" Bowness Knott in Ennerdale " at EveryTrail
 

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Jo is over and the weather is poor . . . hopefully no connection. 

A lower level walk is needed and Ennerdale comes up trumps with brighter weather and no rain.

A new summit for Jo, only the second time at this summit cairn for us too.

After a quiet morning and and lunch at home we find ourselves in Ennerdale.

After some time pondering over the map we had the inspiration to try this walk again now that the cleared forestry at the top of the minor fell

should have settled back to to a reasonable level of wildness.  Four years ago it was a nightmare bash through recently cleared trees.

Car parking at Bowness Knott car park is extensive enough to find a place easily.

Bowness Knott itself is way up to the right . . . we'll need a round about route to get there.

That starts by walking back along the road past the old farmhouse that gives its name to the area . . . Bowness.

Jo getting her leg over . . . in the nicest possible way (as Kenny Everett used to say).

The stile leads us out onto the open fell.  The dogs were able to use the small opening with the mesh cover.

Summer and the bracken is high . . . the stile can be seen down by the roadside.

The high bracken also hides surprises . . . Baa.

Over the stile and we are into the forestry, but this section was never commercially planted so never disturbed.

The late summer has led the heathers to burst into flower with their classic purple colour covering this part of the fell side.

Where the forestry was cleared, four years of naturalisation has allowed the moorland grass to re-grow between the brash.

A lovely, large patch of sphagnum moss, different colours from slightly differing varieties presumably.

In there are a few other types of plants as yet unidentified.

An almost iridescent green patch of moss surrounds a patch of bright purple heather.

The summit cairn of Bowness Knott.   Behind is Herdus, the western crags of Great Borne fell.

This ascent using a more direct route was a lot easier than the one fighting our way through cleared forest that we used last time.

We gravitate down and across the to the viewpoint a little closer to the edge.

Looking down to the car park, now well below us . . . to the right is the Bowness farmhouse again, presumably now a private home or bothy.

Standing a short way back from the girls I catch a full panoramic view of the scenery.

Click here or on the photo above for a Loweswatercam 360 degree annotated picture

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Zooming in on the foot of the lake . . . there are the buildings of the United Utilities site works.

Presumably the river is flowing over the weir again as the lake level is back to normal after recent rains.

The work seems to involve a second pipeline away towards the Cold Fell road, there are diggers in the second field and in the distance.

As the girls moved back from the edge Jo stops and turn for this "first time on Bowness Knott" type photo.

Now for the fun and games of finding our way through this lot

as we plan not to return by the same path as we used on the way up . . . that's me trying to scout for an easy way through.

If you look carefully you can see stones cairns on top of tree trunks and the occasional straight log, lined up to form a path edge.

We cover the ground easily by using the path and now the forest track is guiding us slowly downhill.

It seems that this hidden quarry still supplies gravel for making and repairing the forestry roads of the valley.

A simple but effective stone bridge allows the forest track to cross Smithy Beck.

A clearing in the woods, near the area marked as settlements on the 2.5 inch map, has the remains of old dwellings, summer sheilings perhaps, from centuries past. All that remains now are the collapsed walls of old homes, lost in the grass and bracken. An old sign (long gone) used to give an indication that they may have been associated with the old Smithy or Iron Furness by the lake, hence the name Smithy Beck for the stream in this side valley. ( picture circa 2003 )

We join the Smithy Beck Trail and continue on down towards the lake once again.

Rather than take the direct route to the lake we turn right and trace the marked path back through the trees.

It has a substantial bridge so the river must be running all the time.

Onward along the trail leads to other bridges, following a well graded path.

Harry first in for a swim . . . and the last in too !

Crag Fell, the Pinnacles and Angler's Crag on the other side of the lake.

The pool next to the picnic tables is full again,

confirming the normal height of the lake has been re-established after the dry summer period.

From here the lakeside road climbs slightly back to the car park and the end of the walk.

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