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" Crummock surprise Non-litter Pick "

Date & start time:      6th June 2020.    4 pm start.

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

Places visited :          Lanthwaite Woods, The Boathouse, return via Low Park.

Walk details :              2.9 miles, negligible ft of ascent, 1 hours 20 mins.

Highest point :           Finding a clean environment when I was expecting the worst.

Walked with :              Myself and our dogs, Dylan and Dougal.

Weather :                    Sunshine and high cloud . . . almost nice enough for a swim, but not today.

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

 

After a weekend when the Corvid lock down was relaxed the Lakes, like a lot of other beauty spots in the country,

were inundated by a type of person who we rarely see outside bank holidays !

Where were the sensible people who parked nicely and enjoyed the Lakes for the beauty they offer . . . they were not out last weekend !

Instead we were invaded, as were the Dales, the York Moors and lets face it the rest of the country including Lulworth Cove and the coastal beaches,

by the sort of person who's priority was themselves, who felt they must visit the tourist hotspots come what may,

and who were so uncaring, drunk or 'high' that they didn't care for the mess they left behind.

This was a social media view of Rannerdale Hause and a typical view of an unknown area 'abandoned' and left to nature, National Trust employees

or volunteers to clear afterwards.   We can do without this sort of visitor here in the Lakes or anywhere for that matter.

With these thoughts in mind I decided to carry a small rucksack on today's walk

and in it a large bin liner in case I found litter that needed clearing.

- - - o o o - - -

But before I go, let's back-track a day or so to when we had welcome visitor to the garden.

At last a decent picture, in focus and face on, of our hedgehog.

I hope he didn't get phased by the flash . . . but he's called every night since so it was probably okay.

Perhaps the offer of fame on the website that I offered him outweighed the momentary discomfort of a flash of lightening !

During the following morning we had another delightful visitor.
A quick first photo and then a second with the camera and no double glazing.

Our red squirrel has called now on several occasions, shown by the empty shells and split hazel nuts on the ground each day.

Others in the valley have also reported increased sightings of reds at present, which must be a good sign.

- - - o o o - - -

With a cheerful heart I set out after lunch for an afternoon walk with the dogs and a rucksack.

I walked down the tarmac road to Scale Hill Bridge and through the woodland paths to the lake.

Foxgloves are in profusion at present.
The Dog Rose is also in bloom in the hedgerows.
   
Some of the flowers have a delicate pink hue.
Red Campion adds colour to the roadside.

The car park  at Lanthwaite Woods was fairly full of visitor's cars today.

Apparently at the weekend the area was over- full and there were parked cars out on the roadside.

The National Trust has an open-gate policy here at the car park at present.

It wasn't designed that way . . . someone's nicked the gate !!

I set off on the riverside path and immediately noticed a pile of litter under a tree.

A visiting family had thrown a full carrier bag of rubbish, including food wrappings and the obligatory dirty nappy into a quiet area of the woods.

The bag had caught on the tree and split open, so I clambered in and cleared the mess into my waiting bin liner.

Fortunately the Trust has installed a new rubbish bin by the entrance gate and I was able to dispose of it quickly and easily in the right place.

After a slight delay I continued on up the river past the old metal weir.

Soon I reached the lake and the dry fish ladder by the weir.

The pleasant surprise of the day was that I found no further litter on the rest of this walk.

I did meet a couple of locals who mentioned they had walked this way earlier in the week and had each cleared a bag of litter.

What started for me as a litter pick walk had fortunately turned out to be a non-litter-pick-walk do to the kind actions of others.

- - - o o o - - -

With the water levels so low I took the opportunity to follow an unusual line on my walk today.

I walked the lake shore along the newly exposed shingle beach that seemed to stretch as far as the boathouse.

Along the way I found this beautiful standing tower of stones which some nice visitor had built.

Off to the boat house on the seasonal low level path.

- - - o o o - - -

 

I made it all the way there, only once putting my feet in the water

when passing the fallen tree seen above.

 

 

The entrance to the boat house on the lake side

is normally a foot deep in water.

Today it was high and dry.

 

 

I good time to call down and re-varnish the door

if anyone is listening !

 

 

- - - o o o - - -

A wider in-camera panorama down at the water's edge, looking over to Carling Knott and Low Fell.

I turned now and headed back home on the normal (top) path through the trees.

Back to the weir once again and I walked dry-shod across the stones to the wall today . . . just because I could !

The lowest water in twenty years . . . as far as we can remember.

The spiky eel matting that covers the weir is clearly seen now the water is low.

- - - o o o - - -

 

 

The ugly white eel boards that line the two overflows at either end

are clear of the water and consequently high and dry.

 

 

Leaning over the other wall

I took a close up of the brush layer that is supposed to allow

the elvers (baby eels) easier access to the lake.

They are supposed to wriggle up between the bristles.

 

With that much rubbish blocking the brushes

I'm sure the vertical mats don't work !

 

An apparent waste of time and ugly with it.

(Complains have been made)

 

- - - o o o - - -

 

I extend the walk slightly by heading up to the Pump House.

Dylan is enjoying the water on the beach near the outflow of Park Beck.

Beyond the footbridge the newer trees are high and dry.

In the water are the exposed stumps of older trees, presumably cut and cleared when the lake level was raised over a hundred years ago.

The Water Board bridge over Park Beck . . . with little water flowing beneath.

- - - o o o - - -

 

I crossed the field to join the footpath to Low Park

passing the cows who had congregated up near the stone.

 

 

They were so placid that they weren't concerned with our passing

and in fact I hardly noticed them till I was relatively close.

 

 

The field is wide enough

so that you can normally follow the river side up to the gate

and in so doing not disturb the cattle

in the main part of the field.

 

 

- - - o o o - - -

Back on the main footpath on the way out of the field.

A simple return walk along the bottom road and across a few fields brings me back to Gillerthwaite.

Across the way is the church and the pub, strangely shut at present.

Good News . . . they are open to guests again from early July . . . book your stay at the Kirkstile here

In the mean time they are offering "click and collect" on Loweswater Ales . . . if you can drive over yourselves.

- - - o o o - - -

With the undoubted efforts of the National Trust and helpful locals my litter bag remained empty in my rucksack today,

which was a delightful outcome to this sunny local walk.

- - - 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 . . . an under-utilised resource, saved for another day.

Go to Home Page . . . © RmH . . . Email me here

Previous walk - 2nd June 2020 - Around Mellbreak

A previous time up here - 23rd October 2008 A stormy Loweswater (a few years back)

Next walk - 7th June 2020 - Lock-down Garden and Paddock