Oak Cottage - Loweswater

Retreat to the quiet of the Western Lakes

The Cottage, and  the view up the Buttermere Valley
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Date : 2nd June 2003

Place : Rannerdale Valley and Loweswater.

Event : An early evening walk with Ann.

Weather : Excellent after a hazy day.

Crummock Water with blue skies, fluffy clouds, and a gentle breeze, which has blow away the midday haze.

Chance for an evening stretch of legs and to checkout the bluebells of Rannerdale.

The flowers are past their best now, and are rapidly being overtaken by the bracken . . .

so the blue swathes are fast turning green.

They are still there however, on both sides of Rannerdale beck, and stretch right up the hillside.

Some say they thrive on the bones(phosphate) of the warriors killed in the battle of Rannerdale which occurred here,

but more likely they grew as a result of this particular micro-climate or perhaps in an ancient woodland long gone.

The blue stretches two thirds of the way up Rannerdale Knotts hillside,

and they must have looked really impressive at their peak.

Time for a swim whatever the weather. At least this time thedog will come out beautifully clean.

The lambs are growing fast. The foot bridge is part way up the valley, and the top of our walk this evening.

Back down now. Industrial archeology defines this site as an old bloomery -

a fire or hearth where they burnt bracken. for Potash.

( This was combined with wool lanolin and used in the production of soap) It is a Grade II listed building !!

Back by the roadside now, looking at Hause Point, and across to Scale Force and Starling Dodd.

The same tree, but this time looking north west down Crummock to Low Fell.

Mellbreak is on the left, its flank now in deep shadow.

Why oh why ?? Litter at the beach by the lake.

We can clear the litter, but the grass will take a long time to grow back.

Back home - a sheep's eye view of the valley.

With the aid of technology, the sheep could have had this closer view.

Rannerdale Knotts to the left, with Haystack and the Gables, and the High Stile Ridge on the right

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