Oak Cottage - Loweswater

Retreat to the quiet of the Western Lakes

The Cottage, and  the view up the Buttermere Valley
Oak Cottage Home Page

 

 

 

 

Date : 25th May 2003

Place : Mellbreak, Loweswater, Cumbria.

Event : An evening walk with Ann

Distance and time : Four miles, 1300 ft of ascent, 2.5 hours, door to door.

Weather : A fine day, improving towards evening.

= = = 0 0 0 = = =

 

This was the view from Loweswater School house, the village hall at about 6.30 pm.

It had been the day of the village sponsored walk, and tea and cakes had been on sale at the hall for participants and visitors alike. After a hard day, grafting and grappling with the lawn mower, we finally downed tools, to take advantage of what had turned out to be a lovely afternoon and evening.

The local Millennium project had been to design and cast this bronze plaque, and have it set into the wall,

to celebrate both the year and the fine viewpoint the hall provided.

The Kirkstile Pub, Loweswater, purveyors of fine ales and great food.

Almost hidden in the greenery, the pub, church, and the cottage.

The rain this last month has given the whole area a real growing spurt. The trees are now full of leaf, the hedges full of late spring flowers, and the fields full of fast growing lambs (except this field !! Ed.)

The path up Mellbreak starts from the end of Kirk Head Lane

and climbs through a forestry break onto the lower slopes of the hill.

As we climb we start to get the view, here of Whiteless, Grasmoor, and Gasgill valley.

Loweswater lake itself, with the Solway, and Scotland, beyond.

Higher now, as the path clings to the edge of the gully, and there are fine views down onto the lake below.

About three quarters of the way up you round a bend to find the classic view of Crummock and Buttermere

with Fleetwith Pike in the distance. Gable is the highest point at the head of the valley.

The northern summit, and a little light cloud brushes the top of Gable,

but the evening light stil giving beautiful colours all round.

Green and Great Gable, with Haystacks, High Stile on the right,

and the rounded northern summit of Mellbreak in the foreground. Not a soul about.

Our route took us along the top for a while, and then we branched right

in search of the path off the side of the fell.

A steep descent, but with extensive views of Mosedale and its famous holly tree in front of us.

This tree is one of the few, if not the only, single tree in the lakes that has its own symbol on the 2.5 inch O.S.map

Back via the forestry edge, to the cottage. The sun has set and the light is fading slowly.

Not many people on this walk, considering it's a bank-holiday Sunday !!

- - - o o o - - -

Technical note: Pictures taken with a Cannon IXUS 400 Digital camera.

Resized in Photoshop, and built up on a Dreamweaver web builder.

This site best viewed . . . with the eyes.

Go to Top . . . Home page . . . Go To Archive 2003

© RmH . . . Email me here