Loughrigg Fell

Saturday 19th August 2023

I had hardly done any walking over the summer, since leaving Scotland at the beginning of June, so for my next holiday I needed somewhere I could relax, not push myself too hard and allow myself to recover from the difficulties that I have had this year, and there is nowhere better for that than the Lake District. Part of me would love to spend all the time there, but it is very crowded, which puts me off and I try to stay away so I am not adding to those crowds and the erosion on the fells that they cause. The last time I was in the Lake District for a major holiday was spring 2021 when Covid was still at the forefront of everyone’s mind, which led to me camping every night, but now with Covid, hopefully, a distant memory the restrictions as a result of the pandemic have been largely lifted. Therefore, this is my first chance since spring 2018 to do the Lake District as I used to in the past. I have very fond memories of walking in the Lake District over the last twenty years and a repeat of those holidays is just what I needed to revive my spirits. The train arrived at Windermere station on time, which is surprising, and I decided that I would immediately start walking from the station, even though that is not what I have done in the past when I have always first caught a bus to Ambleside or Grasmere. However, when I was in the Lake District for a couple of days last Christmas, I walked all the way from Ambleside to the station and it didn’t seem too far, though in a little change to my route of last Christmas, I initially headed up the Orrest Head path.

Behind me were many people chatting noisily away, but, thankfully, at the junction where the path up to Orrest Head turns right, I kept straight on along a lovely path with a wall on my left above gardens and woodland on my right. The weather was warm but overcast with a strong wind that was not a problem at the moment, though it would definitely prove a problem higher up. The sun was trying to break through the clouds, but ultimately failed. The path took me into High Hay Wood, which I had a quick look around, but soon I retreated and followed the path out of the wood and onto the Patterdale Road. A side road took me down to the Ambleside Road, which I would follow all the way to Ambleside, but when I reached the Brockhole National Park Visitor Centre I thought I’d have a look around as in all my years of coming to the Lake District I had never been before, but it is just something for the tourists, an activity park for those who are not interesting in walking over the fells, as if anybody would not want to do that. There was nothing for me except somewhere to sit and have my lunch and after eating I returned to the road to resume my walk to Ambleside.

The road was very busy with slow moving traffic that made me glad to be walking and eventually I reached Ambleside where I bought something for my dinner before heading across Rothay Park to Under Loughrigg Road. My overnight accommodation was on the other side of Loughrigg Fell and I could have just walked around, but it was much more interesting to go over the fell even though I’ve been over Loughrigg many times. A look at Wainwright’s guidebook revealed a route up that I’d never taken before so I ignored the bridleway that starts opposite Rothay Park and followed the road beside the River Rothay until I reached Foxghyll where a lovely, little path heads up the side of the hill, initially through woodland and with great views behind me, across the valley and towards the Fairfield Horseshoe. On emerging from the wood the path continued to climb beside the Fox Ghyll stream, passing a bank of bramble that provided me with many tasty blackberries before eventually I reached a shallow depression that Wainwright calls the Amphitheatre and the Ordnance Survey calls Black Mire. I had never been this far into the Amphitheatre before and, of course, it was very wet underfoot. On the other side a steep climb brought me up the hill and I stopped many times to turn around and look at the view across the valley towards Wansfell and the Rydal valley.

Even though the weather was poor, it was great to be back in the Lake District and as I absorbed the tremendous views I could feel the stresses of the year already leaving me. I took my time to enjoy that view and to not push myself to climb the hill quickly, plus at this moment I was sheltered from the strong winds, and when I eventually reached the top of the ridge I was exposed to the full might of Storm Betty. Despite the strong winds and grey skies I had awesome views over Loughrigg Tarn and up Langdale, but I didn’t linger and after taking a few pictures I returned to the main path and followed it across the fell, branching off to visit the windswept south summit before continuing up to the highest point on Loughrigg Fell. I tapped the trig point and hastily continued to the northern slopes, which were a little more sheltered and now afforded me with views across the village of Grasmere with Dunmail Raise pass in the distance. Soon, I branched off the main path down to Grasmere to take a route that I’d never taken before and descends north of Intake Wood. This was very steep, but afforded me with views over Grasmere to the north and west into Langdale with the youth hostel in plain sight. Unfortunately it wasn’t yet four o’clock and the reception at the hostel doesn’t open until five so I had some time to kill. Fortunately the grounds at High Close are quite extensive and I was able to follow a trail through the woodland which provided me with a lovely, relaxing walk until eventually I returned to the hostel. This was a good, gentle walk that helped me to get used to walking again, and with the strong winds I couldn’t really do anything else.