Walla Crag – The Descent

On the way down from the fell and passing by a traditional dry stone wall we see Clough Head on the right beyond rollling green pastures.

I thought how lonely and lost those horses looked amidst the enormity of the landscape, and had to try to capture the moment. You may have to click and double-click to see them.

Following the wall and a stoney path down the fell the vista opens up to the valley of Borrowdale where the Brockle Beck runs wild. (This all sounds kind of Lord of The Ringish, don’t you thnk?). I was so taken with the view before me which stretched out for miles and miles into the distance. Clough Head can still be seen on the right.

A glimpse of the stone wall and the path we travel, and can you see how the clouds cast shadows on the fells? I am fascinated how the changing light can transform the landscape.

Looking across Borrowdale we see the Blencathra fells, which are the most northerly in the English Lakes. It is also called ‘Saddleback’, and you can see why. Again amorphous cloud shadows shift over the face of the land.

The path takes us down the slopes towards Rakefoot. Shall we go through the gate? After you …

I had to take this shot just beyond the other side of the gate, leaning on an old dry stone wall, for besides the beauty of the scene, I was taken by all the different layers in the landscape, and the various shades of green. We see the mountain Skiddaw rise up before us like a humped behemoth, and the gentle wooded slopes of Latrigg.

Let’s keep on moving. Crossing the Brockle Beck, now on Chestnut Hill. Keswick is still 2 miles away, but it is still all downhill 🙂

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July 2018, Walla Crag, Keswick, Cumbria, England. © Pete Hillman.

Walla Crag – The Ascent

I had walked a fair way around Derwentwater before getting here on the start of our journey up Walla Crag. We begin at this rather quaint and charming stone bridge called Ashness Bridge. Barrow Beck which flows beneath its arch was but a trickle after almost two months with hardly any rainfall. This is an old packhorse bridge which is said to be one of the most photographed in the Lake District.

A narrow, stoney path takes you up Walla Crag amidst lush green ferns despite the extreme dry weather. Soon the path steeply rises and magnificent views of Derwentwater and the mass of Skiddaw rising above Keswick can be seen. This panorama can suddenly take you by surprise and it does take your breath away.

Climbing higher above the lake the vista opens up further, and beyond Derwentwater can be seen Bassenthwaite Lake and an open window into Scotland on a clear day. The two lakes have merged during past flooding.

This ash tree offered some welcome shade from the baking heat of the day whilst I rested and had a spot of lunch. I couldn’t help but drink in the views.

Turning back we can just about see Ashness Bridge down below towards the left, and the magnificent splendor of Falcon Crag And Maiden Moor rising from the far shore of Derwentwater.

Further on and levelling out, and not far from my sighting of the Dark Green Fritillary butterfly (see previous post), we once again see (not that we entirely lost sight of it) this mighty mountain range rise up above the landscape. Skiddaw is the sixth highest mountain in England and it is 931-metres (3,054 ft) to the summit.  It offers some of the finest views in all of the Lake District, and one that is definitely on my to do list in cooler climes in another year.

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July 2018, Walla Crag, Keswick, Cumbria, England. © Pete Hillman.

On The Shores of Derwentwater

On a small stretch of the shore between the Keswick Launch and Friar’s Crag I stopped to take in the views. Above is the distinctive humps of Catbells, a name I remembered from 18 years ago, surprisingly for me. The fell rises from the western shore of the lake. The name is derived from ‘cat bield’ a place where wild cats shelter.

We have Catbells again on the left in the above and below images, showing the well-worn pathway up Skelgill Bank. On the right is Causey Pike leading out of frame, which dominates Newlands Valley where it is set. You can just see the summit ‘knobble’, even in the bottom image where Causey Pike is partly obscured by trees.

Below is looking along the lake towards the jaws of the beautifully named Borrowdale. We have Catbells again on the right and Castle Crag down the centre in the distance.

Gliding by near the water’s edge came a family of Greylag geese.

And set where it has come to lie some gnarled driftwood, like the bones of something long dead, cast near the shore’s edge.

Click once to expand view, click again to get that little bit closer

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July 2018, Keswick, Cumbria, England. © Pete Hillman.

Views From Friar’s Crag

Friar’s Crag is a viewing promontory jutting out over the lake of Derwentwater which offers wonderful views of the surrounding fells towards Borrowdale. The top image is of Walla Crag, and will feature in a future post.

There are four islands scattered about the lake, and of these two the one on the right is called St Herbert’s Island. It is believed the name of the promontory came about by monks who embarked from the point on pilgrimage to the island.

A few yards from Friar’s Crag is a monument to John Ruskin, the artist and painter, who had very fond memories of the area which made a big impression on him. He described the view from here as one of the three most beautiful scenes in Europe. Castle Crag can be seen centre of the image below.

The images were taken on an evening as the sun was gradually lowering, and the views and atmosphere of the place certainly made a lasting impression on me. I hope you get at least some sense of what I witnessed and experienced.

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July 2018, Keswick, Cumbria, England. © Pete Hillman.

View From The Shore

This is one of the views from across Derwentwater, a large body of water in the Lake District National Park, Cumbria. The last time I visited here was 18 years ago. I wonder why I left it so long when there is so much beauty here amidst nature.

July 2018, © Pete Hillman.