- Catbells & Maiden Moor from Little Town -

Date & Time: Thursday 15th November 2007. 11.45 am start.

Location of Start : Church Bridge, Newlands Valley, Cumbria, Uk. ( NY 232 194 )

Places visited : Little Town, Yewthwaite Comb, Maiden Moor, Hause Gate, Catbells and back.

Walk details : 4 mls, 1750 ft of ascent, 3 hrs 40 mins including lunch.

Walked with : Ann and the dogs, Harry and Bethan.

Weather : Cold and frost to start with lovely winter sun, becoming slightly cloudy later.

This was the second cool frosty morning of the week.

The clear overnight skies had let the temperatures drop below freezing and there was a thick frost in our valley.

Looking south we could see the sun rising over Rannerdale Knotts

The cool conditions had formed some low lying valley mist which hung over our end of Crummock Water.

From our bedroom window, a view of Whiteside.

We're supposed to be Puffins, not Penguins !

Great Gable at the far end of the Buttermere Valley had a slight covering of cloud this morning.

The caption has to be . . . "Holy Smoke" . . .

but the morning air is holding the smoke from an early fire in the Kirkstile Pub rather than the Church.

On the way to the start of our walk we pass some local residents in a field just beyond Little Braithwaite.

They were wrapped up warm against the cold - well at least one of them was.

We parked at Church Bridge further up the Newlands Valley, just below Little Town.

Off road parking for ten or so and it's already full.

The fine weather has encouraged everyone out for an early walk.

An unusual view of Causey Pike above Birkrigg Farm

The purple house at Rigg Beck is still standing. Despite being bought a while back, and threatened with demolition, it still stands proud in it's eccentric colours.

Looking back at Scope End with Hindscarth to the left, High Snab Bank and Robinson to the right.

Surrounded by trees below, Newlands Church is bathed in low winter sunshine.

Our walk took us up the mine track behind the buildings of Little Town.

The farmyard geese were making more noise than the sheep today .

The Yewthwaite Mines nestle in the valley underneath Catbells.

Our route today would take us diagonally up the slope ahead.

Last year we took a direct line up the side of High Crags but this time we followed Wainwrights more diagonal route across the rock shelf in the centre.

Hold your cursor over the picture to see our route this time (solid) and last time (dotted).

The more usual route to Catbells or Maiden Moor stays on the mine track, and we would use that on our return.

Ann climbing this relatively steep but easy route up through the crags.

The dogs, as ever, leading the way.

Once round the corner the path continues on at a more leisurely rate of ascent.

Here we look back at Catbells and Skiddaw.

The sheepfold underneath Bull Crag before the final ascent of Maiden Moor.

In the distance, the north western fells look resplendent in the midday sun.

In the shade of the final slope, the frost has not melted

so this has left the sphagnum moss and grasses with a wintery sheen.

Up high we are back in the sunshine and starting to warm up.

This is the summit of Catbells, with someone on top by the look of it.

Derwent Water comes into view as we complete the last part of the climb towards Maiden Moor.

In the far distance just the Helvellyn summit has some cloud cover, otherwise the ridge is beautifully clear.

Maiden Moor summit cairn is a rather small affair, but the view certainly is not.

So spectacular is the location we decide it would be a great place for lunch . . .

. . . which gave us time to enjoy it even more.

Far below us are the Gold Scope Mines and Low Snab Farm

Looking south, the clouds are slowly building as the afternoon progresses.

That cloud seems to be climbing from Ambleside up onto Ullscarf and Helvellyn.

In the foreground, and well clear of cloud, is Grange Fell which we walked last Saturday.

Low afternoon sun on the trees of Low Manesty below.

A classic view of Derwent Water and Keswick as we descend Maiden Moor, heading for Catbells.

An almost surreal view of Brandelhow appearing to rise up into a blue sky.

In fact it is the reflection of the blue sky on the calm waters.

Harry reaches Catbells summit.

In the background the cloud seems to be settling out on Blencathra summit again.

Harry and I on the summit, as Ann shows that I was on the walk too.

Harry is looking for Bethan, who is off enjoying life in her own little world again.

From Catbells we double back to Hause Gate on our way back down to the car.

Our route takes us down through the old Yewthwaite Mines.

An old mine collapse is protected by a second, newer fence as the older one is also starting to subside into the hole.

Little Town Farm are gathering sheep in the yard for some reason.

All the frost has gone as Ann walks back along the mine track at the end of the walk.

- - - o o o - - -

Technical note: Pictures taken with a Canon G7 Digital camera.

Resized in Photoshop, and built up on a Dreamweaver web builder.

This site best viewed with . . . more cold, crisp winter mornings please.

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© RmH.2007 # Email me here

Previous walk - 11th Nov 2007 Great Gable Remembrance Walk

A previous time up here - 7th June 2006 Maiden Moor, High Spy and a swim

Next walk - 17th Nov 2007 On Ilkley Moor - bah'torch