Wet Sleddale - a Poem by Kathy Tytler

There’s Haystacks and Blencathra, Scafell and Scafell Pike
There’s mountains like Helvellyn that I really, really like
There’s many I’ve not explored when looking on the map
But we’re going to Wet Sleddale, just down the road from Shap

There are lakes waters and meres like Wastwater, Windermere
And tarns and mountain becks, their water running clear
We’ll be by a small reservoir, looking on the map
But we’re going to Wet Sleddale, just down the road from Shap

There are valleys like Langdale with views that are a feast
With mountains surrounding it except the route out east
So many Pikes to wonder at, looking at the map
But we’re going to Wet Sleddale, just down the road from Shap

Looking at where we’re starting from, there’s one way we won’t run
‘Cause that way lies the motorway and navigation won’t be fun
But north or south or west we’ll go, Looking at the map
‘Cause we’re starting from Wet Sleddale, just down the road from Shap

There’s Rafland Forest with no trees and Willy Winder Hill
There’s waterfalls on Sleddale Beck and mink and Peathill Gill
I see plenty of re-entrants from looking on the map
In the area round Wet Sleddale, just down the road from Shap

But there’s sometimes hidden beauty in these little known fells
No crowds, wide open spaces, no honey-potted hell
So I’ll study once again the Saunders Marathon map
Pleased to be going to Wet Sleddale, just down the road from Shap.