Having driven up from Pal’s parents in Birmingham we decided to stop off at the Rheged Centre to have a quick bite to eat before setting off on our first walk of the holiday. We were lucky be able to enjoy a great Lego exhibition (Lego Bricks in Time) on display at the centre. So we ended up having quite a busy first day in the Lakes! An exhibition a walk and later a visit to Keswick all before heading for Boxtree Cottage in Dacre where we have stayed before. We have an exciting week of planned walks in the Lakes, let’s hope the weather improves, but at least it’s dry, so I shouldn’t really complain.
WAINWRIGHT BOOK: The Northern Fells Book 5
DIFFICULTY: 2 WALK LENGTH: 2.5hrs
DATE and START TIME: Friday 12th August 2016 start time 12.30pm
PARKING: Briar Rigg, Keswick, near Spooney Green Lane. (NY268 241)
ROUTE WALKED: Glenridding – Greenside Mines – Red Tarn – Spooney Grenn Lane – Brundholme Woods – LATRIGG summit – and back via the bridlepath.
WALK DETAILS: 4 miles, 2hrs 15mins including lunch.
HIGHEST POINT: Latrigg – 367m/1203ft.
WALKED WITH: Pal and Mila (aged 13).
WEATHER: Overcast, windy an cold on the summit. Hard to believe that I got sunburnt the following Tuesday on Blencathra!
An amazing Lego exhibition, Lego Bricks in Time, at the Rheged Centre, Penrith.
The exhibition was curated by Bright Bricks, it’s website describes it as ‘The World’s Premier Brick Model Building Company . . . home to the most talented [Lego] brick building artists in the world’ and I think you’ll agree with them when you see what they’ve created for this exhibition! The Rheged Centre stated that the models “bring to life some of Britain’s important historical turning points.” With highlights including an “eight metre long model of The Flying Scotsman; a giant diorama of Saxon life; Beatrix Potter and her creations, Tudor monarchs and a large model of Loather Castle, all bustling with minifigs and LEGO characters dressed in period costumes.” There was also various brick building activities which Mila really enjoyed . . . lots to see and do and well worth a visit.
Here’s just a quick snapshot of some of the incredible exhibits.
The level of detail is quite breathtaking isn’t it?
Amazing aren’t they . . .
Lowther Castle . . .
. . . and Beatrix Potter with some of her characters . . .
My favourite exhibit was The Flying Scotsman . . . so many details . . .
. . . on the other side you could see inside all of the carriages . . .
Imagine designing and building all of these models, the research involved . . .wouldn’t it be an amazing job!
Mila enjoyed some of the activities too . . .
Just before leaving Mila left her name on the board . . .
Now it’s time finally for our walk to begin . . .
We parked up on Briar Rigg, and then followed the track, Spooney Green Lane just out of sight ahead of where Pal and Mila are standing from where the car was parked, on the right of the photo (their left). You can also reach Spooney Green Lane from Keswick itself leaving by Crosthwaite Road or by nipping through the grounds of the swimming pool.
“Dad . . . I am 13, don’t be showing me up!”
Walking up the lane and across the bridge over the busy A66 and we get the first view of LATRIGG and the goal of today’s short walk. The plan is to walk up through Brundholme Wood and then onto the summit of Latrigg, making the walk circular by returning via the bridle path, part of the Cumbrian Way.
Finally on our way, I’d forgotten the Garmin GPS and had to go back to the car! Latrigg is in the background.
We didn’t in fact do the whole walk but cut up through the trees at one point crossing the wire fencing that had obviously been a short cut for other walkers too as it was almost squashed flat to the ground.
It was quite muddy in places so it was lucky that we wore our walking boots. We followed this path through the woods which was off on the right from the main path.
Looking south: there’s WALLA CRAG and BLEABERRY FELL beyond.
Higher now we get our first views down onto Keswick with Derwent Water behind. Directly behind Keswick is the wooded Castle Head with CASTLE CRAG just visible in the mist behind it. King’s How followed by GRANGE FELL are to the left of Castle Crag, with Falcon Crag in front of Grange Fell. Then the nearest fell on the left is WALLA CRAG . On the right of Castle Crag is HIGH SPY, MAIDEN MOOR and CATBELLS in front.
Looking south to east: beyond Keswick and Derwent Water left to right: King’s How with CASTLE CRAG on the far left (Castle Head is the wooded hill in front); then HIGH SPY with the ridge in front being MAIDEN HEAD and CATCALLS leading down to the Newlands valley; then Rowling End leading to CAUSEY PIKE then BARROW the triangular fell on the far right with Swinside in the foreground with its slopes reaching down to Derwent Water.
A panoramic view this time including BLEABERRYFELL beyond Walla Crag on the far left and ROBINSON beyond the Newlands valley between Catbells and Causey Pike (Rowling End). It’s such a shame that there is so much cloud.
A closeup of Castle Head with CASTLE CRAG directly behind.
You can see here how muddy the path could be, they had obviously felled some of the trees leaving quite a bit of debris behind.
Looking up through the trees, it makes me think of a fairytale scene from Snow White.
Looking back at the path we’d walked and you can see how wet and muddy it was.
We had headed up through the trees, which way now? . . .
. . . This doesn’t look like it’s the right way . . .
. . . The path becoming less distinct leading to this wire fence, others had obviously crossed at this point as the fencing was squashed down and there was a path where we’re walking, so we followed that as it seemed the only obvious way to go . . .
Surely this isn’t the right way?
Higher still now and you can see the A66 with Keswick and Derwent Water in the background. WALLA CRAG leading to BLEABERRY FELL are on the left.
Further round to the east you get a better view of the heather covered BLEABERRY FELL with Rakefoot leading to it and WALLA CRAG on the far right. RAVEN CRAG is to the right of Bleaberry Fell with Great How in the dip and HIGH RIGG on the far left of the photo with the Naddle Valley in the foreground.
The final pull up to the summit for Pal and Mila, nearly there but the mist is spoiling the views which is a bit of a shame.
Not far to the summit.
There’s GREAT MELL and LITTLE MELL in the distance and you can just make out the A66!
Through the gate and the summit is ahead, our first Wainwright of this summer’s holiday bagged!
What about that for a clear path to follow?
On a clear day the views would be magnificent.
A quick sit down to enjoy the views. The seat has an inscription, ‘a 90th birthday tribute to Ronald Lupton of Keswick 23/7/91’. Wainwright also tells us (Book 5 Latrigg 8) that the area was once covered in trees, but now only a pine and two larches remain.
From this close up you can see where we parked our car on Briar Rigg and the start of Spooney Green Lane (in the centre of the photo at the bottom) with the River Greta enclosing the Pencil Works and Derwent Pencil Museum in Keswick; Crosthwaite Road is the road you can see along side the river on the right of the photo. Wainwright (book 5 Latrigg 3) tells us that the River Greta is the subject of a poem by William Wordsworth. Before 1972 its valley was followed by the railway from Keswick to Penrith. This is now a delightful level path known as the Keswick Railway Footpath.
Imagine this view on a clear day . . . the North Western Fells of Catbells; Maiden Moor and High Spy with Derwent Water in front.
Further round to the west, left to right: Rowling End with the summit of CAUSEY PIKE lost in cloud; OUTERSIDE in front with BARROW the triangular fell with the beige streaks in front of Outerside with Swinside the small fell in the centre of the photo with Newlands valley on the left of the photo and the Derwent Pencil Musem with the River Greta on its left at the bottom of the photograph.
Isn’t this an amazing view (south to west) for such an accessible fell as Latrigg!
Further south . . . the sun seems to be shining a spotlight on Derwent Water doesn’t it?
We followed this path downwards and then took the lower path which can just be seen in the distance. The Northern Fells are in the background. I think there’s LONSCALE FELL on the right and the slopes of SKIDDAW LITTLE MAN on the left with SKIDDAW hidden beneath the clouds.
LONSCALE FELL on the right and the slopes of SKIDDAW LITTLE MAN on the left. We took the left hand fork.
The Northern Fells – further round to the west. Left to right: DODD; ULLOCK PIKE; and the slopes of SKIDDAW.
A look back at the summit of Latrigg.
Down the public footpath.
A quick look back at the route we’d followed, not far to go now.
Looking back you can just see walkers on the summit.
Unfortunately we didn’t see any of these forest creatures (though a couple of days later we did see a red squirrel in the garden of Roger and Ann Hiley’s wonderful cottage in Loweswater check out their fabulous and inspirational website Loweswatercam.co.uk).
Back through the woods on to the central path that we turned off right near the beginning of the walk.
“Come on slow coaches . . . .” Mila nearly always has to wait for us now, are we really getting that old and slow? Probably!
Almost at the end . . .
Back to where we started . . . we went through the gate on the right at the beginning of the walk.
Then it’s off to Keswick . . . We parked up in the car park next to the Keswick Rugby Club and there’s Latrigg straight ahead!
Heading for our favourite outdoor shop . . . George Fisher’s, they’ve also got a great Cafe upstairs, so the perfect place to be heading!
Perfect . . . tea and stickies in Abraham’s Cafe in George Fisher’s.
Mila can just about get away with spending time in the ‘Fisher Fun House’ but this will probably be for last time. I can’t imagine that Mila will be able to fit inside next summer!
What a great start to our holiday. Not it’s off to Dacre to unpack and plan for tomorrow!