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" Buttermere with Alexander and the dogs " Date & start time: Wednesday 17th October, 2018. 3.30 pm start. Location of Start : Syke Farm Tearooms, Buttermere, Cumbria, Uk. ( NY 176 170 ) Places visited : Mill Beck Woods, Buttermere YHA, Bowderbeck and the lakeside. Walk details : 2.3 miles, 325 feet of ascent, 1 hours 30 mins. Highest point : Water Board Reservoir above Buttermere Village, 617ft - 195m asl. Walked with : Alexander and the dogs, Boris, Bilbo and Dylan. Weather : Overcast but dry. |
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A trip to Buttermere starts with milk and ends with ice cream, with an ad-hoc walk in between. Alexander and our daughter are staying with us and he and I take the opportunity to the walk somewhere different whilst his mum "pampers" herself at a local spar hotel with a friend. We know where we were starting . . . at Syke Farm after arranging to pick up some free-range Buttermere eggs. We'd end up here (well its easier when you have a car) but in the mean time the route is undecided . . . so here goes . . . Alexander heads down to the Bridge Hotel with his two spaniels in tow. The delightful old Buttermere School House, now the Village Hall.
Near the top we turn onto a less well used path which starts off level, before dipping towards the river.
Anyone got a spare Pooh Stick ? Over a stile and we're out onto open ground, albeit a bit steeper lower down close to the bridge. At the head of the valley is the Knott Rigg ascent with the Newlands road pass in the dip on the right. We reach the highest point of the walk at the Water Board buildings and cross over the Newlands road.
Nicholas Size, author, historian and owner of the Bridge Hotel in his time, so wanted to be buried in Buttermere that he purchased a patch of ground and had it specifically consecrated, just for him to rest in peace. A craggy knoll was probably the geographical 'high point' of the walk and Alexander stops and gathers three dogs for the photo. The Youth Hostel in the village was originally the old Buttermere Hotel. In recent years they have installed camping platforms (decking in urban speak) to allow guests to camp out on level, if rather solid ground. A short road section, we turn right and we're into the second part of the walk . . . down to the lake. The track to the valley floor passes the door of Bowderbeck Cottage . . . available for holiday let, sleeps 7 to 8 people. In recent years it has aquired a discrete but very nice looking outside balcony.
The holes provide the facility for multiple horizontal bars or trunks of wood, giving a closure system that preceded the modern hinged gate. [ This sort of gateway can also be extended with multiple slate pillars across the landscape, so as to to make a fence.] Heading down to the lake . . . Alexander and I take a right turn when we reach the lake in order to walk around to the bridge. An old oak branch has been recently broken off and has been cast aside by the high winds.
More tree damage on the shore of the lake, part of which has been logged already. The famous spindly tree has attracted a Japanese photographer who had heard about it on a Lakeland photo-enthusiasts 'blog'. A slow photo for him, a quick one for me . . . and we move on. Another photographer catches a holiday memory of Buttermere and the dramatic Fleetwith Pike. We cross over to the temporary river bridge . . . . . . . only to find that it no longer exists !
As we didn't need to cross the river, we arrive quickly back at the Fish Inn. No stopping at the Croft Cafe . . .
However we did stop briefly to admire the metal sheep at Croft Farm . . . . . . before Alexander and I indulge in a classic Buttermere ice cream, courtesy of the Ayrshire cows at Syke farm. - - - o o o - - - At the end of the afternoon Cathy and her friend Judith return home . . . . . . and we adjourn to the Kirkstile for a rather nice supper booked for 7pm. - - - 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 . . . a promised chocolate, pistachio or apple crumble ice cream at the end of a walk. Go to Top . . . © RmH . . . Email me here Previous walk - 14th October - Dougal's First Walk Out A previous time here (with the temporary bridge) - 30th July 2018 The Buttermere Bridges Next walk - 18th October - Harry's Pool with Jude
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