Wednesday, 13th August 2014

Walk: Keswick Landing Stage, Friar's Crag, Calfclose Bay, Ashness Bridge, Lodore Falls, Ferry to High Brandelhow, Low Brandelhow, Hawse End, Nichol End, Keswick
Start Point: Moot Hall, Keswick Grid Reference: NY 266 234
Distance: 6 miles (walking) Ascent: 820 feet
Time: 2.5 hours
Weather: Dry but overcast
Comments: For the last of my 3 days in the Lake District I decided on a trip around Derwentwater, visiting Ashness Bridge, the Lodore Falls and partaking of a ferry ride to finish off. This was an easy day but preferable to my original plan of climbing Skiddaw, which remained in low cloud for most of the day.

Just before 10am it is pretty quiet at the launch area . . .

looking across to Causey Pike with Barrow to the right

At Friars Crag a memorial was erected to John Ruskin in October 1990

Cat Bells from Friars Crag . . .

and another view of Causey Pike, and the ferry I saw earlier

Lord's Island from Strandshag Bay . . .

and a view to Castle Crag with the fells behind touching low cloud

Cat Bells is almost constantly in view . . .

and Rampsholme Island can now be seen

The beck looked almost out of place . . .

as I made my way . . .

through the woodland

At Broomhill Point the National Trust Centenary Stone, . . .

a large boulder of Borrowdale volcanic rock, was split and carved inside . . . .

to celebrate the Trust's centenary in 1995 . . .

and placed on the beach - but it is often half submerged in the lake

Ashness Bridge, a taditional stone-built bridge . . .

on the single-track road from the Borrowdale road to Watendlath . . .

famous for its viewpoint . . .

across Borrowdale towards Skiddaw

which still has its head in the clouds, from Ashness Gate

Lodore Falls waterfall . . .

on the lower reaches of Watendlath Beck

Catching the ferry at Lodore, Castle Crag is much closer now . . .

and Skiddaw is still covered in low cloud

The other ferry passes by in the opposite direction

There seemed to be a constant stream of people on Cat Bells

Nearing the top end of the lake Latrigg catches the sun, with Blencathra behind

Returning from the ferry trip . . .

the area is crowded with people and . . .

birds waiting to be fed . . .

a very different picture from when I arrived here in the morning

A quick stroll through the park . . .

on the way back into Keswick

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