'Two little Wainwrights for two special occasions'
Date: 14 Jan 2012 Start time: 10:18
Start point: Elterwater Park Guest House - NY337033
Walkers: Mark Illingworth
Distance: 9.99miles Time: 6:32:49
Route: Walk away from the guest house down the private lane towards A593. At the road, turn left and pass three houses before heading south on well identified public bridleway through Stephen how towards High Arnside. Follow the path over numerous becks through fields containing sheep until you reach an imtermittent dry-stone/fence-post wall that runs almost exactly east-west from High Arnside farm buildings towars the summit (not visible, but clear from the map). Stay to the north side of the wall and head uphill towards a farm gate east-north-east of the farm wall (failing to spot this gate and heading to the next field southwards calls for a climb over dry-stone wall!). From the gate, don't follow the obvious bridleway. Instead, head upwards to the crest ahead. From here the summit marked by a trig point will be visible a short east-north-east walk away. From the summit Iron Keld Plantation and Tarn Hows are seen to the south-west. You walk in their direction between the two modest humps of higher ground. A clear path takes you through Iron Keld Plantation and at its end turn right to follow bridleway until it joins the 'Cumbria Way', where you head south into Tom Heights. Folow a flat plain path round the western edge of Tarn Hows then take path marked 'Yew Tree Tarn', following Tom Gill which leaves the tarn just before the gate on the main path. Follow the track west downhill past numerous waterfalls, including Tom Gill waterfall. The path ends at Tom Gill car park. Follow the A593 west a short distance to Yew Tree Farm then head north up the bridleway infront of the farm property. This path takes you through Harry Guards Wood as you start to climb the eastern side of Holme Fell. The path gets steeper as direction of travel moves from northwards to westwards, until you appear at a large cairn signalling arrival at Uskdale Gap. Ignore the cairn topped Ivy Crag to the south-east and head south-west to the large bare rock that clearly stands as the highest ground. From here, head south to a cairn to see further views of Coniston Water before walking downhill in a northern direction towards, and then between, the disused reservoirs. Continue north through the wood until you reach a gate joining to a quarry road and small car park. Follow the path along the western cliff top of the quarry then head up the lane through 'Hodge Close' collection of cottages. Follow the lane north to Strang End where you turn east along side the cottage to follow tarmac road to High Park. At the building's driveway you join the 'Cumbria Way' with a short diversion along the road from Elterwater. You re-join the way-marked path to your left, eastwards past Low Park to the guest house.
Weather: Cold, crisp air and crunchy underfoot. Temperatures started below zero and never got much above. Skies were blue and practically cloudless, although rising mist caused apparent cloud inversions in distant valleys. There was no wind to speak of, even on the (relatively low) fell tops. Care had to be taken on lanes due to black ice, but some bogs weren't quite as frozen over as others where the sun had hit south / south-east facing areas.
Notes: Firstly, Elterwater Park Guest House was a very nice place to stay (http://www.elterwater.com/). I don't think you could start the walk there if you weren't staying, but there are a number of places to park a car around the route. The room was fine, although the TV was too small to watch Scholesy's comback goal in good style. Price was reasonable and the host couple were very nice. the breakfast was delicious and set us up well for a full winter day's walking.
Mountain bikers are something to look out for on the first stretch of this walk until you join the Cumbria Way at Tarn Hows. Luckily the ones we met were panting on uphill sections so no dangers.
The sheep at High Arnside were grunpy sorts, making lots of noise but no danger to walkers. Other wildlife include birds of web-footed variety and family dogs at Tarn Hows, horses in the field above Yew Tree Farm and some brutish looking but appently sedate bulls off the path to Strang End.
The summit of Black Crag was wonderful - to look at with its National Trust trig point, and to look from with several lakes and tarns in view across the southern horizon (Windermere, Esthwaite Water, Coniston Water, Tarn Hows, Blelham Tarn) and spectacular higher ranges across the north and west horizons (Fairfield horsehoe, Langdale Pikes, Bow Fell, Scafell Massif, Wrynose Fells, Coniston Fells). Its relative isolation from higher fells makes this a brilliant viepoint after a low exhertion climb.
Wray Castle is visible on Windermere's shore during this walk. It sets the scene for another Victorian exhibition in creativity at Tarn Hows. Both were manufactured during Victorian times and want to loko like something older and more organic. Both divide my opinion. We luched at Tarn Hows, it was picturesque, but the path around was tediously dull and well trampled by noisey irritating non-walker families who go to Lakeland without getting to experience it. Those who do want some of the experience take the Tom Gill path rather than park at the south end of the tarns. Here you follow a typical lovely woodland beck and path. What made it spectacular were the waterfalls, which I really enjoed and the water flow was fast and exciting.
Yew Tree Farm deserves a note as it was a prominent location in the Beatrix Potter Hollywoodisation, playing Hill Top. As she went on to own the Tarn Hows estate, she had probably known this farm although not lived there I suspect, but she isn't a specialist subject of mine.
Holme Fell ascent wasn't as easy as Black Crag and the views weren't as enjoyable, although the full length view of Coniston Water was worthwhile. The hill top panorama was heavily influenced by the looming south-western Wrynose and Coniston fells. The most enjoyable aspect was the easy but scrambly routes around the fell top. The northern flank would probably not be fun to walk on in spring or autumn as it had the feel of a frozen bog, but I liked the idea I was walking in places I might not at other times of the year.
The disused reservoirs were frozen over, giving a group of boys a lot of fun whilst their mum made a fire. This seemed a better family idyll than a dull scoot around Tarn Hows.
Possibly the most mesmerising and spectacular part of this walk were the quarries at Hodge Close. Firstly, on approach the road looked like the layout for a rally special stage, then we noticed some disused workings and ruined buildings to our right, then we looked behind usa nd saw the real show - deep, open, sheer quarry going down 100ft or more. A deep green pool fills the bottom of the crevasse. Rusty disused tracks sneak into the northern cliff face. Through the other side of this gap in the cliff is a smaller but just as deep quarry pit. More vegetation than water fills this hole. The cliff if possible looks steeper and this pit is no less impressive. I knew fromt he map there was a quarry but I didn't expect to see something this amazing. The industrial past of the lakeland had shaped many parts of the national park in a beautiful way - this disused quarry was by far the most man-amde sight on this walk. You can enter by the south-west corner of the first pit to explore a bit further. When my scrambling skills are greater I fully intend to do this.
The long day walking at this time of year meant light was fading, but their was still time for one more spectacular sight - Colwith Force Waterfall. Neither of us had seen this before and on the OS Map Skelwith Force is given greater emphasis, so I hadn't researched it beforehand. We saw a small man-made fall redirecting the stream and thought this could be it and were unimpressed, but as we continued we heard a building roar of water falling ahead. The wash built up over a few tightening but not very tall falls as big boulders directed the stream into a smaller space. When you get round this final secion of the falls a 10ft+ tall fall of frothing white water is the reward. This was a very happy surprise to round of an enjoyable and varied full days walk.
We ended the day (after a quick shower) at our third Wainwright - Wainwright's Inn at Chapel Stile (http://www.langdale.co.uk/dine/wainwrights/). Emma had braised lamb that she ate all of and wouldn't shut up about. I had a steak and ale pie. The meat was nice but the pastry was weak and it came on the plate in a pot, separate to veg and chips. Sticky toffee pudding with caramel ice cream was very tasty.
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