- Low Rigg, High Rigg & Carrot Cake -

Date & Time: Saturday 20th Oct 2007. 10.45 am start.

Location of Start : St John's in the Vale Church, Cumbria, Uk. ( NY 306 225 )

Places visited : St Johns in the vale Church, Tewet Tarn, Low Rigg summit, back to the Church, High Rigg, Long Band, Wren Crag, Low Bridge End Farm, Sosgill and back to the Church a second time.

Walk details : 6 mls, 1450 ft of ascent, 5 hrs including stops for a sandwich lunch and afternoon tea !

Walked with : Jo, John, Liz and Barrie, Ann and the dogs, Jodie, Megan, Sam, Harry and Bethan.

Weather : Clear blue skies, the occasional fluffy white cloud but hazy, giving poor long distance views.

On the A66 travelling into the Lakes from Penrith, there's a sign pointing to the Diocesan Youth Centre at St Johns in the Vale. Roadside parking adjacent to the centre would be our starting point for today's walk.

We had a time constraint today in that there was an early evening Wainwright lecture in Rheged by Cameron McNeish, so a walk round Low and High Rigg would suit the bill nicely.

Autumnal high pressure meant we had clear blue skies and light winds as this picture of Blencathra shows.

The long distance views however were hazy, so this walk would have the additional advantage of interesting views close at hand.

Skiddaw Little Man, Lonscale Fell seen over the rippled waters of Tewet Tarn.

The broader Blease Fell end of Blencathra has prominence from here.

Waterproof boots also helped to get this close to the open water !

Zooming in on the tree and Blease Gill across the way.	We were being watched as we passed by . . .

. . . but the natives were friendly.

This was one of two black horses grazing on the moorland grass as we returned from Tewet Tarn.

Harry and Polly on Low Rigg top, making themselves big like horses to see if they got any more attention.

The North Western Fells in the background with Causey Pike, Eel Crag, Grisedale and Whinlatter standing out on the skyline.

Our route today was a rather lob-sided figure of eight,

so we were making our way back towards the Church and the cars in order to climb up High Rigg opposite.

One of the many un-named summits on High Rigg

taken across the sunshine on an un-named moss filled pool on Low Rigg.

The green path was our route out, and the high ground our route back from Low Rigg.

Today's hazy sunshine and autumnal colours reminds me of those popular Heaton Cooper watercolour paintings of the Lake District.

This view is looking south along the length of High Rigg and across Thirlmere, the sun created a subtle pastel of colours as the fells fade into the distance.

High contrast light also gave this interesting impression of some of the group as they crossed the skyline.

In contrast, virtually the same shot but looking the other way, once the summit had cleared of people.

High Rigg is an area of volcanic rock in the valley below Helvellyn and part of it's beauty lies in the craggy nature and the continual rise and fall of it's terrain.

In each hollow there is potential for a pool or small tarn, and each rise the potential for another distinct summit. We couldn't visit them all, that would be another list in itself, but we would be making for the top of the one in the middle distance Cowrake Head, or as John says the locals call it, Naddle Crag.

Over the stile where the dry stone wall crossed the fell side.

We passed quite a number of people on this fine day, and by the end we found that we had passed many of them a second time.

Like us, they must also have been doing a circular walk of the fell, just in the opposite direction.

The Bram Crag and it's old quarries with the grass slopes of Threlkeld Knotts behind.

With hazy long distant panoramas today, these local views were displayed to advantage in the bright sunshine.

Our sandwich stop gave us views down to Fornside Farm and John's cottage in the valley below.

The Long Band or Long Crag, a relatively straight group of crags ends with a steep path down before you climb the last top in the ridge, Wren Crag.

Barrie's dog Sam and Jodie are in close discussion in the foreground. I think he is whispering something in her ear !

The Scots Pines on the southern end of High Rigg with Castle Rock in the background.

It's one of the Lake District's smaller but still dramatic rock climbing areas.

Out of the slight summit breeze the temperature rises appreciably so Barrie sheds a layer of clothing.

From here we drop down to valley level and turn left to start the return leg of our circular walk.

St John's Beck as we walk north again, following the river.	A restored six barred gateway.

Before the days of hinged gates, the farmers would have taken advantage of tall slabs of slate rock, created holes and threaded poles across the field opening to prevent cattle of sheep leaving the field. This is one of the few examples of such a gate system still being used as it was intended.

The poles would have been slid out to allow access to the field.

This sign at the side of the footpath invites you into the brilliant Low Bridge End Farm tearoom. Sit inside or out, you can order a jug of hot chocolate, a huge pot of tea and some of the best, freshly made cakes to be found anywhere in the Lakes. We, and several other tearoom guests, chose the Carrot Cake. We would recommend you to do the same !

Castle Rock again as we leave the farm behind and continue our walk along the valley.

Lonscale Fell peeps out as we walk around the edge of the fields of the valley beyond Sosgill Bridge.

A final shot of Blencathra as we make our way back towards the Church at the end of our walk.

- - - o o o - - -

Technical note: Pictures taken with a Canon G7 Digital camera.

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

This site best viewed with . . . a large piece of freshly made carrot cake that you didn't have to carry.

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© RmH.2007 # Email me here

Previous walk - 18th Oct 2007 Causey Pike and Sail

A previous time up here - 10th September 2003 High Rigg in St John's in the Vale

next walk - 21st Oct 2007 Sale and Ling with Jo and John