Remember: Press F11 for a full screen view of this page.
 

" The Coffin Road with Tre & Jason and family "

Date & start time: Monday  28thDecember 2015.

Location of Start : Roadside above Fangs Brow, Loweswater , Cumbria, Uk ( NY 105 226)

Places visited : Fangs Brow, The Chair, Holme Woods, Holme Force and home.

Walk details :  4.2 mls,  700 feet of ascent, 1030 feet of descent, 2 hour 15 mins.

Highest point : In the quarry area above The Chair, about 1200 ft above sea level.

Walked with : Tre, Jason, Luke, Bella, Ann and the four dogs, Stan, Ern, Dylan and Harry.

Weather : Windy and mild but not raining.

© Crown copyright. All rights reserved. Licence number PU 100034184.

 

Two walks in this continuing poor weather but conditions ease as the poorest weather moves away South for a while. 

Tre and Jason are up on holiday and called over for a low level walk around the Loweswater area.

First, a few pictures from this week, starting with a damp Christmas Day walk.

'Tis the season of goodwill and Christmas morning the dogs wait expectantly for either their presents

. . . or more likely their breakfast !

At midday we take the opportunity of some dry weather to get out for a local walk up onto Scale Hill,

but we head up from the Lanthwaite Green side as the car park and the track directly to the lake seemed far too busy.

The trees planted on Lanthwaite Hill are proving slow to mature,

but some of the saplings have grown above the tops of the protective plastic tubes.

As the cloud and rain start working their way down the valley from the high fells we stop for a brief look around.

Christmas day on Lanthwaite Hill.

Click here or on the photo above for a Loweswatercam 360 degree annotated Christmas panorama.

Christmas for me also involves a second celebration . . .

Today I officially get grey hair and can think about future plans

. . . just eight more "working days" to complete at Fishers.

But first . . . time to blow the candles without spitting in the wine !

Oh . . . and yes they had presents as well . . . on Christmas Day.

- - - o o o - - -

On Monday we had a visit from Tre and Jason and family who are up in the Lakes for Christmas.

They are staying in a bungalow in Keswick, and fortunately their holiday hasn't been disrupted

despite the flood damage in the town. Like others, they are keen to support Cumbria after the recent devastating floods.

A lower level walk rather is best rather than hit the higher summits on this blustery day.

The photo includes Ann, Tre, Luke, Bella, Jason and the four dogs, Dylan, Stan, Ern, and Harry.

We parked at the roadside above Fangs Brow to do a linear walk back to the cottage . . . we'll fetch the cars later.

It looks busy but we parked easily after two early walkers had finished and left car spaces right next to the gate.

Fangs Brow farm and a misty view of Criffel in Scotland if you look carefully at the centre of the photo.

The track leads all the way to High Nook Farm and eventually Loweswater itself.

It is said that it connects the village to St Bees Priory on the coast as an ancient coffin route.

Tre and Ann deep in conversation, Tre's hood being inflated by the mild but strong breeze.

The first view over the old walls of Loweswater and Crummock lakes.

The fells are clear of cloud today . . . and it is not raining !

Four of the party continue on the lower track as Luke and I take the high road towards the old quarries.

No great excavations on the hillside but definite tracks and inclines through the abandoned slate stone piles.

These look more like building stone than quality roofing slate. 

Perhaps the shallow but extensive quarry workings were just to provide walling stone for local field and woodland walls.

The chair overlooking Loweswater . . . the old oak seat still supports your weight quite happily.

It has a few flowers attached today . . . in memory of someone.

The chair was dedicated to a Mr Ray Barrett by his wife and family . . . in memory of his time spent enjoying this view.

A splash of colour on a grey-ish sort of day.

The route continues on round the fell side, crossing the Holme Beck high on the hill.

Signs of flooding with fresh stones on the grass but the heavy sleeper bridge has survived unscathed.

Down through the woodland rather than on towards High Nook.

Some of the party climb up to see the top of Holme Force.

Plenty of water in the river today but recent winds have brought down three trees across the falls.

This one has crashed across the viewing point, two more lie in the river bed itself.

Looking up at the top falls and the water spout.

Several large rocks have been dislodged from the cliff face too.
The higher blockage has reduced the waterfall to one cascade.

At the waterfall bridge we met up with John and Rosamund, two distant neighbours of ours who live nearby.

This is their local walk and they are able to enjoy the woods and waterfalls in all sorts of weather.

The view on just two days ago . . .
. . . as I walked the dogs here on Boxing day.

Much more water and much darker in the rain, Ann was sensibly back at home . . . no point in both of us getting wet that day !

The Loweswater Bothy . . . no-one has booked it for a Christmas get-away holiday !

No one in residence . . . so Luke can think of no reason not to play on the swing.

- - - o o o - - -

On the way back across the meadows we point out the Loweswater Pheasant . . . not a real bird but a shape in the woodland.

Hold your cursor over the picture to spot the outline if it doesn't immediately "fly out" at you.

After the second world war when the woodland was clear-felled for timber the National Trust replanted the woods but did so in an  artistic way

using the natural folds of the fell side and different species of trees to create this purposeful pheasant-like outline.

[ The picture has been slightly lightened to show the detail that was starting to fade in the afternoon light ]

By the time we walked the rest of the way home the light had faded and the Christmas lights were on.

Jason approaches the cottage as a car approaches, its headlights casting a warming glow on the walls apposite the junction.

The kettle is on and I think there may be some of that Chocolate Log left to eat !

- - - o o o - - -

 

Technical note: Pictures taken with either Ann's Canon Sureshot SX220, or my Canon 1100D Digital SLR.

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

This site best viewed with . . .

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

Previous walk - 24th December 2015 - Christmas Greetings - 2015

A previous time up here - 15th February 2006 An extended local walk up High Nook

Next walk - 6th January 2016 - A Mosser Road Walk