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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.

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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 !

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.

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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.

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.

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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.

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.

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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.

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