Fairfield and Stone Arthur

Thursday 2nd January 2025

For most of my time in the Lake District over the New Year the weather was very poor with rain and strong winds, but after the New Year it dramatically changed with cold, northerly winds sweeping away the clouds to reveal clear, blue skies and icy tops. My plan for this day was only to walk a few miles from Ambleside to Grasmere and in these amazing conditions I couldn’t think of anything better to do than to follow the route of the extremely popular Fairfield Horseshoe walk. This must be the one of most popular walks in the Lake District with only Helvellyn and Scafell Pike that could possibly be more popular, however, I have been up Fairfield many times myself so I certainly didn’t need to go up there again, but I could not think of anything better. The Fairfield Horseshoe can be done in either direction, and done anticlockwise is usually started by crossing Low Sweden Bridge, as I did in 2008, but Wainwright recommended taking a more scenic route up to the ridge via High Sweden Bridge, so instead of leaving Ambleside along Nook Lane I followed Sweden Bridge Lane onto a delightful enclosed lane. Ice lay everywhere while the sun hid low in the sky, failing to reach the lane as I carefully made my way up, passing through woodland with the Scandale Beck unseen, but heard, in the ravine to my left. Eventually I reached High Sweden Bridge, which was also sheltered from the sun, so not as picturesque as normal.

Soon after crossing the bridge I emerged into glorious sunshine and at a junction turned right to head up the hill, bypassing the notorious rock step on Sweden Crag, and onto the ridge that slowly climbs all the way up to Fairfield. The marsh that lies before Low Pike was frozen, so I was able to easily cross it and ascend up to the top of Low Pike whose summit is crossed by the wall that follows the top of the fabulously rocky ridge. The enthralling walk continued with a brief descent before ascending again to reach the top of the High Pike whose summit is much broader than on Low Pike but beyond the terrain was less interesting with hardly any drop before the now predominately grassy ridge begins to climb much more gently to finally reach the sprawling fell of Dove Crag. Rock dominated the landscape as I crossed the gap from Dove Crag and up to the top of Hart Crag where I stopped for my lunch. It was very cold now I was no longer climbing, so I put on a neck warmer and woolly hat, but with hindsight I should have also put on a fleece as I my hands soon became numb with the cold and I could not get them warm either with gloves or by putting my hands in my pockets. As I slowly climbed the rocky ground that defends the approach to Fairfield I felt in a terrible state and could not understand why until eventually, almost in desperation, I decided to put a fleece on.

This was exceptionally difficult for me to do with numb hands, but once I had succeeded I immediately felt relief and realised that my problem had been due to my core temperature dropping too low, even though I had not felt cold. This was a lesson learnt. Now that I was properly clothed for the cold conditions I made my way up to the summit of Fairfield where I was in awe of the stunning scenery all around me under clear, blue skies. It was totally mesmerising. I looked back over Hart Crag towards the Far Eastern Fells, east towards the whale-backed St. Sunday Crag, north along the craggy, indented ridge that leads up to the snow-dusted top of Helvellyn and west across the heart of the Lake District with the distinctive dome of Great Gable on the horizon. Finally I returned to the crowded summit where a scattering of stone shelters provides protection for the fellwalker from the harsh cold winds that blow across this popular mountain. To resume my walk I made my way south towards the western ridge of the Fairfield Horseshoe with a view down the Vale of Rydal all the way to Windermere in the distance. Soon I reached the top of Great Rigg where the stunning views south seemed to be better than ever with the lakes of Grasmere and Coniston Water now adding to the scene. Not long after beginning the descent from Great Rigg I came off the route of the Fairfield Horseshoe to take an alternative route down that would lead me more directly to Grasmere.

With the mesmerising views continuing I slowly descended the grassy ridge that led me down to Stone Arthur, which I had previously reached in 2013 so I thought it was time for a return visit and I enjoyed getting away from the crowds on the Fairfield Horseshoe, though I was never going to be totally on my own in these weather conditions. On the descent towards Stone Arthur, you can be forgiven for wondering which of the outcrops on the ridge Stone Arthur is, but it is in fact the last one and has hardly any rise with a tiny crag perched high above steep, grassy slopes and views over Grasmere. My first visit to Stone Arthur was in 2006 in diminishing light, while in 2013 the weather had been poor so it was good to finally be able to visit it in good weather and appreciate the views around to the surrounding fells and over Grasmere. Steep, icy, wet ground led me down the grassy slope from the summit so was tricky to negotiate until thankfully, gentler slopes on a good path led me all the way down the hill and into Grasmere. The weather on this walk was amazing, though exceptionally cold, but a lot of things didn’t go right which detracted from what should have been a great walk, most notably not wearing warmer clothing while on the highest fells. This walk taught me some important lessons. On a positive note, when I reached the ridge and joined the many people also ascending the Fairfield Horseshoe I made a point of going at my own pace and lingering over every rocky step, ignoring the people who passed me by. In the past I would have delighted in rushing past everyone, but now I just wanted to enjoy a glorious walk up rocky ground in fabulous weather.

Tarn Hows and around Holme Fell

Wednesday 1st January 2025

Ignoring that it was the start of a new year, I went to bed at a normal time and got up the following morning as usual, preparing to leave the Coniston Youth Hostel where I had been spending the last few nights. When I set off the weather was no better than it had been in the previous year as it was still raining and there was a brisk wind, though it wasn’t as bad as the torrential weather of the day before, which had left the ground very wet. I walked along the path that follows the main road out of Coniston, passing the turning to Tilberthwaite and Yew Tree Farm to reach the start of a path that climbs through woodland beside Tom Gill, which was now a raging torrent thanks to the heavy rain. The walk up was interesting and the falls were spectacular, compensating for the poor weather, but I think I would have still preferred to have been there in better weather as I had done in 2008 on my way to Coniston, though the falls then were merely a trickle. At the top of the path I was confronted with the Tarns that are the centrepiece of Tarn Hows and with the rain easing at this point I had a pleasant walk beside the lake heading north until I reached a signpost that directed me onto a good path that brought me to the byway that links Oxen Fell High Cross with Knipe Fold. The rain now returned, off and on, accompanied by a strong crosswind that made putting on my new Mac in a Sac poncho very difficult, in fact extremely frustrating as I was unable to straighten it up out without the assistance of someone else.

Eventually I gave up and left the poncho off, and after crossing the main road at Oxen Fell High Cross, I continued along the track until I reached a gate where I turned south onto the undulating ridge that heads towards Holme Fell. I had come this way in 2017 in misty conditions and I had been unable to appreciate it then so I was keen to return, but the wind and rain made this time no better, even though the visibility was better. The rain prompted me to put my new poncho back on, but the wind convinced me that this was a waste of time as the constant flapping became annoying. The poncho had been bought for the wet and humid days of summer when waterproofs just leave you hot and drenched in sweat, and it had been taken to the Lake District for a trial as I’d just bought it. It remains to be seen if it will work in the season intended. The maze of paths across Holme Fell made navigating along the undulating ridge difficult and prompted me to abandon it even when there was no alternative. One attempt to descend to my left proved to be futile and I had to climb back up onto the ridge, but finally I made another attempt that was more successful and led me onto the clear path that descends from Uskdale Gap to Yew Tree Tarn. A fast moving stream of water was flowing down the path washing away the loose stones so the path was not in a good state and I had to be careful as I made way down to Yew Tree Tarn where I turned left to pass through a waterlogged area north of the tarn.

The weather had already been showing signs of improving with breaks in the clouds even while I was on the Oxen Fell byway, but it had remained mixed with rain dominating in between the brief moments of sunshine and it was only now that the rain finally stopped. The ground was everywhere very wet as I slowly made my way over the pass beside the main road, passing Oxen Fell High Cross and continuing to Tongue Intake Plantation on a path that I had never taken before, so I loved the opportunity. In the wood I followed a bridleway that descends through woodland and felt very remote with no sign of civilisation across the grassy fields to the River Brathay that was meandering through the valley and reminded me of the Scottish Highlands. At a junction I turned left to cross Ben Beck and join the familiar route of the Cumbria Way, which I have taken many times and as the weather continued to improve with the skies clearing I followed the popular path to Skelwith Bridge. From there I kept to the south of the valley following minor roads climbing up to the hamlet of Skelwith Fold and back down to the river along Bog Lane. The views in the distance up Langdale were stunning though marred by the foreground being sheltered from the low sun as I followed the road into Clappergate and finally reached Ambleside.

It is a shame that I abandoned Holme Fell and failed to reach the summit, but since I had a long way to walk to Ambleside I felt I was short of time and didn’t need to waste time struggling up to the summit. This was a very frustrating day when the weather was better in the afternoon when I was uselessly making my way towards Ambleside, though this was an enjoyable walk and the improving weather held a promise for the rest of the week of better weather.

Claife Heights

Monday 30th December 2024

After a good night’s sleep I set off from the Coniston Holly How Youth Hostel into the centre of the village where I caught a bus to Hawkshead. The weather forecast for this and the following day was very poor with strong to gale force winds and heavy rain, but as I set off along the road out of Hawkshead it wasn’t raining. I thought it would be best if I kept low for this walk so I decided to walk over Claife Heights which is a low range of hills between Hawkshead and Windermere largely covered with conifers. Wainwright described a walk over these hills in his guide to the Outlying Fells of Lakeland and that was my inspiration for this walk, however I was starting from Hawkshead whereas Wainwright’s route started from Far Sawry. To get onto Wainwright’s route I walked along the road as far as Colthouse where a rocky lane, that was a joy to walk along, took me steeply up the hill, but when the gradient eased my ancient green lane was transformed into a modern forestry track, though while climbing the grassy hill I was provided with views back towards Hawkshead and towards the conifers ahead of me. Soon after entering the conifer plantation I began to descend, past a crossroads and onto a narrower footpath signposted Belle Grange, which was not on Wainwright’s route, but I thought it would make an interesting diversion, and was definitely better than the wide forestry tracks and was an enjoyable path to follow as it descended the hillside, sheltered from the strong winds.

Before reaching Belle Grange on the shore of Windermere I turned right onto a path that slowly climbed back up the side of the hill and provided me with views across the lake to Bowness, though they were very misty. Near the top of the ridge the winds were picking up, helped by the trees in the area being mostly felled, and on crossing a wall I turned right to head towards High Blind How, the highest point in Claife Heights. When I was there in 2015, the summit was still surrounded by trees that hadn’t yet been felled, but not anymore so I was now easily able to see where I needed to go and made my way up onto the summit crag where a trig point provided me with some shelter from the strong winds. I had views in all directions with the best looking south over the scattered, young trees on Claife Heights with Windermere extending into the distance. A slender path meandered through a craggy landscape passing over High Pate Crag before descending through the trees to reach the main footpath. Now, I headed south with the path slowly improving as I followed a wall gradually descending apart from the short, sharp descent down Low Pate Crags and on into the incoming, but brief, rain. When I eventually reached the village of Far Sawry, which I hadn’t been to before, I took the opportunity to stop and sort myself out before setting off again.

My route initially followed a tarmac road that climbed north back up the hill, until I came off the road and onto a much rougher track that led me onward past Moss Eccles Tarn and Wise Een Tarn. As the skies darkened and it started to rain again I entered the conifer plantation and at a crossroads I turned left, soon reaching the crossroads where I had been earlier in the day, when I had taken the path towards Belle Grange, and now I turned left to retrace my steps over the hill and down the recently made, unnecessarily wide, forestry track that led me down to the bottom of the valley and finally return to Hawkshead. This was a funny little walk with weather that was never as bad as predicted, though it soon worsened. I enjoyed walking on the narrow, rocky paths that are typical of the Lake District, but it was more tedious when on the wider forestry tracks. The following day the weather was terrible and just as bad as forecast, so I was tempted to stay in the hostel all day, but there is an advantage to walking in prolonged heavy rain as it gives you an opportunity to see if your waterproofs are any good, so I decided to take a low level walk from Coniston. When I set off it wasn’t raining, which made a mockery of all the waterproofs I’d put on, but it wouldn’t be long before I needed them.

From the centre of Coniston I turned up a lane that climbs steeply beside Church Beck into the Coppermines Valley, but this was not the way I’d wanted to go, so when I reached Miner’s Bridge I crossed the beck beside some waterfalls and came back down into Coniston. The Coppermines Valley is usually an interesting place to explore, but with a strong wind blowing down the hill it was soon clear that this was not the day to do so and as I descended back into Coniston it began to rain. This was a good opportunity for me to test my new Mac in a Sac poncho so I put this on and continued to walk round to the old station car park where the track of the railway can be walked and provided me with a good surface to walk on in these conditions. Having never walked on it before I enjoyed the opportunity and the path took me over the main road, past Park Coppice Campsite and alongside the road to finally reach the village of Torver. Sadly, I now left the railway behind and followed a farmer’s road to Mill Bridge where I rejoined the main road and followed it back to Torver, which was not the correct way as I should have gone in the other direction. Frustrated, I walked back along the busy road past the turning to Mill Bridge and finally reached the path that led down to the shores of Coniston Water where a fabulous path led me back to Coniston.

This was an interesting path that undulated, weaving around the trees and over the roots, until eventually the path widened and I passed through the campsite again. I had previously come along this path in 2016, in the other direction, and I enjoyed the opportunity to return, despite the heavy rain. I finally returned to the youth hostel in Coniston before two o’clock, which may be early, but understandable in this weather. It was curious to note how well or poorly my waterproofs had faired as I was dry under my poncho and waterproofs, but where my new poncho hadn’t covered me, on my arms and legs, my waterproofs had not protected me, so the key seemed to be to wear two waterproofs. Although the rain had come through my poncho it had not been able to also get through my regular waterproofs. This was a very useful walk for the future and quite an experience to walk in that weather.

Black Fell and Elter Water

Sunday 29th December 2024

My unsuccessful walk along the Cambrian Way in August had left me in a poor state of health and having used all of my holiday entitlement from work it was a long time before I could do some serious walking again. In previous years I have been able to go to the Lake District just before Christmas, but this was not possible last year since Christmas was in the middle of the week so eventually I decided that I would go after Christmas instead. I had been eagerly anticipating this holiday throughout autumn, but then I fell ill again over Christmas and feared that I would not be able to get away. However, a slight recovery encouraged me to go and on the Saturday after Christmas I got up very early to catch a train north, but the train was delayed going through Wolverhampton which led to me missing my connection. Other cancelled trains then left me standing in Manchester Piccadilly for two hours before I was finally able to catch a train that brought me into Windermere two hours later than planned and so my planned walk was abandoned. The weather was miserable with thick clouds enveloping the whole country, which wouldn’t inspire anybody to go for a walk so I decided that initially I would catch a bus to Ambleside, but my bad luck was still with me as the bus broke down and I had to wait for a replacement, finally reaching Ambleside at two o’clock, with only two hours of daylight left at this time of the year.

To get a walk in before it got dark I decided to retrace my steps from the last time I was in the Lake District, Christmas 2023, when I had walked from Hawkshead to Ambleside along an excellent cyclepath that initially runs alongside a road before passing through Pull Woods and past Blelham Tarn. Despite the poor weather I had an enjoyable walk even when it started to rain as this gave me a chance to try out my new Mac in a Sac poncho. I had read on a random website that ponchos are very good for walking in warm, humid weather, so since I had received the poncho in time I decided to take it to the Lake District and try it out. The first problem I encountered was with my walking pole getting in the way, but after a while I began to enjoy wearing it and I looked forward to further opportunities to trial my new poncho in the Lake District. As the light began to fade I arrived in the village of Hawkshead where I caught a bus to Coniston and the following morning, after a troubled night’s sleep, I was feeling very tired, so I was unsure what walk to do or anything except go back to bed.

My plans for the day were all rejected and I just wandered out of Coniston along good paths beside the road that took me past the head of Coniston Water and eventually led me into the woodland on Hill Fell, where I had come down the year before, and this delightfully relaxing walk refreshed my soul and body as I slowly climbed along the path that led me past a weir and eventually brought me to a car park, near Tarn Hows. After coming out of the conifer plantation, I took to the path that encircles the Tarns, that is the large lake that is at the heart of Tarn Hows, and despite light rain and strong winds I had a wonderful walk with stunning views across the Tarns to the surrounding hills. At the northern end I came across the path that goes to Iron Keld and towards Black Fell, and, despite thinking that it would be too windy to go up the fell, a moment later I came off a good path and onto the horribly boggy path that took me towards Black Fell. Since I had no plan for this day you can’t say I was going the wrong way, but I certainly hadn’t anticipated climbing Black Fell when I’d left Coniston. When I reached the rough lane between Oxen Fell and Knipe Fold I crossed onto a permissive path that weaved an interesting route through Iron Keld Plantation before joining the popular path that led me across the windswept fell with the summit of Black Fell before me.

The wind and mist did nothing to diminish the feeling of being at the summit of a fell in the Lake District with views in all directions, but soon I continued north along a narrow path that is relatively new. I previously took it in 2017, but it was so misty then I had been unable to appreciate it so I had planned to follow at some point during this holiday, little realising that I would do so now. The sketchy path had me doubting the route on occasions and later the path was so wet on steep ground it was difficult to stay upright, but eventually I reached woodland where a good path led me onto a road and down to the bottom of the valley at Skelwith Bridge. Ignoring Skelwith Force, I crossed the river and walked along the popular path that passes Elter Water to reach the village of Elterwater and beyond continues beside the river before turning south to slip past a slate quarry and climb through woodland that I have fond memories of walking through in 2021. While walking past Elter Water the weather had been relatively good with even a spot of blue sky, but by the time I had begun to climb again the skies were darkening.

As I crossed Little Langdale it started to rain while strong winds swept down the valley and into my face. The views across Little Langdale Tarn with the fells behind were still awesome, though I couldn’t take a picture of it while I battled against the wind and rain on a slippery, muddy path across the valley and over the precarious Slater Bridge, which I remember crossing in 2002 on my first ever visit to the Lake District, but never since. As the rain got heavier I put my waterproofs on, though my poncho soon came off again as I found it doesn’t help in windy conditions. At a turning to the left I branched off to pass disused quarry workings and reach Hodge Close where I followed the road out to Coniston. Considering that I had started this day very tired after poor sleep, this walk was surprisingly adventurous and was easily my longest walk since August. I always love being in the Lake District and it was already starting its rejuvenating effect on me.