Portal to the past...New Gateway to Galava. (Ambleside Roman Fort.)

A metal kissing gate, specifically designed for "large mobility vehicles," was installed last year (2013) between Council owned Borrans Park and National Trust Borrans Field, the site for Galava.... (Ambleside Roman Fort.)

The work was undertaken by National Trust Rangers, based at St. Catherine's, with volunteer help.

A large section of the boundary wall was taken down to allow space for the gate and cage; the wall was then rebuilt and "quoined up" to the gateway.

The surplus stone was used to wall up the old roadside kissing gate for safety reasons......No pavement, and on a blind bend in the road.

With the wall taken down, the kissing gate is being positioned
 and the cage sections bolted together. Image: © J.Lund.

TEA BREAK. Image: ©  J.Lund.
The kissing gate completed, and the walling well underway.
The "quoin end" to the left of the image is being built up to the gate post.

One of the completed "quoin ends" with top or cam stones in place.  

New path surfaced with 15/30 ml. stone from Elterwater Quarry.
The approach to Borrans Park from Borrans Field.

The old kissing gate sited further down the boundary wall. (Still in use)
It is cramped even for pedestrians; it is unsuitable for push chairs, let alone mobility vehicles!

Outlook from Borrans Park to Borrans Field from the the new kissing gate.

The greatly improved access, over the old kissing gate, will now potentially benefit everyone wishing to visit the site of the Roman Fort, Galava, from neighbouring Borrans Park.

Wildlife images

 Wildlife images: (My personal favourites) Central and East Lakes area.

White Clawed Crayfish. (Austropotamobius pallipes)  Nr. Windermere.
Above and below.
Only crayfish native to UK and an endangered species.
Cumbria is the main stronghold for this species in England.

For conservation news see post
Crayfish/Cattle Project.

Female common or viviparous lizard outside St. Catherine's Office.
 Unusual in that they are viviparous (give birth to live young). Image © V. Caudrey.

Grey heron (Ardea cinerea)  near the start of the "Tall Tree Trail." Skellghyll Woods.

Tree Bumblebee. (Bombus hypnorum) at St. Catherine's. A  bee, indigenous
to continental Europe, that was first observed  in the UK in July 2001.
Recently spread to Cumbria. See Post entitled "Bees Please" by Ben Knipe.

Netted Carpet Moth Caterpillar, September,  St. Catherine's, on its food plant...Touch Me Not Balsam.(Impatiens Noli - Tangere)...the only balsam Native to the UK.

Netted Carpet Moth. July. (Eustroma reticulatum) at rest on outside loo wall.
St. Catherine's. A very rare moth, mostly to be found in the Lake District.
For the conservation story see post on this blog site.

Grey Wagtail. (Motacilla Cinerea)  St Catherine's.
Image © V. Caudrey.

Peacock Butterfly. (Inachis io) High Close Gardens. Above and Below.

Longhorn Beetle (Rhagium mordax) Skellghyll Woods.
Image © Ben. Knipe. From Post.....Champion Trees of Ambleside.

Male Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) Windermere.

Roland Wicksteed. Countryside Ranger.

New Gateway for the track to Orrest Head via Common Wood.

Accessible from the A591, to the east of The Windermere Hotel, is a gated track; this leads to a footpath via Common Wood for Orrest Head, a well known viewing point.

The field gate across the track has occasionally been left open; cattle have then sometimes taken the opportunity to go through and get on to the busy A591. 

The offending gate! Image. Ray Gregory.

To reduce the risk of this happening again, a small walled up gateway below the field gate was reinstated, at the farmer's request, with a "self closing" wicket gate for access.

The field gate will in future be padlocked and bypassed by the new gate.

Taking down the walling stone from the blocked off gateway.
Loading up the power barrow (proving its worth again!)

Most of the walling stone has been taken down in this image.

The power barrow in the trailer. The stone will be taken by the power barrow down the Windermere lake path to Millerground; it will be reused for lake shore revetment work. (See previous posts on this subject).

The wooden gate stoop ready to be "stoned in". The power barrow about to take the the last load of stone away for Millerground. The field gate gate can be seen behind the barrow. It is open but no livestock is in the field today.

The "self closing"  hook and top gate band.

The  gate spring will assist the self closing effect.

Painting on wood preserver stain. Looks good and will prolong the life of the wood.

The finished gateway...........

.........and just a reminder of how it used to look! Image Ray Gregory.

The 4 foot wicket gate, complete with self closing or self fastening catch is much easier to use than the old field gate; it just looks much more inviting to walkers, and will minimise the risk of cattle getting on to the road from here!