A grand day in prospect and also a walk with a purpose . . .
I stuck my head over the parapet recently and got volunteered
to lead a Mob Walk up here in two weeks time
so I thought I had better go along and see what the path conditions
were like before I lead a group up there.
What a great walk though, five hours of lovely weather and
loads of nice folk to talk to as well !
A quick stop down by the side of Derwent Water
before I drive up to Ashness Bridge.
There's something strange though . . .
The pier has suffered from the winter 's bad
weather and seems to have risen up, probably due to the high
water levels.
The answer has to be a floating pontoon at the
end of each jetty as this type of damage is always happening
to the Derwent Water piers,
but I have a feeling that the idea has been
rejected by the Planning Board in the past.
Start Point : There's a good car park
just up the road from Ashness Bridge, free to National Trust
members.
Before the walk proper I just had to go back
and capture that chocolate box image.
Early Spring is a good time to visit this famous
bridge, as later in the year the leaves on the trees rather
obstruct the distant view.
I set off up the road for a circular walk, outward
along the Watendlath Valley and back along via the three adjacent
tops.
Through the gate is Ashness
Farm which offers bed and breakfast in a 500 year old working
farm environment.
Ashness Lodge, much improved in recent years,
provides the foreground to this photo of Skiddaw and Skiddaw
Little Man.
Just off to one side is the path to "Surprise
View" which does still delight every time I visit.
A surprisingly good view as well, down to the
Lodore Hotel and their new Spa and Wedding facility.
I leave the road at the footpath sign in order
to walk up the riverside path of Watendlath Valley.
Dougal here is confusingly walking the wrong
way . . . but he does many more miles than I on these walks
anyway.
To get to the riverside path there's a good
footbridge across the river.
- - - o o o - - -
On the other side of the bridge and set into the
path itself
is a rather unusual signpost.
It gives directions back to Keswick (where I've come
from)
forward to Watendlath (where I'm going)
or turn right here for an interesting path down
to see the Lodore Falls (been
there done that).
- - - o o o - - -
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The first part of this path is classic Lakeland
river scenery, walking through light oak woodland with the rocky
stream below.
Part way up the scenery changes as I enter a
more agricultural landscape with belted galloway cattle, albeit
on the other side of the river.
The path follows close under Ether Knott, crossing
minor becks and avoiding ancient erratic and fallen boulders.
The path is rarely flat but it is still good
. . . with the valley road, Reecastle Crag and High Seat in
view on the other side.
As Dougal and I approach Watendlath Village
the path has left the river and risen slightly following alongside
the fell walls.
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A slight
diversion to see the waterfall is well worthwhile .
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. . . and also the upper
section which today is in reasonable spate. |
With the change of slope comes the ability to
apply technology and generate power.
The starting point is this weir which draws
some water off to power an electric turbine nearby.
The gentle climb has brought us up to the bridge
at Watendlath, an iconic packhorse bridge over the river.
I walk up the path a little further to photograph
the lake, Dougal just enjoys getting his feet wet.
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On the other
side of the bridge is a rather nice tearoom, I hope
it's open. |
Don't forget to look
for the second engraved plaque of the day. |
The grey stone with Prince (now King) Charles's
visit date is set into the centre of the path, three stones
away from the big boulder at this end of the bridge.
The entrance porch and front room of the white house
have been made
into a shop and cafeteria where they sell souvenirs,
maps,
hot drinks and FLAPJACKS !
I wonder if the recipe had royal approval, it certainly
had mine.
Suitably fortified for the climb ahead and after
a conversation
with strangers about where we had last met (the Buttermere
car fire)
I set off on the next section of the walk.
- - - o o o - - -
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Leaving the garden seating area I pass Fold
Head Farm
the literary home of Judith Paris in the Cumbrian
Rogue Herries novels.
At the exit from the car park is a relic of
earlier water power in the form of a large pelton water wheel,
flywheel and belt drive pulley.
Obviously hydro power, despite the newness of
the weir outside, has long been a feature of the village.
My path left the road to the right of the car
park and soon joins a beautifully pitched path, which twists
and turns its way up the fell side.
The steepness of the climb is rewarded by the
rapidly expanding view across to the high fells.
The path was laid many years ago and has ben
incorporated into the surroundings by virtue of the grass growing
between the stones.
The tune "Follow the yellow brick road"
sprung to mind as I admire the multitude of different lichens
on the stones,
the majority of which have a bright yellow colour.
Climbing is relatively easy with the lichen
distraction and at the first break of slope, I realise I'm higher
up than I thought.
Through a gate and the landscape changes to
more open moorland.
The path is wide where folk have tried to avoid
the wetter sections of the hillside.
Near the top the peat moorland is undergoing
restoration by the use of wood and stone barriers to stabilise
the top soil.
- - - o o o - - -
In some places stones have been used
to block water channels so as to
prevent the peat being washed away.
The black bags hold more, as yet unused boulders,
possibly intended to pave or pitch the path
across this wet section of ground.
- - - o o o - - -
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Through another gate and we arrive at a group
of rocks known as High Tove, my first summit of the day.
This was the view across to the Helvellyn Range,
looking across the top of the heather covered summit of mighty(!)
Armboth Fell.
The view south in this glorious sunshine included
Ullscarf, Great End and the high Central Fells.
Eagle, or is it Sergeant's Crag, stands out
from the side of Ullscarf by virtue of it's darker, shaded colour.
Time to be moving on . . . the purpose of today's
walk was to check out the new paths that have been constructed
up here.
On this high moorland plateau the passage of
walkers has eroded the peat bogs across the area.
Between here, High Seat and Bleaberry Fell are
areas that were notoriously muddy and on occasions virtually
impassable.
I arrive at High Tove via the left hand path,
I leave by the right for High Seat.
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The path
sets of towards The Pewits . . . |
first as an inverted
gravel path then paved . . . |
so that it crosses with
minimum erosion. |
The corner turn on the fence line is marked on the 1:25k
map as Eddy Grave Stake.
- - - o o - - -
The name 'Eddy Grave Stake'
apparently dates back to at least 1805
where it is mentioned in a survey of names
in the Parish of St John's in the Vale.
It is unclear whether this was a grave marker for
"Eddie"
or whether it was a stake to mark
the extent of Eddie Grave's land holding.
I go in search of a 'Stake'
but all I find is a Victorian Fence Post
with a rusted ratchet mechanism to tighten the
old fence wires.
- - - o o o - - -
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The path continues on across the area
of ground known as The Pewits.
There's no sign of the old path that used
to follow the fence line . . . obviously new path is working
well and the old erosion scars have healed over.
I cross the peat bog dry shod and unscathed
. . . success !
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The path
continues up the slope but the slabs getting smaller
. . . |
. . . till they eventually
run out and then it's back to wet ground. |
To be fair, the laid path extends a considerable
way up the side of High Seat and only the last drop-off point
is a problem.
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Dry ground
as I look across to Helvellyn and newly visible Catstycam. |
The concentration
of footprints shows the potential for damage. |
Just a short climb now and I arrive at the
trig point at the summit of High Seat.
This was the view south from top on this lovely
day.
Rather than monopolise the summit space and
also to find somewhere out of the gentle but cold breeze
I head over to an adjacent rock outcrop shown
on the map as "Man".
There I found . . . yes a man (plus a dog)
who was just finishing his lunch . . . and I enjoyed a short
conversation with Josh (Gibson) from Carlisle.
He had been walking High Tove and High Seat
from the Thirlmere side of the fells.
Because of the nice day, I extended my plans
to take in a third summit, that of Bleaberry Fell, away in
the distance in front of Skiddaw.
The path on the map shows a route (dotted
black line) that follows the fence for half the distance,
which then crosses over and swings left just
before you pass the small lake you can see in the photo.
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In searching
for the old path I spotted a new one away to the left. |
It had set off in
a slightly different direction but still towards Bleaberry
Fell. |
The path seemed to be an "inverted soil" construction
with few stone slabs that just spanned the water channels
and no more.
It was rather muddy in places after the recent rain.
I could see what looked like the continuation of the path
ahead . . .
but the time or money must have run out for this short
section of path . . . as it ended in a bog !
It must be the right way as there's an old wooden stile
next to the second fencepost.
Navigation was difficult so don't try this in the dark
!
Eventually this rather indistinct route joined up with
the old footpath on the map, and everything made more sense.
I Passed numerous upland pools and small puddles on this
section of the path,
several of which held new season frogs spawn.
The final ascent of the day found me on dry paths and once
again enjoying the long distance views.
Blencathra, with Dodd Crag below, as seen from the first
of the Bleaberry Cairns.
The main summit feature of Bleaberry Fell is a round wind
shelter, protecting any occupants from all but northerly
winds.
The second and northern summit cairn had grown in height
temporarily, as Dougal surveys the scenery.
The path down from our lofty position heads off to the
left then curls round towards Walla Crag at the centre of
the picture.
A sheep fold can be found in the shadows near the distant
outlier summit rocks.
A short time later we were passing the sheepfold, ticking
off another navigation mark along our route today.
The main path heads off right towards Walla Crag.
Somewhere round here there should be the opportunity to
head left for Ashness Bridge.
Not a well marked path to start but it did get more
visible as it rounded the bank of winter heather.
The view down the Cat Gill valley to the many islands of
Derwent Water.
A small path deviated from the main route, over to the
top of Falcon Crag,
from where there's a great view down to Derwent Water and
Keswick.
Looking south into the sun, you can see the River Derwent,
the Jaws of Borrowdale, Castle Crag
and on up the valley to the higher Central Fells.
First sighting of Ashness Bridge and the car park in the
trees where this round walk should end.
The small footbridge over Barrow Beck which means we're
nearly back to the start.
The old barn here is known as the "Bark House Mountain
Base".
Bark House Mountain Base, Ashness Bridge
On the edge of one of the remnants of the ancient
Atlantic oakwood which once covered much of western Britain,
Bark House was originally used to store oak bark
before it was sent to the Keswick tannery. In the sixties
it was used by the Scouts as a bunk house and also as a
bothy.
More recently the National Trust occasionally opens
it up for visitors. This gives them somewhere to come and
warm up by the fire and eat their sandwiches. It has no
electricity so is a very basic one room space.
Description courtesy of Geograph.org.uk
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The plaque
presumably dates from the change from barn to bothy. |
Back to same Ashness
Bridge, some 5 hours later than the earlier picture. |
A few less cars in the car park on our return . . . time
to head home.