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We had a message last evening to say that the Starlings have
been gathering as dusk in large numbers down at Siddick Ponds
Nature Reserve at Workington. With similar weather the
following day, our guess was that the same would happen tonight,
so we drove over to see.
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The Mob are out again, this time for an "A" walk
which takes us high, up through the crags to a classic high
fell. An early start was an advantage as the forecast
turned out to be less accurate than expected, especially on
the fells where the location can emphasise any changes.
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The "Lakeland Trial" is an event for vintage cars
and is based around this corner of The Lakes. There's
a day of driving through forestry and public roads but the
main spectator event is at Honister, to watch the cars tackle
the hill climb to the top of the Honister Mines.
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We join long time friends from the Online Fellwalking Club
days and go in search of an easy walk up to the summit of
High Hows, a Birkett fell adjacent to Cogra Moss. Should
we fail to find a way to the top then a walk around the lake
would make a fine alternative.
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The Mob were out again . . . not the biggest of walks but
not a simple one by any means. We were heading out to
climb King's How, the fell that overlooks the Jaws of Borrowdale.
A round trip from the Bowder Stone car park would give us
a strenuous climb to the top and then a walk back via the
old Victorian landmark.
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Loes and I are still at her house in Yorkshire and I arranged
to meet up with my brothers. The day before we all met
up we tried two different locations close to Collingham to
find somewhere suitable to take them for a walk, both failed
but for different reasons.
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Staying in Harewood has the advantage that it is a much shorter
journey down to Sheffield to see my daughter Jenna and her
partner Matt. We took the opportunity soon after Emily's
first birthday, to drive down to see them all now they have
settled into their new home.
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After the poor weather of the last few weeks it was time
for a bit of sunshine. With the nice weather I combined
a trip to see friends in Buttermere with a local walk at the
head of Crummock Water. For a change today I extended it slightly
and headed off down the road from the car park back towards
Wood House.
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This time Loes and I climb two fells on the west coast of
Cumbria, the former being the first climb on the Coast to
Coast route. Dent and Flat Fell are not quite Wainwright
Fells, but nevertheless they provide good walking and some
hard work if you chose.
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This was a Mob Walk . . . an walk organised by our informal
local walking group, the Mockerkin Mob. Our leader for
the day was Peter and his good lady Karen, but unfortunately
they have been struck down by the lurgy, so I ended up at
the front when those not wanting to lead the walk all took
a step backwards ! No problem, lets go.
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Storm Babbet was threatening heavy rain and high winds to
the east coast of the UK and especially Scotland. We head
out for an extended afternoon walk the day before it was due
to reach its peak, while we have the potential for a dry walk
round the lake.
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A fine mid-week day gave Loes and I the opportunity to venture
west, to walk at the coast at Ravenglass. We took a stroll
along the Cumbrian Coast path, then turned inland and visited
Newtown Knott and Muncaster Castle (for lunch) before returning
to the car.
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Playing catchup with village life now we're back, but also
making the effort to meet friends and go on longer walks where
the better weather and spare time allows. On Sunday my friend
Barbara, Pete Burgess's mum, announced that she would be in
Keswick so Loes and I invited her to join us for lunch and
a small walk over at Lingholm Gardens.
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I'm back in Loweswater and no sooner that I say goodbye to
Hilton, my dog sitter whilst I was away, than a planed visit
from my daughter is marked as imminent on my Loweswatercam
Calendar. Tom will be here with Paula for the weekend too.
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Loes was born in Amsterdam and travelled over to England
many years ago as an Au Pair. All her family still live on
the continent, so this was the chance to meet some for the
first time, and to greet others again on a holiday that would
include both Holland and Germany.
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I was in town with the dogs today so took the opportunity
to have a riverside walk alongside that area of the River
Derwent that I looked down on from Cockermouth Castle recently.
It seemed that this was a popular walk for towns folk who
were also out walking their dogs.
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It's that time of year again, when folk in the valley and
beyond look forward to a day on the Show Field here in Loweswater.Some
come for the competitions and prizes, some come for a day
out in the countryside and some, especially the locals,
look forward to a day out with friends and neighbours.
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The Loweswatercam 2024 Calendar is now available
to order
~ Request your copies now ~
available early September onward ~
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Three "events" from late August / early September.
Loes and I enjoyed an extended dog walk up Hen Comb.
Perhaps we didn't mean to go to the top, but it was good
to reach it. Ian was over for a similar low
level walk that ended up longer than expected and then the
biggest surprise of all . . . read on.
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The weather in the fells on this day was less than perfect,
so Loes and I decided to head the other way . . . to the
coast. In the days of good rail and poor road transport,
the town of Silloth on the coast north of Workington became
popular as a seaside resort.
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A month ago I called over to Castlerigg Stone circle for
a Museum Talk about the history of the area, only to find
the talk had already happened and everyone was packing up
! Walla Crag was hidden in mist, but four weeks later,
when Loes fancied a gentle walk in the Keswick area, my
mind turned to thoughts of a return visit to the crag.
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We are entertaining Ukrainian guests this weekend. Volodymyr
is a refugee lodger at Loes's daughter's house and his daughter
Alla and her two 5yrs olds escaped the war last year and
now live in Leeds, so we invited them all to Cumbria for
the weekend.
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Loes had been invited to visit her ex-neighbours in St
Bees, so I took the opportunity to walk the dogs while she
drunk tea and no doubt chatted the afternoon away.
On our way over to St Bees she diverted via Tarn Flats to
drop me off for a linear walk back along the cliffs.
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There was such interest in the house renovation pictures
when we first came to live in the cottage that I thought
that I'd document the arrival of solar power to my world.
We went from naught to full speed in eight hours . . . and
life has just become a little bit greener.
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An out-and-back to Low Fell summit this time with one eye
on the weather and another on the petrol gauge. Loes
and I drove to Thackthwaite, admittedly only a short way,
but decided to return to the car rather than make a special
journey to fetch it later.
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Following the gathering of over 400 dogs in Scotland we
just have a small gathering of four 'Gunnerdale' retrievers
when we got back. Friends are staying in the village
and we join them on several walks. They own Dylan's two
sisters (same parents, different litters).
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We're off to Scotland. This time last year we didn't
plan to go but Loes had a combined Christmas and Birthday
present of a five night, paid for Air B&B visit, based
around a "Golden Retriever Gathering" in Glen
Affric. This time last year Loes hardly appreciated dogs
. . . this year her daughter is sending her to a dog show
!!
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My nephew Sam and his wife Lucy are over in the UK from
Singapore with their family. They've been offered accommodation
in Keswick for the week so invited me to join them on a
walk or two, first in Whinlatter and the next day to Skiddaw
from Gale Road.
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The weather has come up trumps for our local Village Social
Club Sumner outing. The Loweswater 77 Club (started
in 1977 ... not our average ages) have hired a coach to
take us to two venues across the Lakes for a day out to
remember.
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The first castle was built on this site in 1134, made from
stone taken from the Roman Fort at Papcastle. The castle
played a significant role in the War of the Roses in the
Civil Wars of the 1640's. It is still privately owned
but is open to the public a few days a year.
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I was alerted to a National Trust walk taking place locally
that really appealed to my interest. Roy, the local
NT ranger and Gary, the National Hydro Officer, were offering
a guided walk around the Trust's hydro power system within
the Borrowdale valley.
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Hayeswater is an upland lake that is often seen from the
fells, occasionally visited if you have time when
passing, but seldom circumnavigated. This day I fancied
an upland walk in an area I hadn't been to for ages, somewhere
for the dogs (and me possibly) to get a swim this hot day,
yet have a specific reason to make this walk desirable over
any other.
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Were back in Yorkshire. The reason for the visit was to
meet Loes's family and share the occasion of a certain person's
"Big-0" birthday. As well as the Food Festival
and our walk alongside The Strid, we enjoyed three other
local walks in and around Harewood.
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I've heard a lot about The Strid in Wharfedale and seen
many photos from fell-walking friends over the years. Today
was my chance to visit Bolton Abbey and The Strid with my
local guide . . . Loes of course ! We start at the
smaller car park at Strid Cottage.
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With Loes having a house in Harewood near Leeds we have
the opportunity to enjoy two quite separate social scenes.
We often compare local events and decide which to attend
and that will set the trend for a weekend for instance.
This time, the last weekend in May, was the date for the
Harewood Food Festival . . . not to be missed it seems.
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A visit to Wales starts with
two nights in Swansea and a trip to the theatre. Combine
that with seeing family, catching up with friends, local walks
and sightseeing and our short holiday starts at a pace that
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We managed three bluebell
walks this year, one locally to Brackenthwaite How, one to
Rannerdale via Cinderdale and one over the top of Rannerdale
Knotts, visiting the bluebells on the way back down.
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The Village of Loweswater joins the country in celebrating
the Coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla. The plan
is simple everyone bring a dish, savoury or sweet, to share
with friends. Everyone was welcome, but please let us know
so we can set you a place.
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This extensive but gentle walk incorporated the abandoned
railway line that passes through Wetherby. About half
was road walking on a route that we found about from a pub
leaflet at our starting point, The Scotts Arms in Sicklinghall.
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Walks planned in advance
often get poorer weather and today was no exception. The Mob
walk had been planned with a route up Ling and then across
to Sale Fell. Rain at the start removed Ling from the
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Plans to walk in Borrowdale fell through so I changed my
sights slightly once I realised that I hadn't climbed Dodd
Fell for many years. An afternoon start, so if I didn't
spend to much time along the way the cafe might still be
open at the end !
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The month of April whizzed by with loads of activities,
visitors and things to do in the fine weather. May
seems to be going the same way (which would explain the
delay in posting photos). Join me on my local adventures
and see a few familiar sights along the way.
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Two walks over Easter, both with my daughter Cathy and
her partner Mark, plus on Easter Monday, two of her Med
School friends. On the Wednesday we decided to go
out to lunch at Buttermere the hard way . . . by walking
there and back circumnavigating Crummock.
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The three things a dog needs is food, a walk each day and
somewhere to sleep, so as the weather has swung back to
sunshine after two dull days, today's walk is as bright
as it gets. The phone camera sometimes over emphasises colour,
but today it was true to life.
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The weather's turned, making the high fells rather unsuitable
for pleasure, so we stay local and climb Mellbreak (and
end up in the pub!) and on their final day, a morning walk
to another landmark and viewpoint before they had to leave
to catch the train home.
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The weather forecast was excellent, with sunshine and a
gentle breeze for this linear walk from Whinlatter over
Grisedale Pike, Hopegill and home via Whiteside. Loes
dropped us off at the start before she left for Yorkshire
as we set off on this high level classic.
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It's the run up top Easter and my granddaughter Abi has
asked to come and visit and bring a friend Emilia.
They arrived on Sunday, delayed a day by the train strikes,
but the weather has greeted them with bright sunshine and
the prospect of a few days nice walking.
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My local painter and decorator is also a Bond Bug enthusiast
and whilst at my house recently he told me of a Lakeland
Drive being undertaken by friends of his. I suggested they
might like to stop by if and when they were passing.
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What seemed like an early start for six of us, as the clocks
went forward last night, but that didn't stop us getting
out for this Mob walkup onto Causey Pike, led by Chris and
Pip. A cheerful start photo as we wonder if the camera would
balance on the bonnet of the car !
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After the excitement of the recent winter snow the weather
has turned milder and that for us usually means WET !
After a few local days dog walking in the vicinity of Loweswater,
I take advantage of a clearing in the weather to head up
the valley to Buttermere.
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The rain that arrived during the last walk turned to snow
overnight, to point out to us that winter wasn't over yet.
Today Loes wanted to call over to the Grange Hotel
to see Lorna and Keith, so I was able to cadge a lift to
enable this linear walk back to the cottage.
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The snows of the 10th March melted quickly due to the mild
air moving north, following the warm front across the country.
Next day I had a local walk up onto Scale Hill with
the dogs and the valley was looking very different. For
Sunday's walk Loes and I chose to go to the coast as the
prospect for the Workington area suggested it might be clear
of rain.
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Paula's brief visit was coming to an end. Was it
snowy enough to stay, was it sunny enough to enjoy a walk,
would it be clear enough for a drive back home over the
Pennines? The first two had come true, so we donned our
boots and headed out for a walk.
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The Wintery blast that was bringing snow to Scotland and
the North East failed to bring more than just snow on our
highest peaks. However the weather patterns changed
and a warm front moved in from the Atlantic bringing snow
up from the south as the precipitation met the cold air.
It reached us on the Thursday evening.
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Cold weather has been forecasted with snow for Scotland
and the north east cost of England, so when I saw beautiful
sunshine and snow on our tops I headed up the valley to
find the most accessible summit with the best views . .
. Dale Head
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I had an invitation from neighbours, John and Rosamund,
to a walk in Holme Wood. Despite promises on timing, the
National Trust have had to fell the larch trees in the wood
in February becasue of tree disease. We walked over to see
the aftermath.
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I had the opportunity to join a Cumbrian Wildlife Trust
two day hedge laying course here in Loweswater, something
I had always secretly wanted to do. A couldn't promise
myself as a future commercial partner for the Trust but
I did learn a lot about hedges and wildlife.
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Today's walk was Loes's idea . . . She remembered lovely
snowdrops in the valley near Calder Abbey that she used
to love to go and see. The same valley was the location
of a walk she did several times in years past and she said
it would be nice to repeat it again.
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Another walk up Mellbreak with my local walking group.
The weather was not good so pictures are few but the spirit
was willing and the dogs and I had another good day out
with The Mob, however low cloud on this occasion meant few
pictures from the tops.
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Harewood Village is just a few miles north of Leeds, so
it was only a short trip towards the city for today's walk. Roundhay
Park is one of many green spaces within the city and it's
also famous as a outdoor music venue for Pop and classic
concerts.
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After visiting Sheffield I drove about an hour north, by-passing
most of Leeds and heading over to Harewood. Harewood House
was famous for its Bird Garden and work with not only endangered
species but also with the re-introduction of the Red Kite
to the area.
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February found me travelling across to Sheffield to see
my daughter and grand daughter again. Matt's parents were
in town, having travelled up from North London, so it was
chance to meet , enjoy a walk and also go out for a evening
meal together.
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I called by the Mine shop today to clear up any unsolds
of the calendar and decided to give the dogs their daily
walk at the head of the valley instead of down on the flat,
so I headed up and back on a few of the old mine tracks
opposite the Honister Centre.
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A shorter walk today but a nice one nevertheless.
Binsey can be walked from several directions but I introduce
Loes and friend Lill to the shorter south eastern climb
from Binsey Cottage. Welcome to the most northerly and westerly
Wainwright fell.
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Another Mob Walk, this time a walk up Latrigg near Keswick.
We drive to Spooney Green Lane via Whinlatter on a cool
morning before the sun really starts to add colour to the
day. A group of seven of us head up to one of the
classic viewpoints of the Lakes.
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Loes and I were in Carlisle this day to complete the repair
of the car, so while the work was done, we borrowed a courtesy
car and headed out to Brampton along the A69 to Talkin Tarn.
It's been a busy few days back home too, but more of that
shortly.
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As my day had to include a visit to Keswick and the weather
was superb, I phoned Gill who met me at Ashness for a late-morning
walk, across from Ashness Bridge car park to Walla Crag.
It had been a cold night and there's still ice on the paths
in places.
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I needed to visit a neighbour today and also give the dogs
a reasonable walk. This found me heading towards Holme
Wood, and afterwards I continued on all the way around the
lake. Before I that, a few pictures from a brief visit
to the adjacent valley of Ennerdale.
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With the cold temperatures the snow has held on and the
roads are still icy. The best thing to do is to have
another local walk but in a different direction, to get
a different perspective of the views today. A walk
on the side of Low Fell would be good.
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The forecast was for cold northwesterly winds with possible
snow showers on the fells.The morning broke with a beautiful
sunrise over a snowy Rannerdale Knotts, light which spread
across the valley and lit the fells all around with an orange
glow.
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After a fine lunch at the Orient Express Cafe we drove
the short distance down the side of Bassenthwaite Lake to
Thornthwaite, for a walk up into the Whinlatter Forest.
The weather is dry at last, but it is getting cooler with
appreciable snow on the high fells today.
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The Mockerkin Mob, a local group of fell walking friends,
are starting the New Year with a high level walk of the
North Western Fells. The plan was to walk Whiteside,
Hopegill Head, Sand Hill and then go on via Coledale Hause
to Whiteless Pike and Rannerdale.
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