The Derwent Water Walk

Friday 23rd December 2016

With the Winter Storm Barbara throwing all it had onto the Lake District including high winds and persistent rain, this was not the day to do a walk over the fells. I had been in a similar position exactly two years earlier when I had opted to stay low for a walk around the lake of Derwent Water keeping away from the lakeshore paths that were completely flooded. Despite the heavy rain, there wasn’t any flooding, so I hoped that this time I’d be able to walk on the lakeshore paths that I had not done previously. Last time, I had gone around Derwent Water in an anti-clockwise direction, so this time I decided to head clockwise and started by leaving Keswick through Crowe Park to the road beside the Lakeside Car Park and the Theatre by the Lake. Normally this area is busy with many tourists going to the nearby landing stages for the Keswick Launch that take people around Derwent Water, but there were very few people here on this miserable day as I made my way down Lake Road, past the landing stages and onto the track that leads to Friar’s Crag with the memorial to John Ruskin on the mound behind.

There is a very good view from Friar’s Crag across the length of Derwent Water to the Jaws of Borrowdale beyond and the surrounding fells, but I could see nothing in this terrible weather and with a surprisingly strong wind blowing rain into my face I didn’t stop long enough to look. I couldn’t help wondering how windy the tops of the fells must be if this was how windy it was at the shore of the lake. Quickly I turned around and headed onto the path that heads east through the boggy woodland of the Ings to a farm track that leads to Stable Hills. I soon started to see signs for the Derwent Water Walk which would lead me all around the lake. One such sign directed me across the grasslands of Stable Hills onto a path that hugs the shore of the lake as I rounded Broomhill Point and kept to the edge of Calfclose Bay. My map indicates that a footpath passes through the narrow strip of woodland between the lake and the road, but this was increasingly difficult to follow even though at times it was quite fun trying to trace the intermittent and tricky path through fallen leaves and across rocky ground.

Often my only option to get past the obstacles was to climb up onto the road and follow that for a short distance until another opening appeared that enabled me to make further progress through the woodland. With hindsight this was quite an exciting part of the walk, though on the day I was relieved to eventually reach the Ashness Gate Landing Stage where the path finally became easier for me to follow. At Barrow Bay a clear path follows the lakeshore around a small headland, although the path was still rather waterlogged and fast moving streams had to be carefully traversed. At Kettlewell Car Park the path moves to the other side of the road and meanders pleasantly through the trees past moss covered boulders that led me all the way to the Lodore Hotel. After a brief, but welcome, shelter from the rain at the public convenience that is just after the hotel, I turned right onto a path that heads across the marshes immediately south of Derwent Water.

I have a long history with this path having first walked upon it in 2002 on my first holiday in the Lake District and despite several attempts subsequently I had never been on this path since, until this moment. I remember being at the start two years ago and seeing a sign marking a path that led straight into the middle of the Lake, such was the flooding. I had such no problems now as I crossed the field to the well-made ‘Chinese Bridge’ across the River Derwent onto a boardwalk that kept my feet dry while crossing the marshy wetlands (or as dry as they can be when it is raining). The view all around me was delightful with long, golden-coloured grass covering the marshland which made up for the lack of any view of the surrounding fells. It is ironic that the first time in over fourteen years that this path has been dry enough for me to walk over is when it is pouring it down with rain. Eventually I reached drier ground where the boardwalks ended and a good path took me back north through the woodland in Manesty Park.

I have never before walked upon this path that follows the western shore of Derwent Water and it was a pleasure as I was able to stroll with very little effort along a wide track through lovely Brandelhow Park. Two years ago I used the path that traverses the eastern slopes of Cat Bells while this way had probably lain under water, but now I was able to take this wonderful path that follows the edge of the lake before I finally climbed up to Hawes End at the northern end of Cat Bells. From there I followed a very familiar route that I have taken many, many times through Overside Wood and Fawe Park into Portinscale and over the River Derwent to Keswick. This wasn’t a long walk as it only took me about four hours, but the weather was abysmal so it was a good walk to do when the weather is this wet and windy. I remember being told by an old walker many years ago that so long as you can stay dry and warm you can walk in any weather, and that adage was proved right on this walk which was consequently quite enjoyable.

High Rigg and Bleaberry Fell

Thursday 22nd December 2016

Once again on this holiday it was raining at the start of the day, which I spent wandering around the normally tourist-filled village of Grasmere until a bus finally turned up and took me to the northern end of Thirlmere and the junction with the road that passes over the dam for the reservoir. Fortunately the rain had stopped by the time the bus had dropped me off. My plan was to do a walk through Shoulthwaite Gill, but I was already at the prime spot to start a walk over High Rigg, an isolated wedge of high ground that sits between St. John’s in the Vale and the valley of Naddle Beck. But I didn’t really want to do a walk over High Rigg even though I had plenty of time. It is curious that I should have such a dislike for a fell that is surrounded by fells that contain tremendous scenery and are a joy to walk along. At first glance it would seem that High Rigg is an undulating ridge similar to Silver How and since I loved walking over that fell just two days previously, what could be my problem with High Rigg? I immediately headed away from High Rigg when I got off the bus because I didn’t want to walk over it, but in the end I decided that since I had so much time I may as well go over High Rigg even though I knew I wasn’t going to enjoy it.

After crossing St. John’s Beck, I took a path that climbs through woodland onto the craggy hills that make up the southern end of High Rigg. At this point I was wondering what my problem had been with the fell as it started promisingly with an interesting walk under trees and past craggy rocks up to the top of Wren Crag. Through the trees behind me Great How obscured views of Thirlmere, while ahead of me Skiddaw could be seen over the top of High Rigg, but it wasn’t long before the walk started to deteriorate as boggy ground and steep descents marred the traverse. Ultimately I think this fell is not really a ridge as there are too many undulations, particularly on the western side which falls gradually to the valley floor, so that a wedge would be a better description. I think I could have had a more enjoyable time traversing High Rigg, if the tops of the significant rises we re visited on the way and the traverse is done in the opposite direction, even though south to north is the recommended route so that the fine view of Blencathra is in front. My previous visits to High Rigg were also in winter when I may not have seen the fell at its best, so maybe I should make a return visit in late summer and with a clearer resolve to do the fell justice.

Eventually I reached the cairn that marks the summit of High Rigg where I had views under overcast skies towards Skiddaw and Blencathra while behind me over the length of High Rigg the sun was desperately trying to appear between the fells either side of Thirlmere. A steep descent brought me down to the church and youth centre at the top of the pass where I turned left following a track around the edge of the fell and eventually returning to the main road at Rough How Bridge. A short walk through Shoulthwaite Farm brought me to Shoulthwaite Gill, a hidden valley that I have a lot of affection for with its dramatic crags that are covered in trees on one side. There is a path marked in Wainwright’s that I was interested in following, so after eating my lunch I set off up the side of the steep valley towards Goat Crag eventually turning left to climb up to a conspicuous rock that the latest edition of Wainwright’s calls a flat-topped boulder where I found a small cairn on top. I couldn’t see any sign of a path, so the cairn was reassuring me as I made my way high above the valley and below the tall cliffs of Goat Crag.

Skiddaw and Blencathra were now becoming speckled with sunlight while I remained under thick cloud making my way along a rough, stony terrace that I hoped was the grass shelf marked in Wainwright’s. When the terrace came to an end, I investigated further ahead around very steep ground to a little trickle of a waterfall that was clearly not on the correct route so I retreated and climbed a steep grassy slope to gentler grassy slopes above the waterfall where another small waterfall was hidden away in a delightful and secluded alcove. It was great to see these hidden gems that few people will come across, but would be widely proclaimed if only they were not hidden away in a place such as the Lake District that is overflowing with such delights. Another short climb through heather brought me onto the vast grassy slopes of Bleaberry Fell where route-finding could have been tricky. I decided to turn north towards the top of Goat Crag and follow the high ground from there towards Bleaberry Fell thus avoiding, without realising it, the big bog that is at the top of the stream. Occasionally a faint path appeared in the grass, but most of the time I was following my own route all the way up to the top of Bleaberry Fell where a gale was blowing that I had been sheltered from throughout most of the day.

Sinking below the summit I sat sheltered from the wind and gazed out over the improving weather on the fells north and east. I was still sitting under dark clouds, but Blencathra and Great How were basking in the sunshine. I sat for a while enjoying the views prolonging the moment until I would have to endure the gales on the other side of the fell. My walk so far had avoided these winds, but I felt disappointed that I had not spent more time exploring Shoulthwaite Gill, a valley that I ultimately had not spent much time in. Eventually I climbed up to the summit cairns and into the howling gales that were blasting up the western slopes of Bleaberry Fell as I slowly made my way down the paved path until I had descended far enough for the wind to ease. Now an excellent path took me effortlessly away from Bleaberry Fell towards Low Moss that I remember previously being really boggy, so boggy in fact that I’d marked it on my map. Now, a heavily manufactured path has been built that ensures dry feet all the way to the path near Walla Crag. This excellent viewpoint could not be avoided so I made the small diversion to the awesome views that can be seen across Derwent Water and Keswick, and towards Bassenthwaite Lake.

A fun little path skirts the edge of the escarpment through the trees from Walla Crag, sometimes offering exciting views down the precipitous slopes, so I couldn’t resist the challenge of taking this path until it finally joins the main path on the other side of a wall, which I followed all the way down into Keswick. Just as on the previous day, the weather on this walk improved in the afternoon, but unlike then I was not walking in one of those areas that were basking in sunlight. This was not a great day as I did not enjoy walking over High Rigg, which I knew would be the case before I started. This fell must be better than I think it is if only I would give it a chance. The path that I took below Goat Crag was not clear enough or long enough for it to be really satisfying, assuming that I was following the correct route. I think I would have had a more enjoyable walk if I had gone up the valley beside Shoulthwaite Gill and climbed out when I reached Mere Gill. It was still great being in the Lake District and I had some awesome views particularly towards Skiddaw and Blencathra, which was enjoying the best of the sunshine, and made me glad to be walking there.