Lovely Loweswater

Day 27 – 16 April 2009. After a comfortable night at Allan & Sandra’s house near Cockermouth I could afford a leisurely start on this fine but breezy day. It wasn’t far to Loweswater, home of the famous Kirkstile Inn: I parked a mile or so from the village at the NT car park near the lake, then walked back along the lanes, where the spring flowers were putting on a show, past the Inn and the only road sign I’ve ever seen whose directions are totally negative (see photo).

Mellbreak (1676’) stands completely alone, shoulder-to-shoulder with no-one, overlooking Crummock Water, and is one steep climb, I can tell you. After reaching the lower north top it’s nearly a mile (with a fair descent and ascent) to to reach the higher south top. To reach Hen Comb (1661’), the next objective, it’s necessary to descend steeply all the way down to the valley floor, cross Mosedale Beck (no bridge) and climb all the way back up again. Phew! So it was just after 12 o’clock and I’d only done two fells.

However, after this it was a lot easier, with less of a drop – to a marshy saddle - before the gentle rise to the summit of Gavel Fell (1720’), where I met Mark Richards who writes walking guides under the Cicerone banner and was researching for his latest publication. You can find out all about him on www.markrichards.info – he said he’d already met someone who was trying to do all the Wainwrights in three months (this made me feel better than the news received from my brother today that a 5-year old has now completed them. All it needs now is for a pregnant enthusiast to do them in under nine months to claim the prize for the first foetus and put it beyond everyone else’s reach. What would AW think?)

Easy walking, interrupted by lunch (beef sandwich, plum and chocolate bar, chicken & leek Cup-a-Soup) led to today’s highest point, Blake Fell (1878’) and then the rather strange choice (by AW) of Burnbank Fell, a rather anonymous looking bulge at 1580’ which looks very plain indeed compared to its altogether more handsome neighbour, Carling Knott.

At the end of the walk is a lovely path slanting through woodland, where a lady had only just finished attending to a call of nature as I happened along – hope I didn’t cause any embarrassment ma’am! Back at the car by just after 3 pm the pull of the Kirkstile Inn was too strong, so I popped in for a quick pint of very refreshing Mellbreak Bitter before exploring the by-ways back to my lodgings.

That’s 150 then. I don’t seem to be able to coincide the important numbers with impressive fells – no 1 was Great Mell Fell, 50 – Calf Crag (OK I suppose), 100 – Whether Hill (just a lump really) and now 150 – Burnbank Fell (definitely just a lump!). Wait and see what comes up at 200, but don’t hold your breath.

Photos: 1. Spring violets near Loweswater; 2. The road to nowhere? 3. Mellbreak; 4. Hen Comb from Mellbreak.