Our Walk

Our last full day in Ambleside was not intended to reflect the more strenuous nature of the activities on the previous three days. However the walk reached just below the 500 metre mark which certainly exceeds the 297 metres of Walmer Hill, the South East's highest point. Thanks Elaine for suggesting and leading this walk without hesitation or deviation.

Colourful Troutbeck was the aim of our walk today.

Verdant pasture and woodland in their early summer glory, and loads of bluebells (here they are around later than in the south-east) formed the initial impressions. All these gifts of nature were nestling around the northern reaches of Lake Windermere with its sailing boats. Yes, we were definitely very much in the Lake District. Our initial aim was Troutbeck with its interesting aspects spiritual: the church and the "Mortal Man". After that we scaled the heights of Wansfell Pike for more views over Lake Windermere and north towards Grasmere.

On our return route we scaled Wansfell and enjoyed a nice view over
Windermere which was stretched out below us.

A steep descent brought us back to Ambleside, ready for the final - social - dinner of our visit to the Lakes. The event took place at the "Wateredge Inn" pleasantly basking in the sunshine on the northern tip of Lake Windermere. Both the holiday and this event were ably organised by John E..

• Woods, Pasture and Lake Windermere
• Troutbeck
• Wansfell
• The Wateredge Inn   Our last evening in Ambleside.
  
  
• Walk Features
  
  
• Contact, Copyright & "Readme"

Woods, Pasture and Lake Windermere

Late spring, in all her colourful glory, was out in force today. Trees in their light green mantles, blubells in their prime ... and oh, the lovely stretches of wild garlic! Sheep grazed on the verdant pastures. Sailing boats bobbed up and down on Lake Windermere.

High dry stone walls and light green foliage. A late Lakeland spring.




Lake Windermere hoves into view, ...




... sailing boats waiting for action.




Bluebells are out in force in Skelghyll Wood.




Jenkin Crag - a pulpit in the landscape.




Wild Garlic - a feast in the West Country and probably here too.




It's out of the woods ...




... and on to the pastures ...




...where sheep may safely graze.




Sheep? They have infiltrated the land.

Troutbeck

Troutbeck lies on the road leading to the Kirkstone Pass and northwards to Patterdale and Ullswater. On our last full day we were content just to aim for Troutbeck itself, with its rugged slate buildings, its interesting church and its nice watering hole of Sally Birkett Ales fame.

Bluebells guard the outer reaches of Troutbeck ...




... and to the left of, and out of, the above picture is a monument to some of the hardworking sheepdogs, of which no sheep farmer in these parts can do without.




Robustly constructed slate cottages line the descent into Troutbeck.




Troutbeck church dates from 1734 or 1736, but has massive Victorian influences (1861), including a stained glass window designed by three - not just one - Pre-Raphaelites (William Morris et al.). The flowers give colour to what is a grey slate structure.




And here are those flowers again.




Back in Longmire Yeat (upper Troutbeck), sheep belonging to the "blue stripe" farmer are being herded by a motorised mechanical sheep dog - with a baa baa here and a baa baa there.




The inn in Troutbeck gets our custom. The inn sign displays what looks like an early beer advert for Sally Birkett's Ale - whoever that august lady called Sally Birkett may have been in real life.

Wansfell

The wilder aspect of the Lake District awaited us as, suitably refreshed at the "Mortal Man", we headed out of Troutbeck up Nanny Lane to Wansfell Pike. The pike, not quite 500 metres in height, presides on the east side over a seemingly vast open space, and on the west side over Ambleside, which it appears to shield somewhat from the outside world. A gentle rise to the pike and a steep descent off the pike is what characterised this half of the walk.

Nanny Lane gets us out of Troutbeck on the way to Wansfell Pike. Why Nanny? Who knows?




This rugged outcrop guards Wansfell Pike.




On Wansfell Pike, we can look towards Lake Windermere, ...




... north to the Red Screes on the west side of the valley, ...




... and NNW across the valley on to the range leading to the Red Screes.
It's really an all-round view from here.




Here are my rucksack and Lake Windermere, ...




... and here is yours truly with rucksack and Lake Windermere.




There may be a better way down to the right of this picture, but this scramble doesn't do me any harm. On the contrary, it's all good practice.




The way to Ambleside down below is steep and stony - no great sweat!

The Wateredge Inn

We all meet up at the Wateredge Inn for our last day dinner together. The fare is good, as are the beverages. Of course, the setting is splendid too. Good choice, John. We all depart in good spirits (take the spirits as you will!), thinking of CLOG trips to come.

This is the Wateredge Inn where we shall have our "social dinner". Thanks again John E. for the organisation.




Early arrivals at the Wateredge Inn. John E. is organising things, so he has to be here (for the beer?!?). Thanks Yvonne for taking the piccy.




The inn is really on the water's edge. The view looks continental, but the flag is definitely British! Across the lake on the right is (Victorian) Wray Castle
to which Melissa, Gavin and Co. cycled today.

Walk Features

Our walk took in the foothills of the Lake District with their green pastures and woods and their villages, traditionally built with solid slate to withstand the forceful turns of the weather. After lunch, the terrain took on a medium level aspect - wide open spaces and outcrops of slate. Nice! Here you will see the map and heights relating to this walk; for data on all our walks, please click here.

This was a circular anti-clockwise walk, straight from the doorstep of our hostel. The length was 6.5 miles, otherwise measured as 10.4 Km. What a nice gentle way of rounding off our walks of the previous days!




A gentle start and a plummeting descent characterised today's walk.