Lakes October

 

Lake District Sat 28th Sept - 5th Oct 2013

 

 

So we booked a week at the Derwent Water Marina apartments in Portinscale.

A 1 bed apartment for just over £300 for the week (7 nights), good value.

 

We had spotted these apartments earlier in the year whilst passing through Portinscale on a cycle ride, and picked up a leaflet.

 

Having spent a short time in Keswick after driving over we arrived at the apartments just before 4pm, picked up the key from the marina office and unpacked. 

 

 

 

The view a few hours earlier lakeside in Keswick - nice day!!

 

 

 

 

The view (above) from the apartment front out onto the marina.

The marina as you may expect is a berth for boats, mainly sailing boats, and also hires out canoes, small sailboats etc..... The apartments are right on the waterfront with good views across Derwentwater and the surrounding fells.

There are only a few apartments, 3 in a row on a lower level and a much larger family apartment at higher (road) level.

The apartment is open plan as you can see with reasonable size double bed, small kitchenette and a shower room. The kitchen has a microwave combi, and a 2 ring electric hob, but no grill or proper oven. There was sufficient storage/cupboard space though. There is a small dining table and small TV on a swing out bracket.

Having settled in, we took a short stroll around, finding a grassy path leading off form the main roadway and towards the lake.

There were several paths leading off in a few directions, one to the Derwent Manor Hotel further back into Portinscale. The path leads onto the back garden area of the hotel complete with pond. This leads out the onto the road and passing the hotel there is a dead-end for cars, butr a pedestrian bridge, leading to a long straight path into Keswick.

The walk into Keswick is about 20-25 mins. from the apartments.
Sue did spot a deer on our way back crossing the grassy path near the marina. I was not quick enough to see it and it disappeared into the trees.

 

The only downside with the apartment was that we were in no.2, the one in the middle, and the TV mounted on the wall of No.1 apartment could be heard VERY plainly through the wall..... book No.1 or no.3!!

 

 

 

Sunday 29th September - Elterwater

 

Pathfinder Guide: Central Lakeland - Elterwater Walk#11

6.6 Miles, 3.5 Hours



 

We woke to a pretty decent Sunday morning, enjoyed a bacon sarnie, and deciden upon a short-ish walk in an area we had not visited near the Langdale Pikes.

Though a decentish drive away (40 mins or so) and in a pretty secluded area we parked alongside the road near the village of Elterwater, already busy by 10:30 when we arrived. 

 

 

 

 

 

Booted up we headed for the village (about half a mile from where we parked) and went right through, past a car park (already full) and along the river path taking us to Elterwater itself and the skirting the edge of the lake.

The rather ornate stone bridge at the beginning of this path.

Quite a busy path on a Sunday, with plenty of families and dog walkers.

 

 



Eventually the path gives way to lesser distinctive paths through woodland and a path to Colwith Force waterfall 

 

 

 

Here we rested for a while with some fruit and enjoyed the quiter environment away from the busier pathways.

Onward through ascending woodland tracks we eventually exited the woods and more open spaces and High Park Farm. A blackboard advertised refreshments, so we entered the garden of the stone cottage (a National Trust listed building), and the owners offered tea/coffee/cake in their wonderful garden and views over to the fells. All very pleasant. (and only £1 per drink!)

We could have sat for longer but decided to move on suitably refreshed and the views coming down the narrow lane away from the farm were stunning.

Soon after we arrived at Slater Bridge, a very unique stone packhorse bridge in two parts, very ancient and in an absolutkley wonderful setting. You cannot help lingering here!!

A short uphill section over rocky paths.....................

Followed by a little bit too long and monotonous downhill section over a very rocky path, and we were soon back in Elterwater village again

 

All in all a very pleasant walk, despite no altitude or Wainwright fellage, but just enjoy the views around of the higher fells. Sometimes, a low level valley walk can be just as pleasing as the higher fells.

 

Our Walks score: 7/10

 

 

 

Monday 30th September 2013

Portinscale to Threlkeld Cycle ride

(along old Keswick Railway path) 12.7 Miles 

 

Another decent day beginning with another bacon sarnie and a cycle ride from the marina along cycle path/tracks adjacent the A66. Then finding the old railway path (wheeling bikes up steps at churchyard) and up onto the embankment.

 

 

 

The path is pretty good at the Keswick end and there are several wooden bridges to cross (watch out for pedestrians, best to dismount for those bits). Then the path becomes a bit more woodland like through to Threlkeld.

 

 

 

 

Approaching Threlkeld depart from the path near a bridge and up onto the cycle path adjacent the main A66. After a few hundred yards swing a left onto the road into the village (bit steep here) and after about a mile and well into the village, the wonderful Horse and Farrier Pub. 

Enjoyed a pint of Jennings and the view across to Blencathra, checked out the food menu for evening meals - and yes we did come back one evening.

Good food, good beer and good service, what more can anyone want! Recommended!

Enjoyed the ride back to Keswick by the same route

 

We perused Keswick town centre and then headed off out of Keswick to the Filling Station cafe for a huge burger and sweet potato fries - Nnniiiice!! 

 

Nice light and views of the fells on the cycle path back to Portinscale. 

 

And... back at the marina!

Our Cycle Ride Score: 7/10

The next day we headed off for Manchester as we had booked to see Fleetwood Mac and the Arena there. Did not manage any pictures, but what a show, 3 hours and 2 encores, all the rumours favourites, great show! Overnight in Holiday Inn Express there, and a day shopping at the Trafford Centre befroe heading back to the Lakes. 

Unfortunately the rest of the week was niot so great as the weather turned, so a bit of driving around general sight-seeing and shops was the order of things for the rest of our stay.
A good varied week though with the Manchester show in the middle!

Yorkshire Dales 14th September 2013

Yorkshire Dales - 14th-21st September 2013

 

Setting off on a fine Saturday morning we travelled from Cleethorpes across on the M180,M18, M62 to meet the A1 at Ferrybridge and then headed West off the A1 through Otley to Skipton. A Fish and chip lunch in Skipton, a look round the busy market, shops, and a  call at Sues favourite craft shop at Embsay and we left mid-afternoon for our cottage in High Bentham.

 

High Bentham is a small market town at the Western fringe of the Yorkshire Dales, south of Ingleton, and actually just within the boundary of the Forest of Bowland rather than the Dales national park.

 

Our cottage for the week, was a couple of miles outside the town along a fairly narrow track heading across the moorland, then a right along an even bumpier track. A large house, with driveway could be seen through a clsoed gate, and only by stopping and checking did we finally see our cottage adjacent to the house driveway and through a closed wooden gate.

 

Parking up, and unpacking we explored our new surroundings and were impressed with the size of the living space.  



 

The cottage looked old from the outside (stone barn conversion) but inside spacious and modern. Rather upside-down, with the main open plan living area upstairs and bedrooms, bathroom and entrance room downstairs. Light and airy, with large sloping roof skylights and good views across open moorland - nice!

The master bedroom downstairs was a good size and the property heated with oil fired central heating as well as a wood burner upstairs if needed.

Good sized bathroom with overhead shower.

The late afternoon was very pleasant and a hot air balloon was spotted descending nearby. some lucky people enjoying their "flight". Brought back some recent memories of our hot air balloon adventure earlier this year in the Lakes.

The gate we would soon be very familair with open and closing leading to the driveway.

We very soon settled in, and checked the weather forecast... IT WAS NOT GOOD!!!

 

 

The Sunday was spent confined to barracks due to 50mph gales giving the area and our cottage a good battering with lashings of heavy rain. Decision was to stay indoors and catch up on some good books! Luckily we had plenty of provisions too!

The forecast for the next few days was pretty bad, and considering the good Summer, dissapointing. Ah well.

 

In fact the whole week was pretty much a wrirte off as far as any comfortable walking was concerned. Plenty of lashing wind and rain for most days.

 

We mainly spent the week flitting between various towns in the area and exploring the area by motor vehicle! One day we even visited as far afield as Carlisle.

 

The weather did finally break a little on the Friday (the day before coming home)

 

Our objective, ideally, would have been to walk all the 3 Yorkshire Peaks (Ingleborough, Wherside & Pen-Y-Ghent) but in a more leisurely fashion one at a time. Even this we did not manage due to the weather, and had to satisfy ourselves with just the one - Ingleborough. 

 

 

 

Friday 20th September

 

Ingleborough from Clapham (11.5 Miles) 7 Hrs



 

So we drove the short distance (about 7 miles) to the village of Clapham and the main pay and display car park (£4 all day). The weather was not that good (a little damp, fine, intermittent  drizzly rain).

 

 

Setting off through the village and across the beck at 09:30, we followed thid for a short while stopping to check out a small waterfall just as we headed out of the village.

Good paths/tracks led out to more open countryside, and the weather here a little better.
We passed Ingleborough Cave, and after a couple of miles entered Trow Gill.

Trow Gill was quite impressive as the narrowing limestone rockface narrowed into a V, and an easy short scramble over rocky ascending terrain the the end of the V.

This led out onto more open moor land, and the approach to Little Ingleborough passing nearby Gaping gill.

We diverted a few hundered yards to look down into Gaping Gill (largest cavern in Britain appararently). Though none of this was obvious just looking down from above ground.

It was damp and not that warm, so we pressed on along a stepping stone like path that started to ascend towards Little Ingelborough.

Following this in the mist as we climbed higher, it did all look a bit miserable.

Still we trudged onward, passing Little Ingleborough and then a push to the top of Ingleborough itself.

A short stop at the summit cairn (2300ft), there were some clearer views at times as the mist had cleared in some directions.

 

It was all a bit cold and windy though, and after taking photos, gloves went back on, and we ate our sandwiches at the stone shelter with a few other walkers, before heading off down the other side.

 



Coming back down the other side, the views were clearer and we enjoyed a good view of Ribblehead railway viaduct in the distance.

After descending down intemittently rocky paths we reached the limestone landscaping of Sulber Scars, leading out eventually onto easier grassier terrain.

 

At this point we were glad of the respite from the rocky terrain, and grassier, easier going for the 3.5 miles back to Clapham.

 

 

 

We arrived back at the car park at 16:30, the end of a bit of a damp squib of a walk.

Pleased to have completed Ingleborough, and pleased to have finished we drove back to the  cottage for a warm and well earned bath and hot food.

 

No doubt this walk would have been better enjoyed with more favourable weather and less mist in the earlier part and ascent.

 

There were many points of interest along the way, and interesting landscapes.

 

Our Walk Score: 7/10

 



The weather was even less favourable again on the Saturday so we headed off back home early, but we are determined to return sometime to explore the other Yorkshire Peaks and more.