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We managed three bluebell walks this year, one locally to Brackenthwaite Hows, one to Rannerdale via Cinderdale

and one over the top of Rannerdale Knotts, visiting the bluebells on the way back down.

I've combined all three 2023 walks into one page here.

Where is this ? A challenge to start, even for locals to identify.

The log circle is in the Tindle Crag Woods part of the Lanthwaite Woods / Brackenthwaite Hows area.

This woodland path is on a side turning from the northerly approach to Scale Hill, that is from the Corn How direction.

The area of bluebells can in fact be seen as one drives up the Lorton Valley.

Here of course I've got up close and personal, having walked locally with the dogs from the cottage.

Grasmoor in the background in the last photo, with the Loweswater Fells and Blake in the background of this one.

The upper slopes of Brackenthwaite Hows, where a broad scatter of sapling trees were planted a few years ago.

The carpet of bluebells is a delight and as bracken hates shade, the chances for the flowers long term is good.



The interwoven white flowers are Stitchwort I believe.	These intermingled white ones are "albino" bluebells !

New trees replace the old as I climb up the paths and look back at Low Fell.

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The following day Loes and I venture over to Cinderdale to see how the bluebells at Rannerdale are doing.

It was a cold spring and little was growing in the garden.

I've lost a few younger hardy plants over the winter, but at home the bluebells in the garden are now offering a good display.

Rannerdale is a lot cooler and more exposed of course, so I always expect them to be later than mine.

We take the track from Cinderdale car park and head up towards Rannerdale Knotts.

The flowers are nestled in the lower regions of the valley, starting here beyond the first wall.

Well, they are out and starting to colour nicely, but there's no height or bulk to them.

At lease there's no sight of the bracken which can sometimes out-pace them and hide the display.

Bracken likes cold and wet even less than the bluebells.

What does like the spring conditions is the yellow gorse bushes, which are now in full bloom.

The ropes are up to stop people from straying from the path, but today in early May the flowers have not yet reached their best.

To make the walk a little longer we head on up the valley on the path through the top gate.

Technically we are moving from the Rannerdale to the Squat Beck valleys.

Warm work today and Loes has shed a layer.

This warmth, which arrived with the change of seasons, should help the flowers grow better.

Today we'll head up the path till we reach the wall that joins from the left. There we'll find a bridge over the beck.

Dougal doing a hop over the bridge, a skip over the grass and finally a jump over the stile.

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The true public footpath actually heads down

the (Squat Beck) valley on this side of the fence,

even though the popular path was the one we arrived by.

The only traces of the original valley path are the bridge,

made of these large flat stones

(creating this miniature clapper bridge),

some old abandoned gate stoops mid-way

and the the modern farm gate at the far end.

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Looking down through the narrows and the area of the valley that hosts the majority of the flowers.

This is one of my favourite viewpoints when the flowers are fully on display.

What we need is a little more warmth and a little more moisture to bring the flowers into full bloom.



However on an individual basis many of the flowers are looking good.	Time is on their side, even though they are not brilliant this bank holiday.

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There are not many vehicles bringing people

to Hause Point car park either.

Perhaps they've also heard the flowers are not at their best yet.

Great minds think alike it seems.

Despite the Brackenthwaite Hows bluebells being so good

the Rannerdale ones have a week or two to go.

The weather forecast for May is sunshine

but with a high pressure forecasted over the country

we are not expecting much rain here in the west.

Keep your fingers crossed for a good display

in a week or two's time.

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Time for us to be heading back to the car.

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A bit of a time warp now as we jump forwards nearly three weeks.

In that time we've enjoyed the Coronation Lunch in the village hall and been to Wales for a week to see the family.

Back home here, local reports about the bluebells have been good (but not brilliant)

so Loes and I combine our next fell walk with a trip up Rannerdale Knotts, starting this time from the Hause Point.

The weather has been dry and it's warm as we start out on the 800+ foot climb to the top of The Knotts.

The path is bone dry as we climb.

The view down to the beach close to Wood House and its island.

The path has been pitched on the steeper rocky section as we make our way to the top.

Looking down on Rannerdale farm.

The white May flowers on the Hawthorn hedge have really come into flower in the last few weeks.

The dogs stop (as requested) on the final outer crag at the top of the fell.

[ I cannot forget that this was one of Ann's favourite views which she often enjoyed with the dogs while I was at work.]

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However time moves on

and whilst we do not forget old memories,

we have the opportunity to move forward in life

and add new ones into the mix.

My friend and companion today of course is Loes.

She's climbed a lot in the Lakes in the last twenty five years

with her late husband, but when we first got together

she didn't like dogs !

It looks like my two have convinced her otherwise.

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We walk the ridge of Low Bank, heading towards the Buttermere end of the fell.

Looking down there's no great mass of colour below.

There's a hint of blue in the fields above the narrows . . . we'll check it out when we are down there later.

A lovely ridge walk this fine day.

There's some high cloud and haze but the view of the fells, including that of Robinson ahead, are good.

Looking back from the ridge just before we take a path to the left and down to the valley.

The view from the sheep fold near the head of Squat Beck.

The upper field of bluebells is looking good this year.

The hawthorn tree really sets off the colour of the flowers around it

and I think these upper fields are developing a better blanket of flowers each year.

Down at the narrows there are a lot of visitors today, all have presumably come to see the flowers.

Sadly for them (and us) I think the hot, dry weather has either held them back, or wilted them earlier than usual.

Those flowers that started early are starting to lose their colour as they dry out.

The lack of rain is evident in the low water level in the beck.

The north facing slope of The Knotts has more flowers today . . .

. . . but the blooms are being crowded out by the pervasive bracken.

Their deeper roots have found more moisture to enable them to grow faster.

The hawthorn is full of May Blossom.

Further down the big Crab Apple is in full leaf, but sadly I think Loes and I have missed the best of the bluebells this year.

Still, we've done other things and enjoyed ourselves in other ways.

One can't help the weather, that's for certain . . . or is that one whole new question to discuss about global warming ?

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