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" Muncaster Fell - Out and Back "

Date & start time:   Sunday 6th November 2016, 12.45 pm start.

Location of Start : Muncaster Mill  station car park, Ravenglass, Cumbria, Uk ( SD 095 977).

Places visited :      Branken Wall woods, Fell Lane, Muncaster Tarn and summit and back.

Walk details :          6 mls, 1025 feet of ascent, 3 hour 45 mins including champagne.

Highest point :       Muncaster Fell (Hooker Crag) 750 ft - 231 m.

Walked with :         Jill and Nigel, Ann and our dogs, Harry and Dylan.

Weather :                Overcast, feeling cool and damp, rain over the high fells, sun to the west.

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

 

We were unable to join Jill and Nigel on their 214 ascent of Yewbarrow yesterday,

but as an alternative they invited us over for a walk with them today.

A smaller fell was on offer but after a delayed start due to the weather, we had a quick change of plans.

We had thought about a linear walk

along the length of Muncaster Fell, returning by train,

but the winter timetable showed limited service during November

and in particular, no trains today !

Plan B was to drive over to Gosforth where they were staying,

then pile in one car for the short drive to Muncaster Mill

for an out and back walk instead.

For those in search of the November view in the new 2017 calendar this is it.

There's a new bridge over the river and the leaves have fallen from the trees compared to late October 2015

[ Hold your cursor over the picture to see the difference.]

With the railway closed this week there's plenty of space to park

apart from the contractors vehicles which have been shifting hardcore, possibly for track maintenance further up the line.

We take the leaf-covered track up through the woods . . .
. . . but some of the trees still retain their autumnal colour.

With most of the leaves gone from the lower woods, the woodland ferns come to the fore with their strong colours.

[ There are no anemones in this wood . . . but with fronds like these who needs anemones ? ]

At the top of the wood we emerge at the main coast road

but can immediately turn up Fell Lane, a rough track heading up the spine of Muncaster Fell.

Behind us we can see the Ravenglass Estuary and across to the Isle of Man in the far distance.

Through a gate we can look south to the outliers of Yoadcastle and Stainton Pike . . .

. . . and  through the gate and slightly left, Eskdale's Harter Fell.

Muncaster Tarn . . . An artificial lake within the Muncaster Castle Estate which is practical as well as decorative.

It appears to be the water supply for the estate and presumably the houses here abouts.

It also makes a home for wildfowl, thought there were few about today.

Ragwort and re-growth of a spruce on the water's edge.
At the top of the rise above the lake, our first view of the summit.

Harter Fell in close up now as we make our way out onto the open fell.

Looking back as we climb to the summit trig point.

Muncaster Tarn is the three white dots of reflection in the trees below.

There are patches of blue skies out to sea but the low pressure is forming clouds over us and rain on the fells behind us.

The summit achieved . . . a little easier for Jill and Nigel than Yewbarrow yesterday.

Dylan wants to climb . . . or perhaps I wanted a picture of him on the top.

Not to be left out, Harry barked to be included.

He didn't spring up . . . more a case of carefully lifting him into position.

Photos by Jill trying out my new camera . . . thanks.

Fun and games over . . . a chance to look around.

I hope those rain showers are heading away rather than towards us . . . should be okay based on the wind direction today.

Out to sea, the wind farms off Barrow in Furness.

I don't think I fancy sailing past that in a offshore cruising boat on a bad day.

Now there's somewhere we've always promised ourselves since we moved up.

Perhaps next year we'll make it over to the Isle of Man.

Time for a little refreshment . . . over the top . . . out of the breeze.

Jill and Nigel celebrated in style yesterday, but as we were unable to join them on the day, they hid a bottle of bubbly

deep in their rucksack today.  They produced it at lunchtime so we were also able to celebrate with them in style.

. . . cheers and congratulations.

Nigel spotted a change in the skies at the end of lunch so we returned to the summit cairn.

Crepuscular delight . . . as the sun's rays break through gaps in the clouds and shine down on the sea.

A closer look at the sun's rays over the Ravenglass Estuary.

Zooming in with a change of lens . . . giving a close up of the base of the cloud with the sun's rays shining through.

- - - o o o - - -

Time to return to the car so we head back down from the summit.

Down by the tarn an old log has a new outburst of growth.
Back into Fell Lane with lovely colours on the beech trees.

It looks like the setting sun may burst through the cloud layer very shortly

but dropping at that speed it will be getting close to dusk by the time we get back.

Told you so !

The sun shone really brightly and lit up the surrounding trees beautifully.

Fell Lane sunshine.
Reflections on the sea.

The southwestern-most summit of Cumbria . . . Black Combe.

Even the bracken is looking good in the sunshine.

We retrace our steps down through the wood . . . or at least that is what we planned to do.

A slight lack of attention and too much good conversation and we were headed down the wrong track.

Still it was a gentle and non-slippery descent.

. . . and it had the bonus of an extra photographic subject at the junction near to the road.

A short back-track on the footpath at the base of the woods and we were back at the car.

[ The Gps track on the map at the head of this page shows where we actually ended up . . . not a great problem ! ]

- - - o o o - - -

 

Technical note: Pictures taken with either Ann's new Panasonic Lumix TZ60, or my Panasonic Lumix Gx8a Compact System Camera.

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

This site best viewed with . . . a pot of tea and a hand-made biscuits at the Westlakes Hotel Gosforth

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

Previous walk - 2nd November 2016 - Rannerdale and a Duck

A previous time up here - 12th April 2008 Muncaster Fell with a train ride return

Next walk - 11/12 th November 2016 - Bowness Knott and a Party

Now on sale . . . The Loweswatercam Calendar 2017

Twelve classic views of the Lake District as featured on Loweswatercam.

Click here to order your calendar now for just £10 a copy

£1 of every calendar sold goes to support the Air Ambulance and local Mountain Rescue.