" Low Fell on a Summer Afternoon "

Date & start time: Friday 29th July 2011, .40 pm start.

Location of Start : The red letter box, Thackthwaite , Cumbria, Uk ( NY 148 235 )

Places visited : Watching Crag, Low Fell and the southern viewpoint, Foulsyke & home.

Walk details : 3.4 mls, 1150 ft of ascent, 2 hrs 30 mins.

Highest point : Low Fell 1374 ft - 423 m.

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

Weather : A beautiful summer day.

It is a fell that we look on every day, but as it turns out we haven't it climbed for ages.

After a busy morning at home we get chance to escape at about 4-ish for a late afternoon walk.

The everyday view from the control room.

Out on the roadside, the flowers on the opposite seem to catch the eye today.

In close up, the White Stonecrop are in full bloom and are looking particularly good.

Jobo is missing . . . sorry the notice is nearly a month old.	Parking on the roadside (by the notice) just short of Thackthwaite.

[ Funny . . . I don't remember having a gate on my roof rack when we left the cottage ! ]

The walk starts by the red POST box . . . rather than a red phone box which is more often the case.

We take the lane to Low Fell, passing Thackthwaite House at the start of the gentle climb.

In their garden a wooden Heron . . .	. . . and interesting alternative sculptures.

The lane towards the fell is getting slightly overgrown . . . perhaps we should use it more often.

It surprised us when we looked back and worked out that we hadn't been here for months.

Mmmm . . . cows and dogs don't mix . . . fortunately these were young beef bullocks and were merely inquisitive.

We made sure the dogs were off-lead and they made a wide detour along the fence line to the right. (two of the cattle turn to watch them) After a few polite gestures they calmly parted and bid us good day as we walked on. The problem cattle are often the dairy varieties, especially those with young offspring. These first year mature bullocks seemed as calm and sociable as you would want cattle to be.

It was a warm day so they didn't need to get animated anyway !

The fell gate, the kissing gate now redundant as the adjacent field gate has fallen off its hinges.

An old Ash tree, determined to sprout leaves from its gnarled trunk.

Broadmoor Hill is in the background.

Ann reckons this is the most peaceful place in the valley . . .

. . . so sits a while to contemplate the view

before continuing the climb up the zig-zag path.

Careful where you sit . . . as Bilberry stains are hard to remove from your shorts.

Through the top gate and we're onto level ground.

A short walk and the views of the Buttermere Valley start to reveal themselves.

Ladyside Pike, Hopegill Head, Whiteside and Grasmoor across the Lanthwaite fields.

Watching me . . watching you !

Her mate is a little more reluctant to come forward.

The moorland grass has a red tinge to it

as we start our climb to the highest part of the Low Fell summit ridge.

Over the stile or through the dog gate . . . I chose the former.	A fragile Harebell reflects the ever changing seasons.

Harry displays his fox-brush, look-alike tail.

The view from the top.

Low Fell, Fellbarrow and the distant Scottish coast.

With my back to the north I check out the rather nice view down into our valley.

[ Does the water bottle in my back pocket make my bum look big ? ]

Low Fell to Crummock and on to the distant Central Fells.

The path leads on from the true summit to the southern viewpoint.

Foulsyke houses, our cottage, the Vicarage, Church and the High Park houses beyond.

Zooming in on the head of the valley this fine afternoon.

A little early cloud just brushed the summit of Gable today.

Close up again, but this one is of Scale Hill Cottages and the bridge over the River Cocker.

The dogs wait patently by the southern summit cairn . . .

. . . for Ann to join them and share the beautiful views.

Looking west, down onto Loweswater.

North west this time, into the summer sun.

The sunshine reflects off the far end of the lake and the Solway Firth beyond Workington.

It's not doing a bad job reflecting off Harry too !

England's finest view . . . far exceeding that of Wasdale in our opinion.

Over the southern viewpoint across to Mellbreak, Mosedale and Hen Comb.

Click here or on the photo above for a wide Loweswatercam annotated panorama.

It's our cottage again . . . peeping out from the other side of the fell.

The different perspective shows Gillerthwaite, Rose Cottage, the Vicarage and the Church.

Setting off down the steep southern end of the fell.	The dry grass is remarkably slippery on this steep slope.

Half way down.

Passed the old pine and down through the woods and we're soon back on the roadside at Foulsyke Cottages

where they have a rather nice roadside chair if you want to stop and contemplate the view.

All that remains is to cross the two fields . . .

. . . and we'll be back and have the kettle on in no time.

A great two and a half hour stroll . . . we'll fetch the car later.

- - - o o o - - -

Technical note: Pictures taken with either Ann's Canon 75 or my Canon G10 digital camera.

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

This site best viewed with . . . predictable summer weather and no need to carry a coat !

Go to Top . . . © RmH.2011 . . . Email me here

Previous walk - 24th July 2011 Lorton Garden and Scarecrow Trail

A previous time up here - Sunday 5th July 2009 Low fell with David McNaughton

Next walk - 3rd August 2011 Rannerdale with Dee and John