A Few Natural Wonders of the Lake District

This is of course subjective because it depends on what is a “wonder” for you. I have also kept a few to myself as part of what makes some (but not all) these places wonderful to me is that they are off the beaten track and therefore quiet sanctuaries. Beauty should be shared though...

One of many cascades in Far Easedale

Far Easedale Valley - A recent find for me that divides the rugged Langdale Pikes from the softer fells of Helm Crag and Gibson Knott. I have walked above it often on the surrounding ridges but it was only recently I walked the whole valley from Calf Crag back to Grasmere. A beautiful place with crags and rocks all around and the lovely Far Easedale Gill running the length of it featuring dozens of cascades and mini waterfalls falling gently over dark black rocks and creating small ravines (one of which is reminiscent of Piers Gill in miniature) and rock pools.

Langstrath Valley

Langstrath Valley – If you want to get quickly amongst proper mountain scenery without the exertion of gaining height then this is the place. You can walk for miles along it beside the sweeping meanders of Langstrath Beck with the fells of Eagle Crag, Bessyboot and Glaramara towering above you. You can get to it from the tiny hamlet of Stonethwaite in Borrowdale (which has a lovely pub as well). The added advantage of Langstrath is the plunge pool of:

Blackmoss Pot

Blackmoss Pot – This finds itself in the Lonely Planet’s top ten places to go skinny dipping! I have been for an impromptu swim in it once on the way back from a Fix the Fells work day and a planned swim with friends another time (both fully clothed I hasten to add). It is a deep plunge pool in Langstrath Beck with a powerful waterfall gushing into it, another out of it and surrounded by high rocks. Nature’s version of a hot tub but ever so slightly colder (very cold in fact) but it is in a beautiful setting and definitely worth a visit. It is easy to miss though so keep your eyes peeled.

Carrock Beck

Carrock Beck – Where the road to Hesket Newmarket from the A66 crosses Carrock Beck at the foot of Carrock Fell (after going through Mungrisdale and Mosedale) there is a little ford, a wooden bridge and plenty of grassy banks and rocks to sit on and enjoy the sunshine and paddle. The view across the patchwork of fields towards the Pennines is lovely and hardly a car passes. Very pretty and I have many happy childhood memories of splashing in the beck.

View from Middle Fell

Middle Fell – I had to include a mountain in the list. Anyone visiting Wasdale Head or Wastwater will have passed this fell. It could possibly lay claim to the least inspiring name of any of the Lake District fells and people will pass it on their way to headier heights of the Scafells, Great Gable or Pillar but do give it a go one day. The views are superb to the higher fells and across Wastwater (and of course to the stunning Yewbarrow) and it is a great climb in its own right. An inspiring fell in spite of its name.

Devoke Water (on a rather gloomy day!)

Devoke Water – In the middle of nowhere but a lovely small lake/large tarn to visit near Eskdale. It has a pretty little stone hut on the water edge and if you combine it with a short climb up to Seat How beside it then you get to see the water at its best and for me, it is at its best with a summer sun setting behind it. Mesmerising.

Colwith Force – This one is easy to get to but it is not talked about in the same breath as Aira Force and Stock Ghyll Force and some of the more popular waterfalls so here it is and quite possibly my favourite waterfall in the Lake District. A wide gushing waterfall rather than a tall one and there is an enormous rock in the middle that divides it. The best view is from the bank above it (if you have a head for heights). 

Colwith Force

So they are just a few of the places I have discovered and I love stumbling across them. I am sure I will be finding more natural wonders up here the rest of my life so the list will change endlessly.

It would be great to hear about any you have found and wish to share or can recommend. Over to you...


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The Valley of Holly & Carrock Beck

A snowy Blencathra in the setting sun

I have climbed Blencathra several times including on an A-Level Geography trip when I stayed at the Blencathra Centre.  This was before I got the fell-climbing bug so I was not very enthusiastic about it, particularly when we had to have a two hour class lesson after we got back down.  I cannot remember a thing from that lesson (other than doing complicated maths in your head is a good way to stay awake – sounds odd but I had to think of something as I was pretty sure my teacher had noticed my head keep falling forwards) but I decided I should give the mountains in that area another visit.  So in March 2011 I planned a walk to include Bowscale, Bannerdale Crags, Mungrisdale Common and Souther Fell.

Looking down the Valley of Holly

Bannerdale Crags

It was a beautiful day, although cold and I was looking forward to a great day walking.  The first half of Bowscale was fairly easy and I thought all that work in the gym in the previous weeks had paid off as I must be fitter. Or so I thought.  The second half was much steeper and I needed frequent view stops!  I confess that I did have the occasional “I could be sitting by a beach in Barbados” thought but pushed them to one side and kept going.  Bowscale did not disappoint.  The views from the top were wonderful.  As I have referred to in part one and part two of my ridge route blogs, once you are on the top of a mountain, you can walk for miles as you have already done a lot of the hard work.  Such was the case to Bannerdale Crags – a simple high level stroll with striking views of Blencathra (the route up to that summit looked pretty steep so I was pleased it was not on my list for the day).

Holly from High Dam near Windermere

I often look up the meaning of the names of fells as some of them are fascinating.  I do not think the word “Bannerdale” is particularly attractive but I think its meaning is.  The word “banner” means “holly” and “dale” is “valley” therefore Bannerdale is the “valley of holly” and Bannerdale Crags would be “the crags in the valley of holly”.  I think a valley of holly sounds simply lovely (if a little prickly).  That said, I saw no holly at all, which was also the case when I climbed from Hartsop, which means “The valley of the deer” and did not see any deer!

The next mountain was Mungrisdale Common.  Now here I need to be clear that in my view, Mungrisdale Common is not a mountain.  It is a flat, marshy, dull plateau with no redeeming features.  It was exhausting to get to because of the marsh and was simply not worth the effort.  It has made it onto my list of “fells never to climb again” and the only other one on that list is Armboth Fell (I will write about that another time).  Yes it was that bad.  Wainwright said it is a place best left to shepherds and sheep.  He was right and I suspect was having a joke at our expense when he decided to include it in his “Northern Fells” pictorial guide.

Sharp Edge on Blencathra from the path to Souther Fell

However, once I had escaped from the non-mountain I headed down a beautiful valley with a cool blue stream catching the sun as it meandered its way down between the fells.  Looking back I could see Sharp Edge - one of the famous narrow ridges in the Lake District that rivals Striding Edge. My final fell of the day was Souther Fell, which was a fabulous mountain and even though my legs were tired, it was a great climb, passing an area called Mousthwaite Comb (another fabulous name).  There is an interesting story about Souther Fell.  Legend has it that in 1745 several witnesses saw a line of soldiers, horses and carriages marching across Souther Fell, but when they went to look in the morning, there was no evidence of this presence – no foot prints or hoof marks.  The only solution offered was it having been some form of spectral or mirage caused by a reflection many miles away of the troops of Prince Charles marching on the West coast of Scotland.  Fascinating.

My route was now homeward bound and I headed off the fell back towards the village of Mungrisdale, where I had begun.  It was only a short route down according to my route planning but as I got to within a field of the Mill Inn and felt if I stretched I could almost touch it, the footpath veered to the right and it must have been nearly another half a mile to get back to the car!  My feet were tired and in spite of the fierce signs saying no footpath straight ahead, I did wonder whether anyone would notice if I hopped across the wall and through the field.  I have never been a rebel however and this act of disorder was too much for my conscience to bear so I dutifully followed the path to the right and the longer route round.  My drink at the Mill Inn was well deserved after nearly 12 miles and I sat with my feet up on the benches outside overlooking the stream.  

A couple of miles away from the Mill Inn is a beautiful stream called Carrock Beck.  It flows down Carrock Fell and crosses the road as it meanders on its way, creating a ford.  There is a footbridge across it and it is a wonderful place for a paddle (bare foot or wellies) and a picnic.  It is a little gem in my view and in the early afternoon when the sunshine catches the water and the cascades it looks as though someone has taken some of the stars from the sky and hidden them under the surface.  Of course I love the mountains but it is unexpected places like this, stumbled across by accident, that make the Lake District so special. 

Carrock Beck