Category: Lake District
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Suart’s Reservoir
A busy weekend near Staveley in the Kent valley, “gateway to the Lakes”. Yesterday saw a return to Gurnal Dubs which visited in 2016 during the supervision of a DoE expedition. Today Suart’s Reservoir which is on the south side of the valley in the parish of Nether Staveley. It is entirely on farmland with…
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The Green, St. John’s in the Vale
Mondays have always brought on a state of dysphoria after the euphoria of a weekend away. I think another post of St. John’s in the Vale is justified — a day late but heigh ho. The photo is taken looking south from Lad Knott overlooking the hamlet of ‘The Green‘, which, legend has it, was…
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Who was Jim?
Jim’s Fold, on the Eastern Fells below Calfhow Pike and overlooking St. John’s in the Vale. This was used as checkpoint on this year’s Lake District Mountain Trial. Taken on Saturday, the day before the event, when the fold was occupied by two wild fell ponies and their foals. But the question remains — just…
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Peat storage hut, Birker Fell
I came across this ruin on the descent of Harter Fell. The Scafell range of fells provide a stunning backdrop. It is one of 35 huts that have been identified in the Eskdale area that were used for the storage of peat turves. Its date of construction is unclear, certainly post-medieval but it was still…
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Burnmoor Tarn
Described by Coleridge as “flounder-shaped” with “it’s Tail towards Sca’ Fell, at its head a gap forming an inverted arch with Black Comb & a peep of the Sea seen thro’ it“. He was on his ascent of Scafell in 1802, and took the direct route from Burnmoor Tarn, so he could well have passed…
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Ulverston Canal
I had it in mind to try to find the ‘Devil’s Chair’, a rock carved stone chair, on Hord Hill near Ulverston, and was intrigued to notice a canal from the town to the sea. A canal! In the Lakes! Perfectly straight, 1¼ miles long. It turned out to be a little gem, brimming with…
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Threlkeld Common
The boggy wilderness of Threlkeld Common, perhaps more well known because of the ‘Old Coach Road’ which traverses it between Dockray and Wanthwaite, keeping to higher, drier ground. I haven’t been able to find much about the road’s history but I surmise it was the old route between Penrith and Keswick before the bridge over…
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Ruthwaite Cove
A view down Grisedale from the col between Nethermost Pike and Dollywagon Pike. The name Grisedale portrays its Norse roots. The valley of the pigs — ‘griss’ meaning pigs, probably wild boar. On the other hand, St. Sunday Crag, the huge fell on the right is from St Dominic and the Latin: Dies Dominica, the…
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John Bell’s Banner
Grey skies and many showers accompanied me for the drive over on the A66. But sunshine, blue skies and rainbows appeared for the final leg down Ullswater. At the head of the valley, Cauldale Moor looked splendid in the evening sunshine, encircling the gloomy ridge of Hartsop Dodd. Wainwright gives an alternative name of ‘John…
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Dove Crag and Hart Crag
Two mountains, twin peaks, Hart Crag at 2,698′, has its head in the clouds. Dove Crag, at 2,603′, is just about clear. I don’t think I have ever climbed either in their own right. Always on the way to or from Fairfield. And between them, the hanging valley of Houndshope Cove with its scores of…