About My Blog


ABOUT MY BLOG

My Dad David died 10.09.13 aged 69. He had a huge love of the countryside. He loved walking and was a keen angler. I was desperate to find and own an object that summed Dad up, after an insightful conversation with a friend, I remembered his walking boots. This set me thinking... How about stepping into them and going for a walk somewhere with a body of water (sea, river, lake, canal, pond, tarn...) and stunning, just as Dad would have wanted.... Here I go in 'My Dad's Boots'

Tuesday 15 September 2015

The Lake District - Claife Heights, Castlerigg Stone Circle and AW Exhibition.

My week away in The Lakes gave me the opportunity to get out walking everyday.... Oh how I wish I could stride out of the door and hit a fell-side this quickly everyday. The first full day I planned to walk locally. The Wainwrights in the immediate area were few but there was a brilliant little Outlying Fell, Claife Heights, and it's four tarns that I could reach in minutes. So instead of booting and brewing up at the boot of my car I took tea in the cozy cottage I was lucky to call home for a week while looking over the route on my OL 7 and then booted up on the doorstep, how civilised! I have to add at this point, the boots for this walk were my own, I'm sure Dad wouldn't mind. Grabbing a jacket, a flask and a sweet treat for the journey I headed out. 

Map: Bing and Ordnance Survey

To be fair for an August day the weather was rubbish to start but I was in The Lakes so a little bit of liquid sunshine wasn't going to deter me..... 

Map: Bing and Ordnance Survey

The walk started along a narrow road leading out of the heart of Far Sawrey. The road developed into a track and then a path over fields, before long the start of this 5.5 mile walk had lead me to the first body of water, the lovely Moss Eccles Tarn. This tarn can only be half circumnavigated but there is a good path that runs along one side. If you feel in and adventurous mood the part path is worth a walk to see the beautiful Water Lillies that thrive at the far end of the tarn. I read that local author, Lakes devotee and landowner, Beatrix Potter used to visit this tarn frequently.... I wondered if Mr Jeremy Fisher would make an appearance on one of the Lily Pads.  




The walk continued along the path and again without much effort brought me too Wise Een Tarn and it's 'little brother'. The view across the tarn should have included the Langdale Pikes but owing to the poor weather and the view being entirely diminished my eye was drawn to the lovely little boathouse. 



Wise Een Tarn's neighbouring small Reservoir.


The route heads into the wooded part of the walk. AW notes in his Outlying Fells guide that the path through the forest is arduous and points out, ominously, the need to resist the temptation to have a coronary.... I'll do my best AW! The next body of water, Highs Moss Tarn is quite reedy and has a relatively small surface area.... Not as bad as Coniston's Boo Tarn though! 



The views across Windermere to Bowness open up once you get on the homeward section of path.


The tarn beside Three Dubs Crags is found by a forestry access track. 



The summit trig at High Blind How, found in amongst the bracken and trees, was the perfect brew stop.... Yorkshire Tea and a Yorkie Bar!  


As I descended I was treated to more big beautiful views across Windermere and the weather perked up too. 


Once I was back in Far Sawrey and having no driving to do, I thought.... Time for a well earned pint. Bliss!


During my time in the Lakes I visited a number of well known spots.... The spectacular Castlerigg Stone Circle being one. 




While I was in the Keswick area I felt I ought to pay homage to another great man's boots. A great exhibition, well worth a visit! 


An entirely joyful week.... Can't wait until my next visit! 

Till next time.... Tight laces. MDBx

Cheers Phil! 


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