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PICTURES AND TRIP REPORTS FROM MY WALKS IN THE ENGLISH LAKE DISTRICT
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E-mail - karl@karlswalks.co.uk |
Another ride up to south west Lakeland for a walk retracing part my path from the end of January and climbing Black Combe which I've not done for a year or two.
We ( Emily is home for Easter ) parked up on the minor road by St. Anne's church in Hallthwaites and walked up the road a little way to a track leading across the fields. Our route ahead can be seen from the track, we are heading for the gap on the right between Knott Hill and Raven Crag.
Interesting bit of dry stone walling making use of the massive boulders which were just lying around.
This path really is lovely, It winds between the walls and is very soft underfoot ( but not boggy ) with patches of colourful gorse dotted about.
Looking over more gorse to our onward route, Black Combe is on the far left.
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Looking back to the valley of Whicham Beck. The remains of the old Baystone Bank reservoir is below. I did think of coming that way but wasn't sure of the access situation.
Knott Hill and Raven crag ahead.
The path does become wetter as you cross Knott Moor ( although nothing like when I came the this way in January) and is being made muddier by the cattle in the field. Super view of the high Lakeland fells though.
Swinside stone circle with the Coniston fells in the distance.
Swinside farm below Raven Crag which now looks a lot steeper and bigger than it did from a distance.
It's cute lamb time of year and this one was enjoying the warm spring sunshine.
After following the track around the farm we start the climb up the shoulder of Raven Crag.
Cracking view over to the Dunnerdale and Coniston fells from the higher of the two distinctive cairns on the climb.
Black Combe comes into view and from here it's pretty much uphill all the way there.
The Duddon estuary below with the Lancashire coastline in the hazy distance.
We are on the final climb up to Black Combe now and having a look back into the central Lakes. The small plantation of Charity Chair are the trees below, the horizontal line just above it is the Corney Fell road and leading off from that is the wall up past Peg Crag to the Buckbarrow group. This is the route that I've taken a few times and is a great way to get to the high fells from either the coast or from the parking spot at the summit of the Corney Fell road.
Too many people milling about to get a photo of the top of Black Combe so we headed down past the little tarn to the southern top.
From where we can see Millom, the Duddon Sands and Walney Island.
From the cairn we made a sharp left turn and took a pathless route down the steep hillside. White Hall Knott is the hill below.
A path did appear so we followed it and it took us in a loop around Sty Crag. This is looking back up to Sty Crag.
Down into the valley of Whitecombe beck and without the cooling breeze which was blowing higher up it's become very warm.
We had a short ascent under the slopes of White Hall Knott then followed the track heading for the distinctive Hook Knott.
Emily thought she had discovered a secret tunnel into the hillside....
..... but it turned out to be an unusual sheep shelter.
The track descends down to Stoupdale Beck from where we take a path through the campsite at Baystone Bank seen here in the valley below.
I knew our walk had a little sting in the tail as we had to climb back over the "bank" in Baystone Bank. But it wasn't too bad.
Although I did have a quick breather whilst I took a photo of Raven Crag and Knott Hill.
Once over the bank it was all down hill to St. Anne's church.
Previous walk -- Around Swindale