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" Round Buttermere with Paula and Abi "

Date & start time:      2nd February 2021.  3 pm start.

Location of Start :     Syke Farm, Buttermere, Cumbria, Uk ( NY 175 170 )

Places visited :          Syke Farm, Dalegarth Tunnel, Gatesgarth, back on the Burtness side.

Walk details :              4.25 ml, 300 ft of ascent, 1 hour 50 minutes.

Highest point :           Successfully completing the circuit.

Walked with :             Paula, Abi and the dogs, Dylan and Dougal.

Weather :                     Grey and threatening rain, but we'll give it a go.

© Crown copyright. All rights reserved. Licence number PU 100034184.

 

My daughter Paula is here for a few days.  She has been isolating at home and she and Abi felt it safe to reconvene the family bubble.

My granddaughter has also brought her laptop with her so that she could continue 'home-schooling with a view' from the pod in our garden.

A kettle at her bedside and house wi-fi meant she was self contained and busy until her electronic school day ended.

Then we could take the dogs for a walk !

The weather has taken a dive to reflect quite a number of the fifty shades of grey.

The winter snow on the high fells remains, but down at valley level it is just cold and occasionally damp.

Rounding The Hause where the view up the valley is spread out ahead of us.

The valley is snow free but the colour changes very quickly once you rise above the tree line.

We parked at Buttermere and after calling in at Syke Farm we headed off for a walk.

The route starts by walking through Wilkinsyke farmyard . . .
. . . and out across the fields.

Looking up to snow covered High Snockrigg.

The building above us was once the Buttermere Hotel but is now better known as the Buttermere Youth Hostel.

Rannerdale's Low Bank (where Jane and I enjoyed the sunshine a few days ago)

with Whiteless Pike and Grasmoor ascending into the clouds in the background.

Looking back at valley.

The large building is the old Fish Inn with the summit of Mellbreak to the left of centre.

We are walking the lakeside path, aiming to re-visit the tunnel below Dalegarth.   

Abi can't remember walking through it before.

The weather was improving as we walked along

just as it did the time Abi's brother Tom and I did this walk in October last year

Through the gate onto the meadow below Dalegarth House.

The old Dalegarth Jetty and the clear view across to Haystacks.

To the left is the Dalegarth crags and the start of the tunnel that has been dug through them.

Dylan and Dougal (with a stick again) run towards the tunnel.
A photo with 'children and animals', guess who was mis-behaving.

Perhaps we'll just walk on to the next beach . . .

Wildfowl swimming just offshore . . . they look like Mallard ducks.

Less famous but still mighty pine trees.
Fleetwith Pike . . . a stones throw from the beach ?

Perhaps we'll just walk on to the next beach as well, this time to get a better view of the more famous Buttermere Pines.

The gate becomes a deciding point on the walk . . . the weather is okay and it will only be an extra half hour to continue all the way round the lake ?

The attraction of a 'round walk' wins the day.

It's not yet four o'clock and the evenings are getting lighter so there's also sufficient time.

The round trip does involve a section of road walk from Lower Gategarth to Gatesgarth Farm.

The lower reaches of this valley is correctly known as Gatesgarthdale, but is often called the start of Honister Pass.

Tall fells and a tall barn . . . Fleetwith, Haystacks and Gatesgarth Farm.

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On the way to Peggy's Bridge . . . I wonder who Peggy was ?

The stand of conifers in Dubbs Bottom,

with the water of Warnscale Beck and Black Beck cascading down into the head of the valley.

I look towards the bothy and the lake.

- - - o o o - - -

 

 

Paula takes a photo of me taking the photo of the bothy,

 

but I seem to have been "photo-bombed".

 

 

 

Kids will be kids . . . fortunately !

 

 

- - - o o o - - -

Closer to Haystacks now as we cross the valley to Peggy's Bridge.

Warnscale Beck's confluence with Buttermere.

Down the motorway path on the western side of the lake and looking back at the panorama

which encompasses the view from Muddock Crags and Lambing Knott, to Low Gatesgarth House, Gatesgarth Farm and round to the Warnscale Valley.

More poor weather heading up the valley.

Through the trees of Burtness Woods on a continuation of the wide disability path.

Perching posts on one of the small bays, on the way down the lake.

Dougal is down on the beach playing with a stick that seems bigger than he is.

Dougal playing sticks . . . in a big way.
Who threw him one that big . . . who me ?

The classic view back up the lake to Fleetwith Pike.

The same view from further down the lake.

The first gate allows you to get your boots wet as you cross the beck, but also allows a 'fence-inclusive' photo.

But it would be nicer if the fence was repaired !
Sourmilk Gill at the foot of the cascade waterfall.

Across the new bridge and the weather has held nicely, so we are nearly home and dry.

The Fish has been re-named but is currently anonymous while the building is being re-painted.

The Bridge Hotel is likewise shut due to current covid lock-down rules.

Back to the car before the light fades at the end of the walk.

- - - o o o - - -

Home in the evening for supper, followed by a rather nice desert.

Helena's blackberry and apple crumble and Quince & Medlar fruit and nut ice cream.

- - - o o o - - -

 

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

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

This site best viewed with . . . someone to share supper with.

Go to Home Page . . . © RmH . . . Email me here

Previous walk - 30th January - Rannerdale Knotts with Jane

A previous time up here - 16th October 2008 Buttermere Round the Lake

Next walk - 4th February - Darling Fell with Paula & Abi