Saturday 13th September 2014
Setting off from home in Cleethorpes Saturday morning 09:30, the weather was clear and fine for the journey up the A1 and across the A66 West. A short stop at Mainsgill Farm shop and bacon roll we arrived in Keswick around 14:00, had a general walk around the market and picked up food supplies from Booths supermarket. We then headed off back East along the A66 to find our hut for the week at St. Johns in the Vale.
Bram Cragg is a working farm with holiday lets consisting of a large converted barn, a cottage and 2 purpose built lodges. The lodges are only a few years old and finished to a very high standard.
The location is idylic, set in the St.Johns in the Vale valley just 2.5 miles from the A66 and the village of Thelkeld. Keswick is not too far away either around 5 miles and easy access. Thirlmere reservoir is very nearby a few miles further South down the road.
Click Here: Bram Cragg holiday lets
The white farm house is habited by the owners, the barn and cottage holiday lets to the right (the barn sleeps 8 I think) and the 2 lodges set away in a large gravelled area adjacent.
The lodges are wooden in construction, though this does not show inside, and the high quality of all fittings and fixtures and facilities provided was possibly the best we have encountered in places we have stated over the last few years. We stayed in "Calf How", the other lodge is "Sosgill".
There is plenty of space in the lodges with a large open lounge,kitchen, diner, large patio and decking area and well planned kitchen with many appliances including dishwasher.
The location is quiet even though it is only a couple of miles from the A66, and the views are spectacular with fells all around, and a pond a stones throw from the lodge balconies.
Both lodges have 2 bedrooms of good size, a bathroom with bath and shower and en-suites in both bedrooms with showers. all electricity and heating is included as well as internet Wi-Fi access.
There is also a large 42" flat screen TV and DVD player.
As it is a working farm, there are cows in very close proximity, though there were no noticeable noises or smells that disturbed us because of this.
A closer look at the neighbours!
We took a short walk over the road from the farm along the adjacent stream admiring the valley surroundings and the now Autumnal trees starting to turn from green to brown. (though most were green as the weather had been kind)
Sunday 13th September 2014 (Loweswater)
We woke on a fine Sunday morning, refreshed and at ease in our new surroundings, and after breakfast we decided to head off a bit of a drive away to Loweswater for a low level walk
Pathfinder Guide: North & West Lakeland,
Walk#8 (6.3 Miles)
Loweswater is one of 3 lakes within very close proximity to one another. These are all located South West of Keswick, with Loweswater being the smallest and most Westerly. The others are the larger Crummock Water, then Buttermere.
The roads are all minor narrow lanes nearby Loweswater and parking can be a problem at the weekend (as we found). The parking at Maggies Bridge is limited (and was full when we arrived), so we parked the other side of the lake and began the walk from a different start point than that suggested. (There are 2 pull in car parks near Loweswater Hall and Waterend, both are small but free).
It was 11:30 by the time we started, as it was a bit of a drive (45 mins) and then the hassle finding a parking place on a dry Sunday.
All this was soon forgotten as we started walking towards the lake shore path, easily found and a good path.
I had recently purchased a new SLR camera, and this was really the first trip to try it out.
For any camera geeks, its a Canon 6D, which is a full-frame 20.2 Mega pixel SLR. The full frame sensor is larger than in most SLRs and is particularly good for Landscape and low-light work, and gives optimum quality with very little noise, even at high ISO settings. Coupled with a decent-ish L-series fairly wide angle lens (24-105mm L IS USM). I have no excuses now, other than my own limited experience. So apologies for any random pictures of random subjects, but there WAS a camera to test!
Though not a macro lens, it did not do too bad a job on the Fungi...
The lake shore path was enjoyable with good view to the surrounding fells, though there was some low cloud evident event though it was a dry day.
I tried to frame the view below. Good reflections on the quiet lake surface, even though the light was a little subdued and overcast.
After a mile or so the shore path headed through Holme Wood, the green leaves turning Autumnal and golden brown.
In the picture below, again a framed view, though I think this works better as its framed from nearly all sides.
Once reaching the end of the small Loweswater we followed the path to Maggies Bridge car park (what should have been the start point). A wider track then led up to High Nook farm, before turning and passing the edge of Holme wood opening out into a valley adjacent Burnbank Fell.
A slow and minor ascent nearer the head of the small valley saw a path right and turning back towards Loweswater. This we followed and a memorial seat here with an outstanding view over Loweswater. We paused here for a while to take in the view.......
From here it was an easy slow descent back to shore level and the car park.
An interesting short mostly low level walk with good lake shore views, just ideal for a Sunday half-day easy walk.
Our Walk Score: 7/10
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