Start Point: NT Car Park (SD 327 995)
NT Car Park (Tarn Hows) – The Tarns – Iron Keld – Black Fell (Black Crag) – South East Cairn – Iron Keld – Tarn Howes – NT Car Park (Tarn Hows)
Distance: 7.6 km
Total Ascent: 153 metres
Time Taken: 2 hours
Start Time: 09:50
Weather: Grey and overcast but warm for the time of year. 12ºC
Finlay’s Wainwright count: 6/214 (1 new this walk)
Route Map
It was nice and sunny this morning at home but by the time I made it to Coniston, the skies were grey and overcast. I was set to walk from Tarn Hows around Black fell then Holme Fell but decided to leave Holme Fell for another day when there are some clearer skies. It was unseasonably warm today and this walk was completed in shirt sleeves which is remarkable for November. It was also very still with barely a breath of wind, all of which combined to make this a really lovely walk. Once I was a quarter of the way along the outward path along Tarn Hows there was no one around until I was back to the main path. Of course the car park was full when I got back but there was the special treat of coffee and cake at Joey’s Cafe waiting for me!
All is calm down at The Tarns with only a few people about. Up on the top are the belted Galloway cows that inhabit the area. They must be used to people and dogs as they seemed very docile when we passed and never even gave us a second glance when we passed some of their brethren later on in the walk.
Iron Keld Plantation between Tarn Hows and Black Fell.
It made me feel old walking through Iron Keld Plantation - when I first walked this way 25 odd years ago, it was a thick pine forest. Over the years I have seen that felled and a new woodland landscape emerge - there are still some pines but mainly Birch trees now and they seem to be coming on well.
We made a small detour to spot height 297m (on the O.S map) for no reason really - there were no views today as the clag was down low. This made for a walk in silence apart from some distant chainsaw action and there wasn't a breath of wind.
Blag Crag, the summit of Black Fell looking over High Arnside.
Where is this Black Crag you speak of? Wainwright #6 for Finlay.
Windermere just about visible.
The south east cairn below with Esthwaite water beyond.
Down at the magnificent cairn.
Esthwaite Water from the cairn. As we walked back towards Iron Keld I could see a bird in the treetops and it was making a strange 'bop bop' noise. I couldn't for the life of me think what it was - a Rook perhaps? Answers on a postcard please if anyone knows...
At the Scott Memorial above Tarn Hows. We had to tippy toe past some of those Belted galloway's to get here. As I mentioned earlier, they never even looked at us even though we had to walk through the middle of their small herd.
Holme Fell beyond The Tarns - if the weather had been a bit better I may have taken that in as a round trip but maybe next time.
Finlay at the memorial.
Reflections back at Tarn Hows, the ripples caused by Finlay having a dunk, at least it cleaned all the mud off him. The good thing about finishing here is that there is a coffee wagon at the car park with a good selection of cakeys to go with it.
Leave a Reply