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A wet autumn ramble through Borrowdale.

A wet autumn ramble through Borrowdale.


Postby trailmasher » Sun Nov 01, 2020 3:39 pm

Date walked: 22/10/2020

Time taken: 3.46

Distance: 12.02 km

Ascent: 311m

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A walk through Borrowdale route.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts


This was a day when we were going to find ourselves on High Spy but the weather quickly changed our minds so rather than give away a day’s walking we decided to take a low level walk through Borrowdale and see what we could of autumn’s work before the weather took it all away. This walk report is more of a visual rather than written one as I have posted a past walk of this done at a different time of year a couple or so years ago although I will put comments here and there.

This is just a photographic walk through from Grange that would take us through Scarbrow and Dolt Woods, behind Castle Crag to Tongue Gill then on to Seatoller. We then walked through Johnny Wood on our way to Rosthwaite then returning to Grange via New Bridge and High Hows Wood.

A walk through and around Borrowdale is always great and is more than can be said of the photos taken on a wet day as the intrusion of rain drops on the lens portray, but as mentioned above we had to take advantage of our time here as we may not be able to make it back before the rain and wind strip the trees bare of leaves.

It wasn’t particularly cold as we set off from the small parking area just in front of the village hall, but it was wet and breezy as we set off with a view of Grange Bridge and Cummacatta Woods across the River Derwent.

ImageCummacatta Wood opposite Grange Bridge

A short walk northwest along the road had us in the heart of the village inside 2 minutes where the public toilets were beckoning but on trying to gain entry noticed that there was a recently added addition to them in the way of a barrier demanding an exorbitant 50p entrance fee, an extortionate affair, and how many people now carry pockets of change with them? Not us for sure, so it was on to the woods.

ImageCrags below High Spy

ImageWalking through Scarbrow Wood

ImageKing's How

ImageCastle Crag

ImageRiver Derwent and Dalt Wood

ImageThe River Derwent

After a short walk into Dalt Wood I found my own personal place and spotted this view of a small rocky outcrop and a fungus feeding off its dead host.

ImageFungi feasting

ImageThe lane alongside Broadslack Gill

ImageFord across Broadslack Gill

ImageDalt Wood and Low Hows Wood

Now we were on the climb up the track behind Castle Crag.

ImagePassing below Goat Crag

ImageBelow Castle Crag

We decided to stop for a break on the memorial seat under the trees on the west side of Castle Crag which entailed a short climb along the path. This next photo was taken from there whilst raindrops used my drinking vessel as a bomb target.

ImageView from the memorial seat on the west side of Castle Crag

And after a short break.

ImageNorth from the top of Lingy Bank

We were now walking south.

ImageSouth from Lavery Gill

ImageBorrowdale from just before Tongue Gill

As we approached Tongue Gill the outlook wasn’t all that great with low cloud hanging like a fine veil across the landscape.

ImageTongue Gill footbridges

ImageLooking down Tongue Gill

ImageTongue Gill

From there about a half hours walking saw us nearing the old Honister Slate Mine road/bridleway with a beautiful stand of Larch trees and it was at this point that we turned to the southeast to meet the old road further down the fellside...

ImageThe old mine road with Thornythwaite Fell behind

ImageGreat Crag behind Borrowdale

ImageA stand of Larch trees

ImageThe western edge of Johnny Wood

ImageBorrowdale and Thornythwaite Fell

that we followed down to Seatoller.

ImageSeatoller

We entered Johnny Wood from the Seatoller car park.

ImageEntering Johnny Wood

ImageWalking northeast from Folly Bridge

ImageWalking through Johnny Wood

We reached the part of the path where it goes very close to the River Derwent and one can either take the ‘exciting’ route by crossing over the rocks with the aid of a fixed chain or by taking the higher and more staid path.

ImageThe path is tight to the River Derwent at this point

ImageThe awkward stretch of path in Johnny Wood

ImageRiver Derwent in Johnny Wood

By this time we weren’t far away from the Borrowdale Youth Hostel and we came across what must be part of their alternative accommodation choices in the way of 6 Landpods.

ImageLandpods in Johnny Wood

As we passed over Longthwaite Bridge we espied an inscribed stone set in the parapet wall with some very old and worn text carved on it, a part of what can be deciphered as:-
"The Foundation
stone of the
xxxx
xxxx

A MEN"
It would have been nice to have the full inscription.

ImageLongthwaite Bridge inscribed stone

From there we walked through fields behind the houses of Rosthwaite.

ImageHigh Doat from Rosthwaite

ImageLarch trees and crags behind Borrowdale

As we passed the farm on the way to New Bridge I took note – and I would hope that everyone else does - of a colourful notice fixed to the barn wall with the words – Enjoy this special place. Leave no trace. Take your litter home.

ImageExcellent advice in Borrowdale

ImageStepping stones across the River Derwent

ImageKing's How and Grange Fell aka Jopplety

ImageWell paved track to New Bridge

ImageNew Bridge at Borrowdale

It was now just a case of walking back to Grange through the colourful woodland scene.

ImageAutumn trees with Robin Fold Edge skyline

ImageHigh Hows Wood

ImageHigh Hows Wood

After the last photo was taken it was but 15 minutes or so back to Grange.

ImageAnd some fall by the wayside

Despite the weather there were a good few people about on the lower parts of the fells and it had been a good walk. I took many photos and like the tree in the last photo many fell by the wayside and I am aware of the somewhat repetitious nature of the photos but I have tried to take a variety of different autumn scenes during a walkthrough of the lovely Borrowdale. Although the wind and rain was a nuisance the leaves do take on a different sort of hue when wet but I would have preferred better weather for the cameras sake.
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trailmasher
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Re: A wet autumn ramble through Borrowdale.

Postby dav2930 » Sun Nov 01, 2020 6:00 pm

Well, despite the dismal looking weather, those autumn colours are aglow in your photos TM. There's nowhere more beautiful, whatever the weather. Nice report. :)
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Re: A wet autumn ramble through Borrowdale.

Postby Alteknacker » Sun Nov 01, 2020 11:52 pm

Not really anything to add to Dav2930's comments. A really enjoyable visual treat for sure, and it really does show that one doesn't have to ascend an high mountain to get the full buzz of the outdoors, even in poor weather (and actually it doesn't look too bad in your pics!!!).

Thanks for posting.
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Alteknacker
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Re: A wet autumn ramble through Borrowdale.

Postby trailmasher » Sat Nov 07, 2020 3:44 pm

dav2930 wrote:Well, despite the dismal looking weather, those autumn colours are aglow in your photos TM. There's nowhere more beautiful, whatever the weather. Nice report. :)


Thanks for your comments dav2930 and it is certainly a most beautiful place to be whatever the weather :D . And I do think that the rain brings out the colours of the leaves wonderfully when wet. 8)
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trailmasher
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Re: A wet autumn ramble through Borrowdale.

Postby trailmasher » Sat Nov 07, 2020 3:52 pm

Alteknacker wrote:Not really anything to add to Dav2930's comments. A really enjoyable visual treat for sure, and it really does show that one doesn't have to ascend an high mountain to get the full buzz of the outdoors, even in poor weather (and actually it doesn't look too bad in your pics!!!).

Thanks for posting.


Thanks for reading and your comments AK, much appreciated :D The weather was quite bad and at one point there was no chance of using the camera as I ran out of dry everything trying to keep the lens clear of raindrops :crazy: The state of the paths can give an indication of how wet it was :? Again thanks :)
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