Crags, Pikes and Pubs

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After returning a little bit ill from a week in Mumbai for work, I gingerly boarded the packed train to Glasgow. Our first stop was Oxenholme before a change to Windermere. Given it was bank holiday it was running about 30mins late so we missed our connection and didn’t get to Windermere until near 11pm. We stayed at a very popular pub and muscled our way through the Friday night drunken crowd to check in. Luckily we didn’t hear much noise from the pub and club under us. After the first of many cooked breakfasts we headed out to get the hire car. The office was a little shed out the back of the working men’s social club. We soon zoomed off in a little Ford Festiva ... perfect for the narrow country lanes that lay ahead of us over the long weekend. After buying a few bits and pieces left in London (hat & gloves) we picked up our friends Adam & Myles from the station and head for the hills, quite literally. We arrived early at our country farm stay and got a rather surly ‘welcome’ from the owner. She continued with this attitude though-out the stay, but enough on that. The valley, Newlands, was very pretty, rolling hills with sheep, lambs, cows and calves dotted around framed by dramatic mountains. After dropping our bags we were off back to Keswick for a spot of lunch before heading off for the first of our hikes from the ‘Great Views - the ramblers top 50 walking routes to Britain’s finest views’ guide. The recommendation did not let us down. We climbed to the top of Walla Crag for picturesque views over Derwent Water and back to Keswick through the rainy mist. We walked back along the tranquil lake edge and then headed back to the farm. That evening we headed across the valley via paddocks and walkways to the local pub at Swinside. It was an enjoyable evening with great local fare and in fact we went back the following evening, but mainly as it was the only pub in striking distance. The walk back late in the evening was an adventure in fading light. The sheep managed to get into the walkway so started franticly jumping around, silly wee things.

Sunday was a nicer day with no rain so we headed over to Buttermere. The drive over was stunning in itself. After two false starts we found we were actually at the wrong end of the lake for the start of the walk up Fleetwith Pike. The first section of the hike was straight up, then more up, then a scramble up taking about 50mins of hard work and a few false summits. The top provided fantastic views but it was a little too cold and windy to hang about so we headed down. The walk from there took as around a small valley providing great views all the way to the Irish Sea. After a few more accents and more stunning vistas we headed down to the lake and a much deserved lunch at the local; The Fish. Before heading back to the farm we shot up to visit Cockermouth, the town that suffered devastating floods back in the spring of 2009. Sadly many of the shops and local businesses on the main street are still closed.

The following morning was beautiful, not a cloud in the sky. After lazing in the sunshine drinking a coffee and watching all the hikers set up we headed over to Ullswater, another body of water with lovely views. Our first stop was at a waterfall flanked at the top and bottom by stone bridges. We then went on to Glenridding and strolled around the lake before zooming back to Windermere and catching the train back to London.
PHOTOS

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Comments

[Merlyn]

Kylie , thank you for your illustrative, illuminating and descriptive travel blogs.... we appreciate them very much .... our daily walk from 28 Maxwelton to the Mairangi beach is very mundane !!( or is it ?) ... Merlyn & Maureen .... keep walking !!