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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.