Buttermere, walking over Christmas

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Buttermere 2024 Photo Gallery

DAY 1
HH - clockwise Buttermere - Hause Point - Rannerdale knotts - Buttermere village - HH
8 miles

Looking south across Buttermere, close to Hassness House.
High Crag and High Stile, with Comb Crags between them.

The classic glaciated valley from Rannerdale Knotts, with Crummock Water below us.

Looking towards the south-east, with Buttermere village in the left middle of the photo.

About to descend into Buttermere village, I took this picture of the 'adrenalin road' into Buttermere from Keswick, along the Newlands Valley.
Although the website advised a different route, I just followed the Satnav in my A5 Quattro and enjoyed the ride along this mainly single lane road with passing places and some very steep bits.

DAY 2
Cinderdale Common (CP) - Lanthwaite - Pump House - Loweswater Church - Green Wood - Crummock Water - Start.
9 miles.

Looking down towards Loweswater village from the area of Lanthwaite Wood.

The huge massif of Mellbreak on the west bank of Crummock Water partially hidden by cloud.

Not sure where this is, probably someone else's photo.

Looking along Crummock Water.

Outflow from Crummock Water flows into the River Cocker.
There is a fish ladder on this weir for those fish who are desperate to reach Crummock Water.

Here, near Loweswater there is a Postman Pat sculpture fashioned from an old tree stump.
A nice place for a group photograph.

DAY 3
HH - Buttermere (anti-clockwise) - HH
4.5 miles

On Christmas Day we did a circumnavigation of Buttermere, this time anti-clockwise.
Here on the shore there are welcome patches of blue skies.

Waterfalls at Comb Beck.

Hassness House as seen from across the mere.

DAY 4
Start in Rosthwaite - Watendlath - Watendlath valley - Surprise View - Lodore Falls - Chinese Bridge - Grange - Cumbria Way - START.
9 miles.

The climb up Puddingstone Bank heading up from Rosthwaite towards Watendlath.

The packhorse bridge at Watendlath, I remember it from a previous holiday.

Our group photo for the day!

A belted Galloway cow at a barn heading north.

Mossy hillside - lots of rain falls all year round in this area.

The aptly named 'Surprise View', looking to the north, with Derwent Water at its best.

...and the view looking towards the west.

Lodore Falls, taking the flow of Watendlath Beck into the southern end of Derwent Water.

Our lunch stop at Great Bay.
After this we soon headed south on the Cumbria Way, through Grange and back to Rosthwaite alongside the River Derwent.

DAY 5
Honister YHA (CP) - Old Tramway - Moses Trod - Hay Stacks - Innominate Tarn - Back to start down mine track.
10 miles

We set off uphill to the old tramway, turning left at the ruins of the Drum House.

On Moses Trod we arc round towards the rear of Great Round How.

At the summit of Hay Stacks! (Another Wainwright bagged).

We head back, aiming for our lunch stop.

Innominate Tarn, where Alfred Wainwright's ashes were scattered.
This was our lunch stop, peaceful with a bit of mist.

Green Crag.

Heading towards Blackbeck Tarn.

We are (almost) retracing our outward route.

Downwards on the long and winding mine track.

The little steam locomotive on display at Honister Slate Mine.
This was, of course, where Tod and I did the Via Ferrata a few years back.

DAY 6
Langthwaite CP -(B5289) - Kirkstile Inn - Maggies Bridge - High Nook Fm - Along wodd parallel to Loweswater - Iredale Place - Kirkstile Inn - Scalehill Bridge - START.
11 miles.

Along the ridge above Loweswater.

Looking back towards the southeast.

On the flat again and heading back, which will take us along the western shore of Loweswater.
This looks like Shaun the Sheep in a field.

We stopped off at the Kirkstile Inn once again.
I was planning to buy a few bottles of the local beers, but realised I had left my wallet back at the house.
As it happens, on my return to OPW I ordered 5 cases of three of these beers online!

This pub is where the award-winning Loweswater Gold beer was originally brewed, it's now brewed in Ambleside.

Our group outside Hassness House.

The holiday is nearly over.
It was a very worthwhile change of scenery for me, I got fit again and to my benefit, got into a new social bubble for a week.

I've no regrets about spending a Christmas in this way. Roll on 2025!

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DAY 1 HH - clockwise Buttermere - Hause Point - Rannerdale knotts - Buttermere village - HH 8 miles Looking south across Buttermere, close to Hassness House. High Crag and High Stile, with Comb Crags between them.
The classic glaciated valley from Rannerdale Knotts, with Crummock Water below us.
Looking towards the south-east, with Buttermere village in the left middle of the photo.
About to descend into Buttermere village, I took this picture of the 'adrenalin road' into Buttermere from Keswick, along the Newlands Valley. Although the website advised a different route, I just followed the Satnav in my A5 Quattro and enjoyed the ride along this mainly single lane road with passing places and some very steep bits.
DAY 2 Cinderdale Common (CP) - Lanthwaite - Pump House - Loweswater Church - Green Wood - Crummock Water - Start. 9 miles. Looking down towards Loweswater village from the area of Lanthwaite Wood.
The huge massif of Mellbreak on the west bank of Crummock Water partially hidden by cloud.
Not sure where this is, probably someone else's photo.
Looking along Crummock Water.
Outflow from Crummock Water flows into the River Cocker. There is a fish ladder on this weir for those fish who are desperate to reach Crummock Water.
Here, near Loweswater there is a Postman Pat sculpture fashioned from an old tree stump. A nice place for a group photograph.
DAY 3 HH - Buttermere (anti-clockwise) - HH 4.5 miles On Christmas Day we did a circumnavigation of Buttermere, this time anti-clockwise. Here on the shore there are welcome patches of blue skies.
Waterfalls at Comb Beck.
Hassness House as seen from across the mere.
DAY 4 Start in Rosthwaite - Watendlath - Watendlath valley - Surprise View - Lodore Falls - Chinese Bridge - Grange - Cumbria Way - START. 9 miles. The climb up Puddingstone Bank heading up from Rosthwaite towards Watendlath.
The packhorse bridge at Watendlath, I remember it from a previous holiday.
Our group photo for the day!
A belted Galloway cow at a barn heading north.
Mossy hillside - lots of rain falls all year round in this area.
The aptly named 'Surprise View', looking to the north, with Derwent Water at its best.
...and the view looking towards the west.
Lodore Falls, taking the flow of Watendlath Beck into the southern end of Derwent Water.
Our lunch stop at Great Bay. After this we soon headed south on the Cumbria Way, through Grange and back to Rosthwaite alongside the River Derwent.
DAY 5 Honister YHA (CP) - Old Tramway - Moses Trod - Hay Stacks - Innominate Tarn - Back to start down mine track. 10 miles We set off uphill to the old tramway, turning left at the ruins of the Drum House.
On Moses Trod we arc round towards the rear of Great Round How.
At the summit of Hay Stacks! (Another Wainwright bagged).
We head back, aiming for our lunch stop.
Innominate Tarn, where Alfred Wainwright's ashes were scattered. This was our lunch stop, peaceful with a bit of mist.
Green Crag.
Heading towards Blackbeck Tarn.
We are (almost) retracing our outward route.
Downwards on the long and winding mine track.
The little steam locomotive on display at Honister Slate Mine. This was, of course, where Tod and I did the Via Ferrata a few years back.
DAY 6 Langthwaite CP -(B5289) - Kirkstile Inn - Maggies Bridge - High Nook Fm - Along wodd parallel to Loweswater - Iredale Place - Kirkstile Inn - Scalehill Bridge - START. 11 miles. Along the ridge above Loweswater.
Looking back towards the southeast.
On the flat again and heading back, which will take us along the western shore of Loweswater. This looks like Shaun the Sheep in a field.
We stopped off at the Kirkstile Inn once again. I was planning to buy a few bottles of the local beers, but realised I had left my wallet back at the house. As it happens, on my return to OPW I ordered 5 cases of three of these beers online!
This pub is where the award-winning Loweswater Gold beer was originally brewed, it's now brewed in Ambleside.
Our group outside Hassness House. The holiday is nearly over. It was a very worthwhile change of scenery for me, I got fit again and to my benefit, got into a new social bubble for a week. I've no regrets about spending a Christmas in this way. Roll on 2025!