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" Fangs Brow Coffin Road - End of day "

Date & start time:    Sunday 3rd December 2017,  3.15 pm. ( NY 105 226 )

Location of Start :   Roadside near Fangs Brow Farm, Loweswater, Cumbria, Uk.

Places visited :         The coffin road towards Burnbank Fell.

Walk details :             1.5 miles, 225 feet of ascent,  3/4 hour.

Highest point :          Overlooking Loweswater.

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

Weather :                    Overcast at the end of the afternoon.

Stop Press . . . route re-opened after Christmas (see below)

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

 

Before the short walk to follow, may I inform folk of a path closure locally.

The bridge below High Nook Farm is in danger of collapse and has been closed to vehicles and pedestrians.

If you think that this is a big inconvenience to walkers locally . . . just think how the farmer feels !

- - - o o o - - -

 

The bridge below High Nook Farm.

Closed to all traffic . . .

They are hoping to provide an alternative footbridge

as soon as possible.

- - - o o o - - -

   
   

When you look closely you can see the foundation stones on the far bank that have been washed out.

The river is physically wider than before the storms and the bridge has been undermined.

[ Loweswatercam Archive from earlier this month ]

Higher up the fell side you can see the devastation caused by Storm Ophelia.

The top footbridge on the coffin route has gone too.

[ Loweswatercam Archive from last year]

This means the walk to High Nook Tarn and around the top of Holme Wood is blocked.  If walking from the Fangs Brow or the Burnbank end

cut down through the forestry to the eastern end of Loweswater lake and walk out to Maggie's Bridge from Watergate Farm.

- - - o o o - - -

With this very local news recently, we were mindful that we haven't walked the far end of the track for quite some time.

Sunday afternoon we parked at Fangs Brow and walked the dogs along the track.

Getting close to the shortest days of the year, the sun sets really early (3.49 pm).

There was a large flock of sheep away from the path

but these two gentlemen, dressed in their best bib and bracers, were grazing quietly by the track.

They were a little "Ruddled" one might surmise.

We walked along the damp track and soon there's a view down into the cold looking valley.

It's been a wet autumn and the start of winter is not much better.

Although cold and damp today, the forecast for the next few days suggests snow and a real dip in temperatures.

Looking across the valley to the Old Mosser Road.   The smoke is rising from Askill Farm.

The yellow flashing light of a breakdown truck suggests someone else has been following their Sat-nav instead of looking where they are going.

The council were supposed to put a "Do not follow Satnav" road sign at the other end, but I have a feeling they haven't done it !

Just a short walk today . . . and as we turn for home the sky fills with colour.

Looking west . . . our potential sun light only extends to about seven and a half hours a day at present.

The main flock of sheep have drifted closer to the track on the way back.

Some interesting clouds over the distant Irish Sea.

Nearly back at the car as the sky is getting darker.

Tree-mendous sunset  ;o)

- - - o o o - - -

 

Technical note: Pictures taken with either Ann's Panasonic Lumix TZ60, or my Panasonic Lumix Gx8 Camera.

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

This site best viewed with . . .a bit of colour in one's life.

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

Previous walk - 30th November 2017 - The Thirlmere Valley

A previous time up here - 8th December 2010 Buttermere and Fangs Brow

Next walk - 8th December 2017 - A cold walk for a Friday !

Picture by John MacFarlane

Stop Press . . .

Our neighbour John from Watergate

has sent me a picture of the new bridge in situ.

The top farm gate is no longer locked

and folk are crossing the new structure.

so I take it the  path is open once again.

 

Full marks to the National Trust for re-instating the bridge so quickly,

which will be a big relief for the local farmer

as well as being very useful to local walkers as well.

- - - o o o - - -

Now on sale . . .

The Loweswatercam Calendar 2018

For this 10th anniversary edition we have been looking

back at the year to bring you twelve months of

Loweswater pictures, Lakeland scenes

and your favourite mountain dogs.

£10 a copy (plus postage + packaging if required)

£1 of every calendar sold goes to support 

the Air Ambulance and local Mountain Rescue.

 

Click here to see the full details and to order your copy.