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In this time of restrictions we are still allowed to exercise outdoors with one other person

so Peter, a fellow online-walker fancied a walk up onto my local Low Fell, which is conveniently below the cloud base today.

To avoid sharing a car to Thackthwaite as we've done in the past, we decide to walk today from the door of the house here in Loweswater.

A Low Fell 'round' from home it is then.

The object of our desires . . . Low Fell.

It's not just the getting to the summit, its the taking part in the walk that counts.

In the blue corner . . . field.

Pete and I decided to walk the fell track along the base of Low Fell,

which after Foulsyke House and Whinny Ridding Woods, takes a diagonal line up to emerge above the remaining out-take wall.

Looking back over the woods with our first clear view this walk of Crummock Water.

Two other walkers are already on the fell path.

They head off left for the Lonesome Pine, we'll go right towards Thackthwaite.

Looking back as we cross more open ground . . . by now the fell wall has turned to a fence.

A small but attractive spread of larch trees . . . three quarters of the way along the track.

Rather than stay low and meet the usual track up from Thackthwaite,

we headed diagonally up the side of the fell towards an old quarry.

A contextual photo for you . . . I discover amongst this selection !

The quarry seems large enough to be possibly created for building stone for the village, not just a barrow pit for local walling stone.

As we are already on the slope, we contour round the fell and watch as the lower path rises to meet us.

We join it before the zig-zags.

The weather is cool and feels damp hence a good coat is appreciated.

The path which by now has climbed to the ridge is abandoned in favour of some light refreshments.

We have a brief stop to look at the view from Watching Crag.

Folklore has it that the craggy outcrop was used as a lookout position so as to spot the invading Normans, in the years following 1066.

The valley was the scene of many skirmishes and eventually fell to the invaders who approached via Cockermouth.

The valley of Buttermere beyond Rannerdale, the mountain hideaway of Earl Beothar, apparently didn't.

The story of the Battle of Rannerdale is immortalised in historian Nicholas Size's book "The Secret Valley".

Watching Crag is the slight 'bump' away to the right and Fellbarrow's summit the high point closer to Peter.

This photo was taken at the summit of Low Fell.

The view ahead to the southern viewpoint and summit of Low Fell.

The mountain seen through the mist is of course, Mellbreak.

From the southern top we walk down to the viewpoint cairn overlooking Crummock and the fields of Loweswater.

Zoomed in slightly as Peter, Dylan and Dougal reach the cairn.

Time to head down, but perhaps not straight down this way.

We take a line more down the western end of the fell

and the vague track leads the dogs down to a favourite stone and viewpoint.

Not wanting to be left out of the picture . . .

After the steep descent which came as a slight surprise to Peter, we arrive at the footpath and head round to the pine.

From here you should know the route back down to Foulsyke, across the fields

and home for a cuppa of course !

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Make that a hazel nut if you prefer.

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Following my recent snowy pictures from recent days,

a friend and Loweswatercam viewer sent me a few of their family photos from New Year.