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" Winter Wonderland - Loweswater " Date & start time: 8th January 2021. 2 pm start. Location of Start : By the red phone box, Loweswater, Cumbria, Uk. ( NY 143 211 ). Places visited : Maggie's Bridge, The Bothy, Hudson Place, Waterend, back via the road. Walk details : 4.75 mls, 450 feet of ascent, 2 hours 15 mins. Highest point : Seeing familiar places in a new and ever changing light. Walked with : Myself and the dogs, Dylan and Dougal, plus (unplanned) Joan and Max. Weather : Brilliant sunshine but changing . . . pictures taken from lunchtime to dusk. |
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After the wonderland walk this morning, the dogs and I returned home for some lunch. Looking out of the window the sunshine was holding and the thermometer showed zero degrees so the snow was not melting either. Time for a second walk, perhaps up the hill to look at Loweswater and Holme Wood . . . then . . . well who knows what ? I think this is where I left you just before lunch . . . perhaps just a few more tyre tracks on the road since then. I make a start up the hill towards the Village Hall. This is looking back at Rose Cottage, Oak Cottage, with Scale Hill, Whin Ben and Grasmoor behind. Crummock Water and the view up the Buttermere Valley, with Mellbreak on the right. Rannerdale Knotts and Haystacks are clear but there's a cloud layer obscuring Great Gable in the far distance. Lovely crisp snow that settled on and remains on everything it touched last night. Beautiful White hedgerows. The Village Hall near the top of the hill. The classic Millennium view from the Hall, but the Millennium Plaque on the wall here is also covered in snow. Clever . . . the way a fixed bronze plaque can accurately represent the changed reality. No cars have used the car park and the drive at the back of the hall. Only a few people and dog tracks disturb the lying snow. The road is now open, as seen by the number of tyre tracks out here on the road once again. Friendly place this Loweswater ! Firstly I had stopped to talk to Clare, a neighbour of mine, then first Max and then his owner Joan came along too. We all stand two dog-leads apart and chat about the weather . . . of course.
I had only intended to walk to the top of the hill, but the weather is so delightful that Joan and I walk on together. It also gives the dogs chance to play together too. We turn for Maggie's Bridge and have a clear view of High Cross Farmhouse and the twin summits of Darling Fell and Low Fell. The Loweswater Pheasant (the woodland) is really prominent today although the winter colour of the woodland doesn't make the mosaic stand out as well as it does in Autumn. Carling Knott beyond the phone lines to High Nook Farm. The sun catches the western side of Mellbreak and emphasises the rugged nature of the fell. A wider panorama of Mellbreak and Hen Comb which I walked recently. It seems like an age away now but it was in fact only two days ago. The flat fields of the meadows look almost like a frozen sea. However the sea is not in fact frozen. On the lake a family of swans with a grown cygnet. Looking up the length of Loweswater and across to the sunshine on Askill Knott. Watergate Farm buildings at this end of the lake. On through Holme Wood on the track to The Bothy No-one staying at present of course, but the winter views across the lake are spectacular. A wider panorama includes Joan in the picture. Joan had planned to meet a friend from the other end of the lake at The Bothy, so I stood back and let them chat. Judy had mentioned the 'Goblin House' in the woods and offered to show us where it was. A large tree at the bridge over Holme Beck has something special about it.
Joan and I have come this far along the lake that we might as well go a little further to enjoy the view of Loweswater from the western end of the woods. The two 'wedding trees' down by the lakeside. The local farmer's daughter had an outdoor wedding here a few years back. Click on A Rustic DIY Outdoor Farm Wedding in the Lake District to see the pictures. (backspace to return here) The view today is a lot more wintery than Philippa's summer wedding day.
Carefully down the track towards Waterend at the top end of the lake. Intriguingly all the fence posts have a capping of fresh snow to add to the winter scene. We say goodbye to Judy who continues on down the track towards her home. Joan and I take the shortcut across the meadow to the road on the other side of the lake. Deep snow amidst the long grass and reeds down by Dun Beck. Dougal has been rushing around all walk but this is in fact Dylan enjoying the snow on this occasion.
The Grange Hotel and Waterend Farm under snow. Feisty Herdwick Tups in the field as we continue on up the footpath. This one stamped its feet at the dogs . . . but don't worry, my two dogs know not to mess with any sheep, especially big tups in that mood. Dylan and Dougal stay close and we give them a wide berth ! The silver phone box in Loweswater as we start towards home on the return leg of our walk. The sunshine is changing colour as it gets closer towards sunset. Mellbreak and Hen Comb as seen from this side of Loweswater.
The wider picture as the light spreads across the distant horizon. Passing the house at Crabtree Beck. Joan is wearing microspikes on her boots, just as I have done today. They ARE rather good for grip on these winter surfaces ! Old fence, new gateway. The red sunset colour is retreating up the sides of Mellbreak as the sun sets. Grasmoor catches more of the late colour seen here from the road as we approach Thrushbank House. That's it for the day . . . the sun has set and the colours change. The Pheasant prepares for a cold night according to the forecast . . . not that trees are particularly bothered. The last of the colour in the sky as Mellbreak now turns to black-and-white. Millennium View as I say goodbye to Joan and walk on past the Village Hall once more. The colour has left Grasmoor too. Hope the heating is on . . . the kettle certainly will be shortly. It has been a great day, two good walks in the snow so perhaps a slightly earlier supper for the dogs tonight ? - - - o o o - - - |
Technical note: Pictures generally taken with my Panasonic Lumix Gx8 Camera. Resized in Photoshop, and built up on a Dreamweaver web builder. This site best viewed with . . . neighbours you (almost) bump into along the way (2m rule remember !) Go to Home Page . . . © RmH . . . Email me here Previous walk - 8th January - Winter Wonderland (Crummock) A previous time up here - 12th May 2020 - A Summer Loweswater Round Next walk - 9th January - Latrigg and the Railway Path
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