The Lakes in Spring
/Our second visit of the year to the Lakes in May was in complete contrast to our week in March. This time, we were blessed with wonderful weather and it reminded us how lovely it is to walk in Tshirts when it's warm and relatively dry underfoot. This was to be our final visit to the north eastern Lakes, climbing the last of nine Shap Fells we had left to do.
Our first, and longest, walk was the Wet Sleddale Horseshoe, onto which we also tacked Wasdale Pike and it was quite a long, physical day. The weather was overcast with some light drizzle at the beginning of the morning, but it was thankfully warm. Underfoot was very marshy and running wet in parts, but for the most part dry. Navigation wasn't a problem even though there weren't any discernible paths, but the terrain was hard going - uneven, rough grass, hidden rocks, vast swathes of heather and lots of undulation. However, we also had beautiful views down the length of Wet Sleddale and across to Swindale, but it felt very remote indeed and we didn't meet or see anyone else all day. Wet Sleddale is a pretty valley, and it was lovely to see it from a different angle.
A visit to Temple Sowerby and Acorn Bank provided an opportunity to visit a new area, and we thoroughly enjoyed wandering round the beautiful gardens and orchards, before following the wonderfully named Crowdundle Beck to a small working mill, then back along a woodland path lined with the most prolific swathes of wild garlic we've ever seen. The sight and smell was incredible and ran from the mill all the way back to the main house.
The following day found us out early to drive the thirty or so miles to Keswick to attend the Mountain Festival for a second time. The weather was perfect and it was wonderful to be back in amongst the scenery of the northern fells once again. We wandered down and round Derwentwater taking photos. then had a cup of coffee outside at the Lakeside Cafe, before spending time at the lively festival. Lunch was at the lovely Elm Cafe in George Fisher's which was Abrahams when we last ate there, but the changes were lovely and the food was delicious. Somewhat reluctantly, we left Keswick later that afternoon and headed back to Shap, checking into the Shap Wells Hotel for our second stay there, heading immediately up into their little woodland to watch the Red Squirrels which was a delight. The weather was now beautifully warm.
Todd Fell and Whiteside Pike were next on our list to tackle, and they were absolutely stunning. The sun was bright, it was warm and dry, there was a profusion of wildflowers and lambs, and the whole walk only took us around two hours,, so we were able to drink it all in. Bannisdale looked stunning, with vast sweeps of bluebells carpeting the fellside. A gentler day followed and we spent a lot of time in the woods back at the hotel, watching, photographing and filming the squirrels which was magical. We made the short drive to pretty Orton village to buy one or two food items that afternoon to take with us on our walk the next morning; the Crookdale Horseshoe.
As the weather was forecast to be much warmer, we were on the fellside at 7am in the cool of a misty morning. Walking along the ridge from High House Bank to Robin Hood then on to Lord's Seat, was delightful; easy, only very slightly undulating, warm, clear, dry, on a path of sorts and with wonderful views in all directions. We made good time and enjoyed every minute, sitting for some time on each summit. From Lord’s Seat, we headed off piste towards Crookdale Beck, where we stopped for coffee and a bite to eat observed by a herd of curious sheep, before heading back up and over Whatshaw Common, meeting two fellow outlying fell walkers and enjoying an interesting half hour chat with them.
We headed home early the next morning as rain was forecast, but it had been a wonderful, enjoyable week. We were a little sad to have finished the Shap Fells; indeed all the eastern fells now, in this beautiful and remote corner of the National Park. Our next visit will be to the west coast, but I think often and with much affection about those gentle fells and the red squirrels in that special, magical little woodland.
