October
We have had some glorious weather over the past week or so but it is becoming quite autumnal. When I was walking up to the woods one morning I saw (and heard) the first skein of geese overhead: I always feel these migrating geese are an evocative marker for this time of year. I’ve also today seen some fieldfares attacking the rowan berries! The view towards the lake has been amazing particularly in the early morning when there has often been low level mist.
Walking on these early autumn days is very special. Last Sunday I was on the High Stile Ridge, one of my favourites, the reflections on Buttermere remained there all day.
As it had been so clear the previous Sunday a friend suggested walking Black Coombe in the far South west corner of the Lake District. The views were incredible in all directions and we could even make out Snowdon, 90 miles away on the distant horizon (no photo of that though!)
Several visitors to the Cottages this year say they have enjoyed visiting the café at Lingholm on the far side of Derwentwater where Beatrix Potter used to go for holidays when she was young so I thought I had better investigate! You can make a nice gentle day of it taking a launch over from Keswick and incorporating a walk as far as you wish along the lakeshore returning by boat from wherever you wish. The coffee and cakes were good as well! And it is dog friendly!
While on the subject of cafes, it is so good to have The New Book Shop in Cockermouth back home: good to browse the books with a coffee stop!
SAD NEWS…………..
For those of you who know me I have to tell you that Wattie died this week.
It’s hard to lose your best four legged friend, they leave pawprints on your heart.
September
Shortly after I wrote my last post there was an amazing sunset across Crummock Water. It was one of those surprise ones that happen later in the evening when the sky is very overcast but suddenly the sun comes through between the fells and lights up Grasmoor! Almost looks like a volcano!
In the past week or so there has been an autumnal feel in the air first thing in the morning. The berries on the rowan trees seem particularly good this year, not sure if that has any bearing on predictions for the winter! We have also had a very noisy buzzard about recently – I think he must be one of this year’s fledglings who has just been booted out of the nest and not yet learned to hunt quietly!
The other Sunday I went on one of my favourite walks – Dock Tarn and Watendlath. The heather was fabulous on the fells and Dock Tarn looked stunning.
Unfortunately, we had some very heavy rain the day before and Borrowdale was hit rather badly. The repairs to the packhorse bridge at Watendlath were underway but sadly they were badly damaged by the amount of water coming off the fells. Let’s hope the repairs can soon be repaired and the old bridge then rebuilt.
I had family visiting recently and one of our excursions was to Hill Top, Beatrix Potter’s house. We had a lovely day with a picnic at Moss Eccles Tarn which had been bought by Beatrix Potter in 1913 – a lovely place which I had not been to before. On our return I was amused by the following notice on the Windermere ferry!
August
The hedgerows are lovely at the moment with meadowsweet, honeysuckle and harebells and earlier this evening I went for a walk through Loweswater churchyard where there were some beautiful harebells, growing out of the wall.
Certain things always happen at particular times of year but you tend to forget about them until they happen again. The other morning I woke to the unmistakable bleat of a desperate lamb in the field in front of Foulsyke with its head stuck in the wire fence! The lambs reach through for the tastiest blades of grass but are not aware their horns are growing and they can’t pull their heads back again. In another few weeks their horns will be bigger and they will not be able to reach through. I did however manage to free this one although what anyone passing would have thought of me in my pink dressing gown manhandling a sheep at 7 o’clock in the morning I do not know!
The other week Judy and I had an amusing incident when we went over to the Langdales. We were sat quietly on the top of Pike O’Blisco enjoying the views when we were suddenly surprised by the sight of a lady doing a headstand in front of the cairn! We chatted to her once she was the right way up and apparently she is doing headstands on the top of all the Wainwrights – this was her 163rd. Unfortunately I did not have time to get my camera out!
Thinking of things that have made me smiIe recently, I came across an interesting re-use for old walking boots at Borrowdale Youth Hostel.
Very often with photographs it is being there at the right moment. I went for an evening walk down to Crummock a couple of weeks ago, it was grey and drizzly so I didn’t take my camera with me but when I got down to the lake the sun came out briefly and there was an amazing rainbow positioned directly over Grasmoor – I did however have my phone with me!
July
I think this is turning into a walks blog for today……
This afternoon, I walked along the side of Loweswater, up the Mosser road as far as the seat and then contoured back along the side of Low Fell. It was a bit overcast but clear and the views ahead over the length of Crummock Water with Buttermere in the distance were lovely – what could be better!
I battled through shoulder high bracken to the lone pine tree; a landmark on the fellside above Foulsyke. I can never resist taking a picture here!
An excellent walk and I met no-one apart from the sheep.
It was busier a couple of Sundays ago when our local walking group did the Fairfield Horseshoe. As it was the weekend of the celebrations for the Queen’s 90th birthday we decided to pay our own tribute on the way down – we shared a beautiful lemon sponge cake (which Judy had baked and carried over all eight tops) and drank tea from china mugs!
Last Thursday, I went on one of my top ten walks, Dock Tarn and Watendlath. Watendlath has lots of memories for me as I worked there a long time ago as a student at Caffle House Farm. Sadly the iconic packhorse bridge below the tarn was damaged in the floods and is currently supported by scaffolding. However there is a clever wooden footbridge next to it which is resting on two very long tree trunks. I sent a photo to the family and Paul, my cycling son, responded saying he had a seen a picture of an intrepid cyclist crossing when there were just the tree trunks in place spanning the beck. Margaret, my sister, was more reminiscent and remembered walking up to Watendlath from Derwentwater as a child when there was a gate below Ashness Bridge that was opened and closed for cars by a colourful local character who fed the birds and squirrels crumbs from a wicker basket hanging on the gate stoop!
June
We have had some glorious weather over the past few weeks made even more special by the knowledge that at times we were one of the few places in the country to enjoy it – lots of wonderful walks, picnics, meals outside, even late in the evening. It now scarcely seems to be getting dark at night and the chickens have to be shooed to bed!
Looking back over the past month or so, Rannerdale bluebells were very special this year. Although they are on open fellside they are an interesting reminder that there was once ancient woodland there. Rannerdale is not the only place locally where there have been stunning displays of bluebells: Holme Wood was super and looking over from the house there was a beautiful blue haze on Brackenthwaite Hows.
Obviously the biggest news and celebration of the month was the reopening of the A591 between Keswick and Grasmere: the Lake District had been effectively cut in two by the closure of the road with devastating consequences: it was estimated to cost £1 million a day to the local economy. It is just so good to be able to access beyond Thirlmere again – Lakeland here I come!
May is definitely ‘bird time.’ The cuckoos are being very vocal in the local woods. In the garden the wagtails are nesting successfully in the clematis in the courtyard: they are there every year and I do wonder if they are the same ones each time, not sure of the life span of a wagtail. We are also being very lucky with swallows and house martins, there are two nests under the arch into the courtyard, a new one under Crummock porch and the swallows have yet again managed to attach a nest under Buttermere canopy: hope it holds!
(If you click on the picture you will be able to see the nest more clearly)
The Calvert Trust Herdwicks now have lambs and there are lovely activity lamb trails for children! I haven’t managed to see all the Herdwicks yet, I’m still working on it but the opening of the A591 will be a help!
Not Quite May
Last week….
Yesterday….
The weather over the past couple of weeks has been one of contrasts, beautiful blue skies a week ago and then a heavy fall of rather wet snow this week. I feel very sorry for the sheep and their new born lambs – what a welcome to the world! I did see a swallow in the middle of April but I think they may have turned round and headed back south again. While thinking of birds, I saw one of the Bassenthwaite osprey wheeling over Derwentwater: I hear they have now got three eggs in the nest. I haven’t heard a cuckoo yet!
On one of the beautiful days in the middle of the month, I took the shuttle bus to Grasmere to see the Go Herdwick sheep there. The one I really wanted to see was Herdy Mercury at Dove Cottage and he didn’t disappoint! He is well positioned in Dorothy’s garden – I wonder what she would have put in her diary!
They are all beautiful and very different – Dilly, a surprise in St Oswald’s church, was covered in daffodils! I’m looking forward, as everyone else is, to the reopening of the A591 scheduled for Friday 13 May, so I can get along to Ambleside and Windermere to see some more of the flock!
The phone box at the road junction two fields down in front of Foulsyke has got a new lease of life! It has been repainted and is resplendent with gold crowns on the top: it now houses a defribrillator.
Couldn’t resist going out to take this photo as I write!
Later………
Heard the first cuckoo on Thursday (5 May) – bit later than usual but lovely to hear him again!
April
Walking along the lane on a sunny day the old oak trees look particularly beautiful.
However Spring now seems to be properly on the way, lambs are appearing in the fields, there are daffodils everywhere and the birds are singing.
It was a beautiful day yesterday so Judy and I decided to walk over High Rigg from Legburthwaite, visit Tewet Tarn and return by the valley path. We had a super walk, the views were excellent and Helvellyn was still topped with snow. We watched the shuttle bus convoy wending its way slowly down the far side of Thirlmere and listened to the skylarks – there seem to be quite a lot about, I saw some on the slag banks at Workington when I took Wattie for a short walk up to the cross. The church yard at St John’s in the Vale was a mass of daffodils. We picnicked in the sun at Tewet Tarn and watched a coot setting up a nest in the reeds before returning along the valley. A lovely day!
Sheep are the excitement of the moment, and that’s apart from the ones in the fields with their lambs! I went to the preview of ‘A Shepherd’s Life’ at Theatre by the Lake last week – it was absolutely brilliant and is getting excellent reviews all round. If you get a chance, do go to see it.
The other sheep getting a lot of attention are on the Go Herdwick trail – it is great fun and I’m hoping to see them all over the next few months, the one I am really looking forward to meeting is Herdie Mercury at Dove Cottage in Grasmere! The sheep below is Fell Top Georgy the 59th at George Fishers in Keswick.
March
I took this photo by my gate one sunny day last week. Although there is snow on the higher fells the spring flowers are now getting into their stride. I also heard a curlew yesterday!
It was Words by the Water literary festival at Theatre by the Lake in Keswick last week. I go most years and am joined by my sister Margaret and friends. We had a super time and one of the highlights, we agreed, was James Rebanks talking about his book, The Shepherd’s Year, the paper back edition of which has just gone straight to the top of the best sellers’ list. (There is now a copy in each cottage)! At the end of his talk we were introduced to two of the amazing puppets which will feature in the theatre’s Spring production of the dramatization of his book.
As well as going to the festival we went to see Keith Richardson’s exhibition on the River Greta at Keswick Museum. The exhibition was flagged up last autumn but since the December floods the river has changed dramatically. This has all been carefully woven into the exhibition. It is a thoughtful and thought provoking exhibition, well worth a visit and the photographs by Val Corbett are stunning.
One of the knock on effects of being in Keswick for Words by the Water is that we spent rather a lot of time in cafes having coffee and cakes, Café West at the Museum wins on scones and Hope Café, as well as lovely food has a superb view from the veranda. Both are dog friendly.
All the cake etc I ate last week made the ascent of Grasmoor today via Lad Howes somewhat of a challenge! It was a perfect day for walking, clear, warm and with little wind. The plan was to return via Whiteless Pike, but when we reached the criss crossing paths below Grasmoor we took a ‘while we are here’ decision to extend the walk to include Eel Crag and Wandope as well.
On a more Cottage based note, I had my annual inspection last month: the inspector was very happy with what she saw and I have been awarded my Five star status with Gold Award for another year!
Below is a photo from the top of Grasmoor – if you click on the picture to enlarge it you can see Foulsyke!
Snow, Sun and Snowdrops
It is difficult not to think about the devastating effects of the winter’s storms and floods. We in Loweswater were not badly affected, our main problems tended to be access along the local roads. We even maintained our electricity until Storm Henry at the end of January when a tree fell on a power line. Amazingly, even in such dreadful weather, the electricity engineers had us back on in four hours. However it is a different picture for many, Cockermouth and Keswick suffered badly and we must not forget the farming community whose stock was endangered and land damaged. Shops in Cockermouth, such as the Bookshop, reopened within days for December but then had to close in January again to have all the necessary repairs done. On a wider view, the damage to and closure of the A591 effectively cutting the Lake District in two will have long term consequences beyond its re-opening. Much is spoken of and written about Cumbrian resilience and community spirit: it is very true but it is also very hard for many.
It has been lovely to see the sun again this week and on Tuesday morning we woke to blue skies and snow on the high fells, so I obviously couldn’t resist taking a photo!
There was excellent news on Friday when I read in the local paper that a shuttle bus will be starting this next week from Keswick to Grasmere going along a relief road that has been built to bypass the damage at Dunmail Raise – I think I will have to go for a ride on it!
There are plans over the summer for a Herdwick Trail of fifty decorated fantasy ewes in aid of the Calvert Trust. Many of them will be along the route of the 555 between Keswick, Grasmere, and Ambleside. I hear there are going to be lambs as well sponsored by businesses in Keswick and Ambleside. It sounds a lot of fun!
Herdwicks seem to be high profile at present, one of the Theatre by the Lake’s Spring Shows is ‘A Shepherd’s Life’ based on James Rebanks’ superb book of life as a Lakeland farmer. The Studio production is about Millican Dalton, the Borrowdale hermit, who lived in a cave under Castle Crag in Borrowdale. Lots to look forward to!
I am sitting writing this looking out over the garden, where the snowdrops are flowering, to the snow topped fells: I am very lucky to be where I am.
Friday……..
Yesterday I took the shuttle bus to Grasmere! It was quite an experience: two buses full of passengers went in convoy through road closed signs to cross Thirlmere dam then we were slowly driven down the far side of the lake with the bus’s hazard lights flashing all the time. At the end of the lake we crossed what used to be the road and then the bus climbed carefully up a narrow tarmacked forest track to rejoin the A591 at the top of Dunmail Raise – it was then downhill all the way!
After ten weeks of being cut off from Grasmere and Ambleside it was very special to arrive in Grasmere. We celebrated with a coffee and a piece of delicious orange drizzle cake at Baldrys and then walked up to Easedale Tarn in the sunshine! A great day out!
Happy New Year!
New Year’s Day from the seat in front of Foulsyke.
