Bar
Lyth, Kendal, LA8 8DB
Tel: 015395 68233
Produce a home-made walnut and damson chutney and use damsons in other dishes.

9. Gilpin Bridge Inn and Restaurant
Bridge End, Levens, nr Kendal, LA8 8EP
Tel: 015395 52206
Former coaching inn just off the A590.

GETTING AROUND

Public transport
Buses from Kendal and Barrow stop at Witherslack. Another bus (service 541 operated by Kirkby Lonsdale Coach Hire) links Kendal to Windermere via Underbarrow and Crosthwaite.
For further information on buses:
Contact Traveline on 0870 608 2608.
Email: info@traveline-cumbria.co.uk.
Website: www.traveline.org.uk.

Cycle Hire

• Millennium Cycles, Bankside Barn, Crook Road, Staveley, Kendal, LA8 9NH. Tel: 01539 821167.
• Wheelbase, Staveley Mill Yard, Staveley, Kendal, LA8 9LS.
  Tel: 01539 821443. Website: www.wheelbase.co.uk.
• Country Lanes Cycle Centre, Windermere Railway Station Precinct, Windermere. Tel: 015394 44544.
  Website: www.countrylanes.co.uk.

CREDITS
Produced by Anna Gray for the Cumbria Fells and Dales LEADER+ Programme
Researched & written by Anna Gray/John Caldwell
Designed by Andrew Lathwell
Illustrated by David Jackson
Printed by Reed's Printers, Penrith, 2004

Front cover photographs by Val Corbett
Other photographs by David Baxter, Ted Bowness, Peter Cartmel and Jane Martindale

LEADER+ Programme (Cumbria Fells and Dales)
Voluntary Action Cumbria
The Old Stables
Redhills
Penrith
Cumbria
CA11 0DT
Tel: 01768 869533
Email: info@fellsanddales.org.uk
Website: www.fellsanddales.org.uk

This is one of a series of themed trails being produced by the Cumbria Fells and Dales LEADER+ Programme to promote local products.

This project is being part financed by the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund of the European Union and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs through the Cumbria Fells and Dales LEADER+ Programme.

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