Pandemic Peregrinations: Bird's Park Reservoir, Cumbria, Spring
The weather’s really been glorious in the last week or so. Thankfully, it’s made our daily One Government Sanctioned Outdoor Exercise Session Per Day a lot more pleasant.
About a week ago we ventured from our front door up towards Fisher Tarn, once dammed for use as a reservoir in the 19th century to support Kendal’s growing population and importance as a textile centre. During that walk, as part of consulting our map, we learned there was another nearby reservoir and vowed to visit on a future wandering.
Today was that day, and the reservoir in question is called Bird’s Park Reservoir.
This reservoir proved more difficult to access. In fact, we never actually saw the body of water, despite almost being upon it. The route to its dam was padlocked (no idea why), so we took the track to its northern tip. However, it seems that Bird’s Park Reservoir has long been abandoned, even though it’s still owned by United Utilities. Most access gates around the reservoir were rusting and padlocked, and the area was very much being reclaimed by nature.
Nevertheless, despite not actually being able to see the reservoir, we enjoyed a wonderful walk. The woods around the reservoir housed some beautiful trees, and in a month’s time will probably be full of bluebells. Above the reservoir is Paddy’s Lane, which we’ve hiked along before and offers enchanting views towards Kendal, its valley, and the Lakeland fells beyond.
In other news—as of the time of writing—78,991 have tested positive for COVID-19 from the Coronavirus in the UK, and 9,875 have died from it. May all those suffering find peace.
Miller Bridge in Kendal. The River Kent is extremely dry at the moment.
Stramongate Bridge and its weir. I’m ready for more leaves on the trees.
The views quickly open up once you pop out of East Kendal from Sandylands. The Lakeland fells start to become apparent too.
This is the pedestrian tunnel that crosses underneath the railway line. My lovely Lisabet here, demonstrating how low it is (she’s around 5ft 3in and had to hunch over).
High Jenkincrag Farm with Ashstead Fell (469 m/1,538 ft) in the distance. I liked the framing of this composition.
Looking back up at the farms along Paddy Lane from lower down on the Old Sedbergh Road. Love the criss-crossing of all the drystone walls.
I’m a sucker for a meandering drystone wall, especially if they’re undulating over the folds of the landscape.