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" A Walk in the Wet Snow "

Date & start time:    Thursday 18th January 2018,  2.30 pm.

Location of Start :    By the red phone box, Loweswater, Cumbria, Uk. ( NY 143 211 )

Places visited :         Low Park, the Pump House and back via Muncaster House.

Walk details :             1.5 miles, negligible feet of ascent, 45 mins.

Highest point :           It's slightly downhill all the way there and slightly uphill all the way back.

Walked with :             Myself and Dylan.

Weather :                    Overcast with one wintery shower !  Cold and damp (gloves weather)

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

 

It has snowed during each of the last two nights, but we've missed out

on the heavy snow falls that other parts of the country seem to have experienced. 

There's plenty on the high fells however and there the snow does look deep and the weather freezing !

Wednesday Morning and the early sun is lost behind an overcast sky.

There's snow on the grass but it is only what fell last evening . . . not quite the accumulation others have had.

Still  with a little brightness and some blue sky it looks quite nice.

Three shades of grey . . . Mellbreak is holding some snow in the crags, Hen Comb has more and Blake behind the trees is very white indeed.

- - - o o o - - -

Next day the overnight snow cover was very similar.

The red phone box adds a bright touch of colour to the wintery scene.

After lunch it was time to walk Dylan . . . sadly Harry isn't up to a valley walk at present.

The wall at the bottom of the garden partially collapsed last week

due to the strong winds blowing the trees and dislodging the stones . . . more work ahead !

But in checking out the wall I notice the snowdrops are starting to show once more . . . that's more cheerful.

The northern face of Mellbreak . . . looking at it there is plenty of snow up there, just not much on the vertical sides.

The snow on Low Fell is more obvious due to the shallower slope and the grass cover.

It's nearly 3pm so the "just above zero" daytime temperatures have melted the snow down here in the valley.

A patch of sunlight in Swinside near Whinlatter.

[ The white caravan is for the workmen who are re-building Grasmoor House.]

Surprisingly it is looking brighter up at Buttermere too.

The wall by the gate here has fallen . . . but this was caused by a  farm trailer last summer, not the recent winds.

The snow has melted and left a lot of ground water running off the fields.

I rather liked the reflections on this rather large pool covering the bend on the bottom road.

   
The red door of Low Park again adds warm colour.
Old hedging has sprouted into unusual growth at Park Beck.

Out in the fields and old hawthorn has succumbed to the pressure of the wind . . . but continues its fight for life.

Dylan and I head down towards Crummock Water.

Don't look now but there's a large black cloud heading our direction.

The white mountain is Burnbank Fell . . . and the diminutive building is our large Village Hall.

Ahead is the pump house with Grasmoor on the other side of the water,

but I think we'll turn here and head back up the gated road.

The standing stones that define the front lawn of Muncaster House.

I turn here and climb the stile in the fence ahead . . . Dylan does it in one leap !

Old coppiced ash and blue skies behind Mellbreak . . . once the rain shower had blown through.

The rain has gone and the clarity returns . . . but it still looks wintery to the north west.

The sheep move away slowly as we walk on the public footpath through the field.

Behind Low Fell is topped in another low cloud.

Puffin Tarn . . . a slight hollow that fills with water after heavy rain.

It has been full for so long now that rushes are growing in the permanently damp ground.

After I get back the light is starting to fade . . . 4 pm and the days are starting to get noticeably longer in the last week or so.

- - - o o o - - -

Today (Friday) I make a start on another project . . .

We have acquired a small patch of ground at the foot of our garden

and have organised a fencing contractor to build a proper fence to separate it from the main field.

The stream at the far end has been crossed by wooden rails rather than wire.

The wall collapse was another victim of storm Ophelia but that's my neighbour's responsibility.

The stones on this bank have been cleared out of the stream to prevent it overflowing into the field.

The fence is meant to keep the sheep out . . . it seems to be working already.

You've heard of the extensive "Wild Ennerdale" scheme . . . say hello to the diminutive "Wild Loweswater" scheme.

We'll be planting fruit trees and wild flowers . . . but don't expect this small plot will support any exotic animals like lynx or otter ;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 . . . the chance to add a few bird and bee friendly plants in the coming months.

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Previous walk - 11th January 2018 - A Buttermere Milk Run

A previous time up here - 23rd Dec 2009 Ann's Local Walk in the Sun

Next walk - 20th January 2018 - A Walk in the dry sunshine