Loweswater Fells

Walked on 09/07/2015

Start point: Maggie’s Bridge, Loweswater (NY 134 210)

Maggie’s Bridge – High Nook Farm – High Nook on Gavel Fell – Gavel Fell – Blake Fell – Burnbank Fell – Holme Wood – Watergate Farm – Maggie’s Bridge

Distance: 6.2 miles Total Ascent: 600 metres Time Taken: 3 hours 30 minutes Start Time: 08:15

Weather: Sunny and warm. 10C

What a fantastic summer’s day for a walk over the Loweswater fells – the sun was shining, the birds were singing (the dogs were barking!) – I really enjoyed this one. It was such a great early morning I called in at a few well known beauty spots for one or two photos…

Early morning down at Derwent Water.

A panorama across calm waters.

A seat with a view at Friar's Crag.

The view from Friar's Crag.

Catbells.

The jaws of Borrowdale (with incoming duck!).

Ashness Jetty.

Skiddaw.

Asheness Jetty portrait.

Ashness Bridge.

Surprise View.

Buttermere.

The Buttermere Pines.

The Loweswater Fells route map.

Gavel Fell ahead from the track to High Nook Farm.

Climbing above High Nook Tarn.

Looking back to Low Fell across Loweswater.

Big cloud over Grasmoor and Whiteside, Mellbreak on the near right.

High over High Nook Tarn.

Dougal has found the nearest available bog to cool down!

The subsidiary summit of High Nook on Gavel Fell.

Gavel Fell summit.

Fletcher and Dougal enjoying the sunshine.

Heading for Blake Fell.

A fine view to Grasmoor from Blake Fell.

Knock Murton and Cogra Moss from Blake Fell.

Criffel across the Solway Firth.

Burnbank Fell summit.

The fantastic terrace path above Loweswater.

Loweswater panorama.

A seat with a view #2.

2016 Calendar cover - coming soon.

Dougal has found a good use for it!

Holme Force.

A peek through the trees at the upper section.

Back down at Loweswater shore.

Blake Fell

Walked on 19/04/2013

Start point: Maggie’s Bridge, Loweswater (NY 134 210)

Maggie’s Bridge – High Nook Farm – High Nook on Gavel Fell – Gavel Fell – Blake Fell – Burnbank Fell – Holme Wood – Watergate Farm – Maggie’s Bridge

Distance: 6.2 miles Total Ascent: 600 metres Time Taken: 2 hours 30 minutes Start Time: 10:50

Weather: Sunny spells, warm in the sunshine. 10oC.

What a beautiful day today, a welcome change after a couple of blustery ones. It really did feel like spring walking along the tops with the Meadow Pipits in full voice and the warm sun on my back.

On the way…

The view from Low Wood and clearing weather promised a good day.

Carling Knott on the way to High Nook Farm.

A pastoral scene.

Fresh snow over on Whiteside and Grasmoor.

Smoking Grasmoor.

Blake Fell across Highnook Tarn.

Mellbreak and beyond.

Lorton Vale.

Blimey, I thought I'd bumped into old AW himself on Gavel Fell...again!

Heading for Blake Fell.

A panoramic view.

Fleetwith Pike, High Stile and Pillar, to name a few, from Blake Fell.

An airy view over Cogra Moss and Knock Murton.

'The Surveyor' finds the route to Burnbank Fell.

Burnbank Fell summit.

A view to Criffel across the Solway Firth.

Burnbank Fell panoramic, the top marked by the straining post.

Descending towards Loweswater.

Scale Beck.

Darling Fell and Low Fell.

High and Dry looking to Grasmoor (the snow has disappeared in the warm sunshine now).

Blake Fell

Walked on 16/10/2007

Start point: Maggie’s Bridge, Loweswater (NY 134 210)

Maggie’s Bridge – High Nook Farm – High Nook on Gavel Fell – Gavel Fell – Blake Fell – Burnbank Fell – Holme Wood – Watergate Farm – Maggie’s Bridge

Distance: 6.2 miles Total Ascent: 600 metres Time Taken: 2 hours 30 minutes

Weather: Generally overcast. 13oC.

There was only the occasional glimpse of sun over Loweswater this morning and the wind on the fell tops was icy – a portent of things to come I think. My boots are falling apart again; regular readers will remember it was only 5 months ago that this happened previously and that pair only lasted 7 months. It’s back to the manufacturers as the shop warranty is just out, being 12 months from the initial purchase date. It will be interesting to see what happens next…

Carling Knott in one of the rare spells of sunshine from the track to High Nook Farm from Maggie's Bridge.

Looking back to Loweswater Fell.

Which way is it? Climbing the nose of Gavel Fell.

Highnook Tarn and a glimpse of Loweswater from the climb to Gavel Fell.

Looking across to Whiteside and Grasmoor in the distance, Mellbreak in the middle distance and Little Dodd on Loweswater Fell nearest.

The view from the summit of Gavel Fell looking towards High Stile, Starling Dodd and Great Borne. Pillar is visible beyond Starling Dodd.

Casper and Angus on Gavel Fell. Blake Fell, which is our next target, is beyond.

Gavel Fell summit.

Blake Fell.

Looking down on Knock Murton and Cogra Moss from Blake Fell.

The view from Blake Fell. Buttermere and Fleetwith Pike are on the upper right.

The summit of Burnbank Fell is marked by the straining post on the right looking back to Blake Fell.

Grasmoor and Whiteless Pike across Crummock Water.

The view over Loweswater and Holme Wood from the seat on the slopes of Burnbank Fell.

Looking over Holme Wood and Loweswater to Darling Fell and Low Fell.

Crossing Holme Beck.

Loweswater.

Mellbreak from the path back to Maggie's Bridge.

Gavel Fell

Walked on 02/11/2005

Start point: On the Croasdale – Lamplugh road, at the Rowrah junction (NY 087 182)

Croasdale – Kelton Fell (431) – Godworth (432) – Banna Fell (433) – Floutern Cop (434) – White Oak – Gavel Fell (435) – High Nook on Gavel Fell (436) – Fothergill Head – High Pen (437) – Low Pen (438) – Knock Murton (439) – Croasdale

Distance: 8.4 miles Total Ascent: 1405 metres Time Taken: 3 hours 45 minutes

Weather: Grey, overcast, windy with some showers. 14oC.

Today’s walk was over some of those less often visited fells between Loweswater and Ennerdale. What should have been a fairly easy walk was made harder by the weather, with strong winds and rain, and also by the terrain which is quite boggy and tussocky in places. The climb to Knock Murton at the end of the walk is a tough one as it is straight up and very unforgiving to say the least!

The lane from Cross Rigg to Godworth - an old mine road.

Looking from Kelton Fell to Godworth with Gavel Fell behind.

Knock Murton - the last fell of the round - from Godworth.

Anglers Crag across Ennerdale Water from Banna Fell.

It was very windy on Banna Fell!

Heading for Floutern Cop, the mist swirling in and out.

Floutern Tarn from Floutern Cop.

A misty Hen Comb from the boggy section between Floutern Cop and Gavel Fell.

Gavel Fell - it's not always sunny in Lakeland...

High Pen.

Descending from Low Pen to the forest road. Ahead is Knock Murton with Cogra Moss to the right. The sting in the tail of this walk was the ascent of Knock Murton from the low line of trees to the right of the fell climbing straight up.

Looking back across to Low Pen from the steep climb to Knock Murton.

Cairns on Knock Murton (the outer two!).

Descending back to the road and the end of the walk. There are many industrial relics in this area, it being extensively mined in the past. The route took us along the old railway embankment below; note the spoil heaps which litter the surrounding fells to the right.