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" A Buttermere Ramble with Nicola "

Date & start time:    Thursday 22nd March, 2018. 3.30 pm start.

Location of Start :   Syke Farm Cafe, Buttermere, Cumbria, Uk. ( NY 176 170 )

Places visited :         Dubbs Bridge, Sandpiper Bay, The Tunnel, Wilkinsyke Farm and back.

Walk details :             2.8 miles, 175 feet of ascent,  1 hour 30 mins.

Highest point :           Nicola really enjoyed seeing the tunnel.

Walked with :            My niece Nicola, Ann and our dogs, Harry and Dylan.

Weather :                    Overcast but dry, a cool breeze from the north east.

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We've entered a period of slightly kinder weather.  The wintery showers have gone but the low temperatures are still in evidence.

My niece Nicola is visiting for a few days and together we explore some of the delights of Buttermere on a rather grey day.

The Bridge Hotel, Buttermere.

[ They are the featured pub of the month in the current edition of the Cumbria Magazine ]

Croft Farm cafe with the green defib on the wall.
Swaledales grazing the village green . . . the grass this time.

With the cold and relatively dry weather, the grass has suffered a double setback to starting its spring growth.

All the sheep locally are consequently rather hungry and the farmers are giving supplementary feed of hay and sheep cake.

Perhaps by escaping to the village green these Swaledales can find a patch of fresher grass which would be a real bonus for them.

We walk with Nicola down towards Buttermere lake.

The impressive bulk of Fleetwith Pike stands out above and behind the trees.

Lambing is always later here to avoid any poor seasonal weather.
Stone walls constructed from river-worn stone.

Building walls with this type of rounded stone must be a real challenge.

 
Walking on down the track.
Ann standing in a hollow again !
The bridge over Sour Milk Gill.

The stone filled river outflow leading into the lake.

The main river outflow from Buttermere, known as Buttermere Dubbs.

Water levels in all the lakes are down due to the low rainfall this last month . . . the snow-melt made very little difference.

Walking along the Sandpiper beach past the lonely tree.

- - - o o o - - -

Rather than head straight back to the village we decided to extend the walk so Nicola could visit the Buttermere Tunnel.

Long-toppled trees on  the lake shore.
An almost Scottish view with the trees on the rock promontory.

Walking the meadows below Hassness House.

Across the lake is High Crag, the third of the trio that makes up the High Stile Ridge.

Tunnel ahead . . . Dylan is already there.

Nicola is quite tall so as we go through it will be a case of "duck or grouse".

The puddles in the tunnel are more a nuisance than a problem.
A quick out-and-back . . . ticking off the experience.

Harry is a little slower now, so he and Ann waited a short distance back while Nicola, Dylan and I walked the last section to the tunnel.

After his short rest there was almost joy in his step as we walked back to the car. 

A retrospective look at the lake as we head up the track towards Syke Farm and the village.

What the notice is trying to say

is that the shoreline path that we used earlier

to cross the bottom of the lake, is shut from Sunday 1st April

for the duration of the Sandpiper nesting season.

If you want to use it, do so this week

or wait till summer. 

The rest of the "round the lake" walk is open all year.

Colourful Herdwicks with an interloper . . .  A black-faced Swaledale

This stocky Herdwick stamps its feet as we pass . . . we're on her territory.

Back to Syke Farm at the end of the walk . . . mission completed.

- - - o o o - - -

 

Technical note: Pictures taken with my Panasonic Lumix Gx8 Camera. .

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

This site best viewed with . . . Buttermere eggs and milk for tomorrow's breakfast . . . again.

Go to Top . . . © RmH . . . Email me here

Previous walk - 17th March 2018 - Little Beasts and Crummock Icicles

A previous time here - 24th July 2017 - Buttermere to the Tunnel

Next walk - 24th March 2018 - Sunshine at Crummock with Dee & John