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Overnight snow greeted us as we awoke and despite the bright sunshine of the day

the fells have held onto their white blanket of winter. 

After a busy morning Ann and I take a walk up to the snow line on Low Fell.

8am and a light covering of snow and a good frost cover the ground.

Our newly painted phone box stands out like a beacon on a morning devoid of its usual colour.

On the fells there's a much deeper fall of snow.

This is looking across at Low Fell from the road outside our cottage.

The local farmer has left his sheep trailer . . . up till now it has been difficult to retrieve due to the wet ground.

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After breakfast . . . the sun burst through and colour returned.

Low Fell positively glistening white in the sunshine.

. . . and the trailer became the focal point of a colour picture once again.

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Someone else is in the garden looking for a spot of breakfast.

On the bird table after fetching a nut from the feeding box . . . his tail really catching the bright sunshine.

Grasmoor from the bottom garden.

Whiteside from the top . . . overlooking a rather empty greenhouse.

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Visitor gone, lunch over, we head out for a walk.

There must be a hidden magnet up there as it has been trying to drag us across all morning.

Rose Cottage nestling under the bank.

The small hollow in the field beyond is most likely a barrow pit

where they dug stone and barrowed it across the road to build the cottage (circa 18oo's)

Our cottage dates from roughly the same time but it was renovated and extended in the 1960's.

The Vicarage . . . still in the ownership of the church and home to Loweswater's Vicar and her husband.

Whiteside through the field gate

Looking slightly back to Grasmoor as the top end of the valley comes into view.

Lorton Valley . . . looking down past Dodd and Swinside . . . all the way to Broom Fell.

The cottage here is Moss Cottage, one-time Mine Manager's house for the Loweswater Lead Mine. (1800 -1870's)

Click here or on the photo above for a larger Loweswatercam annotated panorama.

Ahead is Foulsyke House commanding one of the best views in the valley.

Looking across to the old Scale Hill Hotel now a private residence and holiday-let accommodation.

Ann pauses by the gate into Whinney Ridding Woods.

The path goes that way . . .

The warmth of the sun this morning has already started to melt the snow on the lower slopes.

Me . . . running for a photo . . . surely not !

. . . but wouldn't you with a view like that ?

The crisp snow on the high fells makes every crinkle and crag stand out.

The top of the Grasmoor triangle . . . those attempting the front must treat it as a serious rock climb,

the Wainwright scramble climbs up the side flanks in the shadows to the left of the main face.

The Low Fell ponies . . . or should we say two of the four on the fell today.

They keep to the lower ground in these snowy conditions.

Hardy, stocky animals but beautiful all the same.

After saying hello to the ponies, Ann now continues the walk.

The object of desire . . . the Old Pine Tree.

A classic view of the valley but one totally altered by the winter colours.

Branching out !

Ann takes time out to sit and enjoy the view.

The Old Pine stands in the footprint of an old enclosure . . . it is shown as such on the 1:25k map.

Click here or on the photo above for a larger Loweswatercam annotated panorama.

Looking down on the cottage from on high . . . the frost has now gone from the surrounding fields.

Such a beautiful afternoon.

Looking back at Low Fell, the afternoon sunshine catching more Scots Pines below the main woods.

The change of light as the sun sets lower in the afternoon sky.

A hint of yellow, even a little pink, colours the snow on Whiteside.

Foulsyke House now in the shade as we near home.

Hmm . . . we're in the shade too . . . time to put the heating on.

As the sun sets the shadows rise up the side of Grasmoor, leaving only the upper slopes in sunshine.

A final tour-de-force as Great Gable catches the Ennerdale sunset on its west facing flanks.

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Hi Ann Happy New Year to you both. I saw something about Roger's retirement on Fb earlier. Our son, Peter, is on the ground at Edinburgh as I type. He's just sent me some photographs of The Lakes as he flew over half an hour ago. Looks like you're having a better day than us! love to both.  Richard & (Hilary)

High above Ambleside . . .	Coniston . . . seen from a flight to Edinburgh.
Flying over Keswick	The dark area is Derwent Water, the curve is the A66.

High above the snow covered NW Fells . . . there's just a light patch of cloud sitting over Grasmoor.

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