Turner Hall Camp Site

The Duddon Valley will delight walkers, mountain bikers, climbers, nature lovers and those who enjoy the peace and beauty of the countryside. The tiny villages of Ulpha and Seathwaite are two focal points of the valley. At Ulpha there's a Post office/village shop whilst Seathwaite, situated near the end of the ancient Walna Scar road, boasts the 16th century Newfield Inn, where good home-cooked food, real ales and a warm welcome await, all day all year.Pubs and ShopsThe Newfield InnA traditional sixteenth century Lakeland Inn located in Wordsworth's favourite valley. We are open every day throughout the year*We stock a variety of local Cumbrian beers and our full menu is served from 12 noon until 9pm. Steaks a specialty. Home made vegetarian dishes. Our attractive beer garden alongside a children’s play area offers spectacular views of the local hills.Open: 11am - 11pm Mon-Sat 12am - 10.30pm Sun (11am for coffee) *Christmas day 12noon – 3pm, no food served*Boxing day 12noon – 6pm, food served 12noon – 5pmUlpha Post Office and General StoreUlpha Post Office and Village Store can be found in the delightful Duddon Valley in England's Lake District. Located on the road from Broughton-in-Furness, 4 miles (6km) away, this small shop offers a good range of groceries as well as Post Office services.Artwork and local crafts may be viewed in a small adjacent gallery.Newspapers, groceries, ice cream. etc.Post office services available six days a week including Saturday and Sunday. Closed each day for lunch 1pm until 2pm and all day TuesdayLocal tourist information pointPostcards and souveniersPlaces of InterestThe Dock Museum, Barrow-in-FurnessHolker Hall and Gardens, Cark-in-CartmelLakeland Motor Museum, BackbarrowLaurel and Hardy Museum, UlverstonLakeside and Haverthwaite Railway, HaverthwaiteThe Little Ratty Railway, Ravenglass/EskdaleAquarium of the Lakes, Newby BridgeWild Animal Park, Dalton-in-FurnessMuncaster Castle and Owl Center, MuncasterLazerZone, Barrow-in-FurnessSwarthmoor Hall, UlverstonConishead Priory, UlverstonActivitiesWalkingThe Duddon Valley has huge scope for hill walkers, giving access to classic peaks such as Scafell Pike (978 m.) and The Old Man of Coniston (803 m.). Easily accessible from the valley are Dow Crag, Harter Fell, Greyfriar, and Caw. If you are lucky with the weather it may be clear enough for you to see the five ancient kingdoms of England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales and the Isle of Man from a single vantage point. Plenty of less challenging fell walks take in tarns, waterfalls, lower pikes and crags which offer stunning views. You can wander over the Dunnerdale Fells into the delightful Lickle Valley, across Ulpha Fell or Birker Fell and into Eskdale. Those who prefer shorter, more leisurely walks can follow footpaths through woods, across farmland and along the river, discover the magnificent Wallabarrow gorge or explore Dunnerdale Forest. There really is something for everyone.Detailed walks can be purchased locallyCyclingThe valley and surrounding fells provides many routes for on-road and mountain biking. The Coast-to-Coast Cycle Way passes through the area and other off-road possibilities include the ancient Walna Scar Road and various bridleways, but mostly not for the faint-hearted! Climbing and ScramblingEasily reached from the heart of the valley, Wallowbarrow Crag (click for map) provides around 30 routes to suit climbers of all grades including the popular "Trinity Slabs" (VD) and "Thomas" (S). It faces south-west and is a popular crag, particularly when the weather makes the high mountain crags less attractive. There are also other minor crags, including Stonestar and Seathwaite Buttress. To the east there is classic climbing at all levels on Dow Crag, accessible via the Walna Scar track.There are also many good scrambles in the area, for those who prefer to travel light and leave the gear behind but still enjoy the rocks. (See "Scrambles in the Lake District" and "More Scrambles in the Lake District", published by Cicerone.)FishingFishing licences available at Ulpha Post OfficeFishing at Seathwaite Tarn £5 permits available at the Newfield Inn(your £5 is donated to Duddon and Furness Mountain Rescue Team)Millom and District Angling Association permits available at Broughton Information CentreEmail: [email protected]CanoeingThe Duddon must be rated the best river in the Lake District, it hosts a great variety of excellent rapids with a range of grades and sections to suit many different groups.When conditions are right it splits conveniently into four sections:Wrynose Bottom to Birks Bridge grade III 4kmBirks Bridge to Hall Bridge grade IV (V) 5kmHall Bridge to Ulpha Bridge grade III (IV-) 3.5kmUlpha Bridge to Duddon Bridge grade III/IV 6kmFor further information see Stuart Miller, White Water Lake DistrictHistory of the ValleyFrith HallFrith Hall is visible as a romantic ruin on the skyline as you drive up the valley. Four hundred years ago it was a hunting lodge overlooking the deer park of Ulpha (Frith means 'in the wood'). So at some times of year it would be as quiet and peaceful as it now is but at other times full of bustle and activity as the gentlemen of the Hudleston family came out from Millom Castle to hunt the deer. You may be lucky enough to catch sight of a deer on your holiday. Three hundred years ago Frith Hall was no longer a host to the gentry but a hostelry open to all, a stopping place for pack-horse teams and their drivers on one of the old roads in and out of the valley. Like all routes to and from the coast, it was used by smugglers as well as honest carriers. The Isle of Man was then a notorious centre for smugglers and the Board of H.M. Customs had its work cut out defending the rugged Cumbrian coastline from the persistent and ingenious approaches of the denizens of that 'warehouse of frauds'. The Board's Whitehaven representative reported that the town and country were 'mostly supplied with brandy, rum, tea, tobacco, soap and other high duty goods illegally imported'. So strong drinks were cheaply available at Frith Hall, which made the place lively and at times violent. At least one of its clientèle died there. Not much peace and quiet in those days. Two hundred years ago Frith Hall became a farm, and still stands on farmland. Now the enigmatic Herdwick crop the grass in silence where once the lords rode out to the chase and midnight brawls disturbed the peace.Ulpha and Seathwaite ChurchesUlpha church is a testament to the craftsmanship of one-time parishioners with the altar itself carved from a local cherry tree. There are still the remains of wall paintings high up on the inside of the church. Outside the church look for the gravestone of the man who died in the "pitiless storm".Seathwaite church cannot be visited without recognition of the life of Wonderful Walker, an 18th century parson whose life inspired Wordsworth's "The Excursion".Quaker Burial GroundFurther up the valley, as you look across from the Ulpha side to the Seathwaite side, you will see a sober, square enclosure planted with conifers. That is a Quaker burial ground. No ostentation there, no headstones, statues or monuments. All is plain and quiet, inviting meditation. The last burial took place in the middle of the eighteenth century, while below, at Duddon Hall, Major Cooper and his aristocratic friends cheered on the fighting cocks and placed their wagers. Some come in pursuit of sport and excitement, some in search of tranquillity. Over the centuries the hospitable Duddon Valley has managed to accommodate them all.Duddon HallDuddon Hall is the imposing building that appears below you on your left as you drive up the valley. It is now divided into apartments but was once the grand house of the valley, inhabited by the lord of the manor of Dunnerdale with Seathwaite. In its grounds can be seen an elegant Georgian chapel that looks a bit like a pagan temple. The chapel is circular in shape and a handsome stag surmounts its portico. It was built in the eighteenth century by Major John Cooper and celebrates his love of hunting. The circular design was made to allow the chapel to double as an arena for cock-fights, held on Sunday afternoons.Seathwaite TarnIn 1904 the dam at Seathwaite Tarn was built to supply the expanding town of Barrow-in-Furness with water. The navvies brought in to build the dam rioted at the Newfield Inn and one man was shot dead, much damage was caused to the local buildings including the church where many of its windows were broken.IndustryThe fell side provided the Duddon with its greatest resource. Water-power from the river was utilised both the bobbin mill and corn mill at Ulpha. Quarrying and the sale of slate, the only local building material, brought valuable income into a once self-sufficient community. The workings of the quarries are still visible on the hillside and some of the most beautifully marked slate came from Walna Scar. An example of this can be seen on the floor of the Newfield Inn at Seathwaite.Duddon Bridge Iron FurnaceThis was established 1737, it was supplied with charcoal from the ancient coppiced woodland nearby. The pitheads of the charcoal workers can still be found. Further information can be seen at the site of the furnace, which has recently been restored.